Vibrant Nation

As an image consultant, I’ve been following First Ladies for many years. Most of them are “adopted” by designers who educate them and dress them in the worldly and sophisticated manner deserving of the wife of the President of the United States. Very few First Ladies came into the role with the look they left with, and Michelle Obama will probably be no exception.

Even Jackie Kennedy, known for her style, was taken under the wing of Oleg Cassini and groomed and shaped to become the fashion icon she was known to be. She dressed in something close to a preppy style before becoming First Lady. It is likely that Michelle will choose designers she likes, but I expect her style will evolve.

I loved her purple dress —- it’s a great color for her; and Maria Pinto is a rising star. The Victory Speech dress by Narciso Rodriguez missed the beat, and I wonder if someone is already advising Michelle about her attire. The “line” of this dress was all wrong. It makes her hips look much wider than they are, and it makes her tummy look like it protrudes. Michelle has the most common figure flaw for women: wider at the “middle“—in other words, at the hips, waist and tummy. I expect she liked the design, thinking the black line at the waist would make her waist look smaller. It did, but at the same time, the red pattern was almost round; and round lines suggest roundness or fullness.

For her figure type, this would be a No No. The colors were great, and I wish she had worn an all-red dress. She would look divine! Especially if she added red lipstick. It would make her face pop and her eyes sparkle!

(You can see Michelle's dress & the runway version here: http://blog.sandydumont.com)

I’d also like to add (as a corporate image consultant) that in order to look more worldly and elegant, Michelle should consider suits in jewel tones. She would look especially good in fuchsia, magenta, cherry red and more of those wonderful violet colors she has already worn. She should avoid orange and lime green, as they are food colors and not as classy as jewel tones.

Your thoughts?