Hello Fashionistas,
Late into the political season when I started seeing Melania Trump in the public, I took notice of her style because it was so different than our previous First Ladies: Michelle Obama and Laura Bush.
Melania is not afraid to wear some trendy pieces of clothing such as the Ralph Lauren one-shoulder jumpsuit (actually two trends), but she wears them in a minimalist color such as cream, pale peach or black. Her clothes are simple, in neutral colors but in flattering unusual shapes, but often have a little twist such as balloon sleeves. I like this. I recently purchased a cream bell-sleeve sheath (Donna Morgan). I had been told all my life I didn’t look good in cream, yet I don’t think that’s true since my skin tans and has an olive color year round.
Of course, it will be interesting to see if Melania changes her style when officially becomes First Lady in January. Who knows. That would be an interesting study to look at First Ladies throughout their time in the White House and whether it had an impact on their fashion style. I digress… anyway…
Let’s look next at Michelle Obama. What can I say. I love it: she wasn’t; afraid to wear color and was known for wearing the designs of aspiring designers and even buying off the rack–one of her favorite stores was JCrew (my favorite as well–it’s pictured here, the black and white dress). Funny story: I remember seeing her in a black and white A-line dress in one of her appearances and learned she bought the dress from JCrew. I immediately tried to find it and buy it – but of course it was sold out within a day. That’s the impact our First Ladies have on our style. Michelle is pictured here on The View.
One of my favorite dresses Michelle wore–there were many–was the orange dress she wore to the last State of the Union address. It looked amazing on Michelle. Of course, orange is one of my favorite colors. I think many women like it, too, but are afraid to wear it. Perhaps that’s a subject of another blog!!
Anyway, Michelle is pictured here in my favorite orange dress of hers. I would classify her style as dramatic since she isn’t afraid of unusual designs, loves colors and textures, and enjoys being the center of attention. I love this about her. Michelle concentrated on helping Americans families eat more nutritious food. What an amazing endeavor. It’s something we all should do, isn’t it? She particularly wanted to improve school lunches and worked tirelessly for improving nutrition in the home.
Finally, Laura Bush. I really like Laura Bush’s personality and her causes: helping children develop a love of reading. I am an avid reader, too, although I missed my book group meeting this month. Too busy! I like the social aspect of our group just as much as the discussion. I’ve been in this group 12 years and consider everyone there a friend!!
Laura Bush’s style is pretty easy to identify: she’s a true classic. During her time as first lady, she wore very classic pieces: suits, sheaths, pantsuits, with tailored, classic lines in many solid colors that were flattering to her brown hair and blue eyes: purple, red, blue, etc. I could see Laura Bush going into Talbots right now and finding many pieces she likes. I think Laura did a great job of dressing classic but making it her own style. I remember her always looking distinguished and serene. It was probably intentional since not long into her husband’s presidency our country was recovering from 9-11. We all needed to feel safe and secure–perhaps there was a science behind the way she dressed. Maybe someday i can ask her that question.
Keep it sassy, Indy.
Beth Divine, Your Indianapolis Personal Stylist
