America the Beautiful…
January 31, 2009
One of my favorite blogs out there is Motherlode at the New York Times, by Lisa Belkin. She keeps it simple but seems to be able to weave significance, pop culture, and every day honesty into her posts. There are a few I’ve really liked recently about keeping kids home from school (or awake past bedtime) for significance sake. She did one back in November around summer’s highlights, including the conventions…
Seems the timing for doing the same thing with my little ones was upon us this month when we escaped the mayhem of the city and instead decided to stay home from school at Nana and PopPop’s house to witness our nation’s historic transfer of power, the Inauguration of Barack Obama. Being little, my munchkins preferred playing with their barbies and cars instead of listening to a swearing in, but I forced them to pose, flags in hand, in front of the TV so that I had something to remember and show them later. The best picture really ended up being when Aretha Franklin, big grey hat ‘n all, was about to sing.
Little Patriots
At Last….
January 20, 2009
Of course, that was the song today, the one they danced to over and over at the balls. But the real two words we’ve really been waiting to hear are those that reveal the name of the designer of Michelle Obama’s dress. I was wrong about when it would be revealed. We had to wait til today, tonight even, to hear: Jason Wu.
Not al all what I expected, but i thought she looked beautiful. This dress, by a young, relative newcoming to the fashion world, Wu, may be nothing like the sketches that have been circulating in Womens Wear Daily for the last month. However, it really managed to convey a sweetness, softness that contrasted her otherwise potentially powerful and strong features (her height, shiny/straight dark hair, toned arms). Already her spokesperson has said it is headed to the Smithsonian — hooray!!!!
Soft but powerful
I was equally struck and in probably more in awe of the gorgeous ensemble she wore all day today. The golden dress and matching coat just sparkled. In some ways, as Laura Bush did 4 years ago, choosing a color so neutral (not the traditional black/blue/red) helped her stand above the fray, stand out and look fantastic.
Our new First Lady shimmers in a gorgeous Isabel Toledo ensemble of matching sheath and coat
I love the way Robyn Givhan of the Post put it: “The easy shift between price points has captivated observers who are so accustomed to recent first ladies who have dressed in either pricey designer fashions by Seventh Avenue heavyweight Oscar de la Renta or nondescript blahness. Obama dresses the way contemporary women do, mixing J. Crew with the splurges in their closet. They combine pragmatism with polish. And for this inauguration, despite the dire shape of the economy, they also brought glamour.”
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