Just days–no, make that hours–after Barrack Obama officially secured the presidential nomination, fashionistas and politicos alike speculated on the possible fashion ensembles that Mrs. Obama would don for the big day.

However, the endless sartorial banter covered less what she would wearing than who would she wearing.

past fashion choices by Michelle Obama

Some argued that Mrs. Obama would try again with Narciso Rodriguez–after critics deemed the black and red Rodriguez ensemble Obama wore on the night of the election a flop–as a personal gesture towards enhanced U.S. relations with Cuba, stemming from the designer’s Cuban-American heritage. Other speculators projected that Obama would lean towards African American designer Tracy Reese or Chicago designer Maria Pinto. 

While multiple designers stitched and sketched potential inauguration outfits, Obama ultimately decided to stay mum about her clothing decisions until the morning of the inauguration. Although Obama explained that her decision was made in hopes of detracting media focus from fashion choice, her tight-lipped styling only seemed to fuel the fire.

The seemingly mysterious approach drew more attention than expected to her then-unannounced inaugural wear. Fashion news mogul Women’s Wear Daily capitalized on the uncertainty of the then-first-lady-elect’s wardrobe by running a feature titled “Michelle Obama: What should she wear?” In it, thirty-five designers showcased their artistic designs for Michelle Obama’s inaugural gown.

several sketches from WWD's Michelle Obama feature

The dresses featured a diverse range of cuts and style–some more Martha Washington than modern woman–yet they were each imagined as an encapsulation of the visions set forth by President Obama. With change in the stitches, progress in the folds, and hope in the hemline, the vying designers attempted to depict both history and the symbolic nature of the event on the broad shoulders of Michelle Obama.

However, the notion of one dress’s significance is not that laughable of a presumption. Not only will her inaugural gown be donated to the Smithsonian to join the ranks of other first-lady garb, her past fashion history makes it likely that the dress choice will send shockwaves to the fashion world that will reverberate down to the masses.

Obama has, after all, evolved into the new face of modern American fashion. As she stepped further into the limelight as President Obama’s presidency loomed, Mrs. Obama’s signature looks have been increasingly praised and emulated and her more stunning outfits have sold-out in stores within minutes of her being photographed in them.

the Isabella Toledo dress & sheath

Already, customers at Barneys New York are inquiring about the Isabel Toledo coat and dress Obama wore during the inauguration ceremonies. Although not set to appear in store until March–and listed around $1,500–there is a steadily growing list of interested buyers. According to the designer, the outfit itself was intended to evoke more than just fashion: the lemongrass color represented fresh optimism and captured Obama’s lively character.

Some fans of the modern elegance and streamlined style found in her signature look go so far as to hail the always-chic Obama as a potential savior for the currently floundering state of American fashion. So, as Michelle Obama emerged on the first inaugural stage of her long evening, she did so in one of the most anticipated pieces that the Hill–and perhaps the modern fashion world itself–had ever witnessed.

No other first lady had experienced such a large following of those with high expectations, partly as a product of the easily accessed updates of campaign images and partly as a product of Obama’s captivating and powerful self-image and poise. Throughout the election, her steady stream of style-savvy choices stood in stark contrast to the other fashion faux-paus being committed by the powerful women of Washington and exhumed by the media: a current dearth of stiff pant-suit combos and thousand-dollar shopping whims now seems a refreshing change.

Despite all of the fashion-forward couture designs previously imagined, Obama ultimately went for a traditional, white first-lady gown stitched by Jason Wu.  The relatively unknown designer crafted the gown in a subtle homage to other snowy-hued inaugural dresses–worn by first ladies such as Laura Bush, Nancy Reagan, Jacqueline Kennedy and even Mary Todd Lincoln–all symbolic of past presidential histories and the allure of the clean slate of a new presidential era.

Fashion-followers, particularly those from the online blogosphere, have keyed in on style similarities between Obama and Kennedy. From their strong sense of taste in style to their young, progressive husbands, it is hard not to.

The comparisons may be inevitable–but they are inaccurate. To posit Obama as a modern Cinderella amidst the Camelot of the 21^st century goes against all that the fierce Harvard Law Grad, Renaissance woman of Chicago, and now first-lady of the United States has proven herself to embody and to be capable achieving during her own term in the White House.

The comparisons fail to account for the every-woman approach Obama has taken in her personal fashion and in her approach to conducting life at the White House from the first lady perspective. Unlike Kennedy and her strong taste for pricey designers, Obama will not be remembered by later generations as just a pop-icon for style and elegance.  

