Lady Obama’s Inaugural Style

Since it’s my job to keep people looking their best, many people have reached out to me, to get my opinion on Michelle Obama’s wardrobe choices for this historic day.  I honestly had to sit back for a while and just watch footage of her over and over again.  After hours of deliberating, and countless conversations/facebook discussions, I have come to the following conclusion(s).

First, let’s look at why Michelle is considered to be such a fashion pundit.  If I’m not mistaken, it started around the time that she visited the set of “The View”, wearing the black and white dress by Donna Ricco.  She received rave reviews for choosing to wear this particular garment.  Yet, if we really take a look at it again, I’m sure that most of us would agree that it was just “a nice dress” that fit her well.  Not trendsetting; not outside of the box; not over the top - just nice.  What got her so much attention is that never since Jackie Onassis Kennedy, has a presidential candidate’s wife so boldly worn her arms out.  Not to mention that she had a well enough fan-base to send the designer’s dress sales through the roof.  So, toned arms in a “nice” dress, coupled with this particular garment flying off store racks, is what started folks to talking.

From that point on, the world began to watch our soon-to-be first lady’s clothing selections with an eagle’s eye.  What she wore to a debate, led to our own debates around water coolers and on blogspots everywhere. Her looks were always conservative, while the colors never failed to compliment her skin tones.  With the exception of a couple of missed targets (everyone will have their own opinion), Mrs. Obama would normally do quite well in the fashion department.  We must agree that she tends to understand what colors work for her, and she appropriately dresses her body type.

For one of the most important days in her husband’s (and her country’s) life, Michelle Obama understood that all eyes were on her, and what she would wear.  For her day look, she chose to wear a color dubbed as “lemon-grass” by the dress designer, Isabel Toledo. Her outfit was both classic and timeless; a look that will exquisitely exist alongside the garbs of first ladies that preceded her in The Smithsonian.  The two-piece wool lace dress and coat, proved once again, that Lady Obama is in tune with what compliments her own body.

Our First Lady’s evening gown probably received the most mixed reviews since the O.J. Simpson verdict.  Her decision to wear a Jason Wu original was both shocking and, to many, utterly disappointing.  Although I did win the dress pool amongst family and friends (I guessed a white, one shoulder gown), this ensemble was far from what I expected.  My first reaction was one of “WTF???”.  However the more I watched, the more I realized that, once again, she dressed her body.  With one shoulder out, she proved that she can show some skin, and still be elegant.

More importantly, what I think was missed by many is that in her dress choices, Mrs. Obama made a statement that rang louder than the liberty bell; one which proved to be far more significant than pleasing fashion critics. Although she had the privilege to choose from the world’s most sought after designers, like her husband, she paid attention, and gave a voice to the lesser known.  Instead of easily adorning herself with designers that flood the pages of Vogue, In-Style, Essence and more, she allowed new talent, who are just as deserving, an opportunity to shine. As a stylist, I would have selected something a lot more sleek, accessorized differently, and gave more glamorous suggestions for hair and makeup.  Nevertheless, I can’t (for a lack of better terms) hate on her.  In this case, I put aside my own selfish critiques, and I applaud her efforts.  Once again, I am awed by an Obama.  Of course, I feel that there are some improvements that could be made, but I do believe she’s on the right track.  With a little guidance from the world’s best kept fashion secret (Spry, of course), my president’s wife will easily slip into her role as not only the best first lady this country has ever had, but the most fashionable one as well.

*Please excuse me for tooting my own horn, but you know I had to throw it in there.

The Making of Spry!

Since I was in high school, I’ve always felt like I was one of the only persons, amongst a select few, who had any fashion sense. It was then that I concluded that it was my absolute duty to make sure the rest of the world could have access to information that came natural to me. I needed to be the portal that will take these “fashion misfits” to higher ground! Friends and family members would often recruit me to go along on their shopping trips for some free advice. (Sometimes I could get a free meal or T-shirt out of it).

Although I enjoyed making them over, I still felt like an orphan, adopted by a society of people who would never be able to explain to me why I couldn’t wear white after Labor Day. It wasn’t until I entered the fashion industry as a runway model (at age 17), that I realized there were more of my species out there. People who understood the importance of knowing their body types, matching their skin tones, and who could properly pronounce the term “umpire waist”. WOW! This is where I belong (or so I thought). Yet, strutting down the runway still did not fill my void. I was content, but still there was more that needed to be done. I was a plethora of information when it comes to dressing your figure properly, and I needed to share this knowledge with the 4 out of 5 people I sit next to on the subway everyday. A friend suggested that I look into a career as a fashion stylist. “You mean I could not only offer fashion advice, but get paid doing it?” (Imagine how many meals and t-shirts that would buy!) “I’m in!” And that’s my introduction to the world of fashion as a Stylist.

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