Instead, Obama cultivates her personality and her image  - a strong, unique, vivacious one-as something with which the American public can easily identify, wearing her individuality on her sleeve, not only in her actions and promises, but in her everyday wear as she mixes her wardrobe arsenal with a mix of high and low. From off-the-rack White House Black Market and J.Crew to higher-end Thakoon and Isabel Toleda, Obama continues to prove herself to be more than just a mannequin or side kick to President Barack Obama. She stands with poise both as a mother and as an active participant and collaborator in this new presidential era.

Although compelling, this image and hype of Michelle as a fashion icon–when compared with her reality as both a successful career woman and mother–miscasts Obama as a one-dimensional and unengaged first lady of the new administration. While it doesn’t hurt to lust after a fashion choice or two on occasion, we must remember that it is who wears the clothes, rather than who designed them, that ultimately makes headlines.

 

Okay, I know, I’ve gone missing for quite some time. Things got hectic, I moved on to other projects, and  I sort of forgot about everything back here at Provincializing Fashion. I wouldn’t call it my new year’s resolution – I mean, it’s already… what? January 13th? – but I do run across a slew of interesting sites, thoughts, etc. on a day to day basis and will keep a kind of scrapbook here as I run across things. Most for my own reference and keeping track but if any of you out there happen to enjoy it, well, that’s awesome too. 

Today I applied to intern just during fashion week in New York (I already have a spring gig here in New York) so I’m in currently in a state of New York nostalgia. If only summer were here and I had my dream summer job/internship under my belt.

Here’s some fashionable and etiquette-friendly cards from Smythson (by the British designer Giles Deacon) to keep me – and some of you out there – smiling.

Here’s where you can purchase these little beauties…

On August 24th, Bendel’s will unveil the recently redesigned front window display to share the smart, chic, yet still eclectic fashion of the show “Gossip Girls” with the window shoppers of New York City.

Each of the main characters – Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Taylor Momson, and Jessica Szohr (also known, respectively, as Serena, Blair, Jenny, and Vanessa) – will have mannequins sporting high end designer fashions evocative of their character’s own personal style from the show.

While I absolutely love the concept – due to my unhealthy obsession with the styles seen on the show – I’m still bummed they aren’t including Chuck Bass in the line-up. His somewhat quirky fashion sense often comes across as more savvy and attention grabbing than all of the other girls combined. Plus, he is Chuck Bass.

For everyone who can’t make it to the premier later this month, check out at least some of the store’s offerings at their online store.

The show will be back on the CW on September 1st. What a perfect way to ring in the new school season: with preppy clothes and everyone’s favorite over-privileged New York WASP prep schoolers!

Fashion lovers around the world often struggle with those seasonal pieces that seem to oscillate from faux pas to catwalk glam and back again before department stores have even finished producing their own mimetic versions.

So, with that concern lingering in the back of all of our minds, how do we incorporate some of the hit items of the season into our daily ensembles, knowing that the fashion gods in charge could soon deem these threads obsolete? Without any warning, any one of us – despite our actual levels of style savvy – could be the next unfortunate soul to wear an item slightly past its expiration date. One bad grab from the closet and you could become immortalized, essentially, as “the girl who ruined the trend for us all”.

Take, for example, the high waisted, wide leg jean. Admittedly, to my eye, they mostly conjure up images of the orange slice, Capri Sun-toting soccer moms from my youth. However, as Elle and Vogue have probably already pointed out to you in their September spreads, the high waisted, wide leg pant was all the rage on the runway and the denim trend is persisting into the fall season.

So why the big fuss? Why have the jeans so trusted and valued by the every day mother of Americana suddenly become okay in the fashion world? Some could potentially argue that Katie Holmes, feeling particularly motherly with the arrival of Suri, headed initial support of the trend, leading to the unstoppable, global phenomena of high waisted acceptance. However, it has to be more than that: even celebs such as Ciara, Jessica Simpson, and Mischa Barton have all been spotted swathing their gams in this particular denim style. I particularly like the way that Rachel Bilson seems to pull off the trend. In my opinion, she’s always fabulous in her fashion choices.

So, sensing this dilemma, I did what any honorable fashion devotee with journalistic tendencies would do: I gave my newly purchased “mom pants-in-disguise” a trial run. Now, this was no literal walk in the park or stroll down the street. I chose to wear my jeans on the job, to a photo shoot to be exact, to test them out.

Despite the time it took me to get comfortable in my new garb, I quickly figured out – via playing around in the closet – how to “make it work”. Here are my few helpful hints on how to wear the style:

1. Confidence. Seriously ladies, this is the cardinal commandment of all fashion extraordinaires. Put on a great face, statuesque posture and just work the given outfit. Put on this charade and no one will ever question the style maven you may or may not be.

2. Hidden Heels. Skeptical that the high cut alone can produce the long, lean legs that lovers of high-waisted jeans rave about? Add a pair of heels – really, as high as you dare – to make your legs go on for miles.

3. If you’re unsure about the trend, stick to a moderate high rise. The super-high rise really doesn’t flatter anyone, even the skinniest of celebs.

4. To evoke some glam and really bring attention to the pants (they are – should be – the highlighting feature of your outfit), consider tucking in your top and adding a waist-cinching belt. This is a great way to balance out the effect of the pants.

5. Another way to balance out the extra yards of fabric on your bottom half is to add a ruffle shirt or blouse up top. Again, this should be tucked in to highlight the pants.

6. Finally, finish off the look with fun, bold and bright jewelry. Think statement jewelry, big cuffs, fun earrings to complete the overall mood and add to the funky side of your ensemble.

So – using this arsenal of tips – you can now make sure that you don’t end up black-barred in the next issue of Glamour. In my opinion, high-waisted, wide leg jeans are definitely a great way to mix modern with retro glam to add a fun kick to your everyday wardrobe… granted that you employ just a few of my helpful hints to best complete the look with serious sartorial ease and style.

According to the front page of today’s Metro:

“The average woman spends 76 days of her lifetime rummaging in her handbag. The most commonly lost item in the bag are keys.”

This research, notably, comes from Bagatidy, a UK company busy marketing their recently developed purse organizer. One glance at their website and the product image and I find myself dying a little on the inside. What is the point of investing in a Balenciaga or a Birkin if you are just going to stuff a construction worker’s tool belt inside of it? Yes, that is exactly what came to mind when I looked at the Bagatidy insert: a evolved, over glorified – yet gauche – canvas fanny pack. The ensemble is so entirely atrocious that to shove one into an upscale purse should be considered insulting to the designer.

In my opinion, a purse represents personality: what a woman carries typically embodies who she is and what she wants in life. Consider the number of purse spreads that have ever been done by editors and bloggers over the years: the contents are never shown tucked away in their own sterile little sacs. Instead, the items – cells, sunglasses, keys, lipsticks, stickynotes, etcetera – are spread out, fanning away from the mouth of the purse as if exploding out from within. Yes, my friends, that unruly mess sums up the essence of a woman’s purse.

So, as I am proud to admit, I plan on skipping any hasty Bagatidy purchases and will instead embrace the extra four minutes a day that I spend – assuming I am the average woman – rummaging through the colorful and chaotic depths of my tote. Plus, finding that $20 bill or my M.I.A. MAC lipstick emerge from some unknown crevice always seems to make my day.

If you are wondering about the purse pictured, it is the Foley + Corinna Glazed Jet Setter Jr. Tote and at the top of my wish list right now. Sigh, if only….

I have been published! In addition to my in-house internship in New York, I also occasionally submit articles via email as a contributing intern (I guess? They were actually quite vague with my role.) for the recently launched international lifestyle, fashion, entertainment, arts, and culture magazine Chic Today. I am, for the most part, happy with the turnout of my piece. However, I had initially pitched a piece on the summer fashion trend of diaphanous maxi-dresses. A few email exchanges with the editor in charge of the intern submissions later, I somehow ended up doing a cinema/travel piece instead. Oh well, it’s definitely better than nothing!

A Cinematic Summer: Discover New York through the Lens of Classic Film

So make sure to go read my article! The more hits it gets, the more likely it is that I will be asked to write more pieces! Ah, to be a struggling intern and aspiring writer….

“O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,

A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene! “

- Henry V, Act I, Prologue

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With a busy internship/class/commute schedule, flagging inspiration, and a general overwhelming sense of exhaustion, I have not recently had the chance to do what I love most: write. Thankfully, however, a series of events have pushed me back towards my normally-creative self. Specifically, my recently invested-in iPhone has been my most useful muse.

This one gadget, small enough to slip into even the tiniest of stylish clutches, has propelled my productivity to an entirely new level. Once seemingly complicated programs – extensive multi-category to do lists, in-depth calendars synced to my computer, instant gratification email, weather updates, etcetera, etcetera, you name it – are now all part of my everyday life.

On the other end of the spectrum, my recent room redesign and update has given me a breath of fresh inspiration to inject new creativity into my life – be it in my everyday fashion or in my writing. Plus, as you can see in the photo below, I now have the option of channeling Carrie Bradshaw while gazing out an open window as I finesse away my next piece (or just waste hours perusing style.com). Sadly, my computer overlooks a not-so-great street in West Philly and not East 72nd but, hey, a girl can always dream, right?

Also, as the picture shows, I have come up with the ultimate solution to showcase my jewelry, allowing me to have the best selections in plain view when I piece together the day’s outfit. The jewelry-presentation idea stemmed from a conversation between the editors of the magazine where I am currently interning. As we were all hiding in the magazine’s library, eating frozen yogurt to celebrate one editor’s birthday, someone commented that the head editor was wearing a particularly stylish, yet interesting, fashion combination. As a result, the topic of getting dressed in the morning came up. Almost everyone in the room pointed to the lamentable problem of not being able to see everything they owned, particularly jewelry, while getting ready. This was my solution.

While I am sure that my current jewelry collection is incomparable to their fabulous wardrobe and jewelry stashes, I came up with this artsy – yet practical – answer. My bulletin board has (thankfully!) evolved from showcasing the random nostalgic photo or to do list: it now features around two dozen necklaces carefully strung to give the impression of a haphazard montage of gold chains, pearls, and random costume jewelry.

Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly?), this one piece led to a major theme that I continued throughout the revamping of my room. In my opinion, this one presentation seemed to embody organized chaos – which, coincidently, best describes myself – and I sought to recreate that at points throughout the room. I have all of my rings stored in two clear champagne glasses on a chest next to my bed, my purses are displayed on hooks hanging on the wall usually hidden behind my door, and my bracelets and bangles are seemingly chucked into the scale I use when making jewelry. Next to my desk, I have a three tiered basket piece, in which my pens, headbands, and straightener/hair dryer have their own respective baskets.

Ultimately, I guess you could say I have created my own stylish, inspiration haven. It really represents who I am and I can’t help but feel at home and at ease… and ready to jump back into what I love most.

I just discovered the best solution for when your cute flats leave you limping. Today, on my walk from the subway to the office, I managed to dig a hole in my heel from the cute, never-worn, hand-me-down Ferragamos my grandmother just sent me. While I tried to suck it up, there was no way I could make it through the day when my newly-formed blister was on fire, even while just standing at the copier.

Back at my desk, which just happens to have a stockpile of bags, boxes in all sizes, tissue, bubble wrap, you name it, I came up with the handy solution of slipping a slice of bubble wrap into the back rounded heel of my shoe. It worked perfectly… Better than a band-aid!

Aside from the occasional pop!pop! coming from my right foot, you cannot even see that I have the bubble wrap in my shoes and I cannot even feel the blister. A solution come true.

You know, I think the kids over at www.ed2010.com have it right: set yourself a goal and work like crazy to achieve it. That’s my plan as of right now. I have fallen in love with my internship: I love love love what I do, even though it’s more grunt work and sample returns than I am sure a respectable future in this field would entail.

However, I do get to observe the fashion team at it, assembling the fall outfits and beauty stories. Yes, you would never believe it, but we are working with tweeds and furs in the July heat as preparation for the November issue has already begun. I still have a hard time fathoming how people set the trends for each season this far in advance. However, I guess if you go to the fashion shows and catch the eye of Anna Wintour, she simply decides – a la Project Runway – what is in and what is out.

for example: this….

translates into this…

which ultimately translates into this…

(weird halo effect usually not included)

Anyways, as mentioned, I am a firm believer in goal setting. And – over the past few weeks at my internship – those goals are slowly emerging. I want to be a fashion editor for a Health and Fitness Magazine (think Fitness, Women’s Health, Shape) or, more broad

ly, an editor of a fashion magazine in the realm of fitness, fashion, and beauty. For example, if I could have one dream job, it would be the Fitness & Beauty editor over at Elle.

Sidenote: I love Elle magazine. Who else would include witty, somewhat obscure, literary and psychological (think Freud) references? However, I do wonder how many heads those somewhat snarky quips soar over. So, if anyone from Elle is out there, I plan on interning there next year and have goals to achieve. Get ready.

I have been so busy for the past two weeks, I don’t even know where to begin. I apologize for the personal blog – I have to admit, I regard personal blogging too be a bit narcissistic and self-indulgent for my tastes – but I have been so busy: the parents came up two weekends ago to help me move into my new room, I have been juggling my new internship and a night class, and, finally, this past weekend, I couldn’t get any work done as I was enjoying a romantic weekend with my visiting boyfriend. Finally, however, things can’t start to slow down and get back to normal. I mean, it is 4th of July week, right?