I know many professional women,who have a few of those "affordable" priced outfits,but not a new one for everyday, and i know these are not priced for the "masses",unless you can find them at Walmart

Her clothes indeed are very general public. I believe most women can afford these outfits, especially if they carefully plan and don't blow money on cheap junks. She looked awesome in that J Crew outfit.

I will not be too surprised if she shops at W-Mart. She seems is the type of woman with enough confidence and substance who does not use material things to define herself.

I am so glad we have a highly educated, intelligent and well balanced first lady.

See the site for citations:

"A $148 White House/Black Market dress Obama wore on "The View" sold out at some locations, as reported by The Wall Street Journal and others."

--If it sold out, I guess a LOT of American professional women were wearing $148 dresses to work that week.

"Nancy Reagan was First Lady during a recession, and her penchant for designer clothes, given to her by influential names looking for more exposure, did not sit well with many Americans. According to PBS, the public "balked" at Mrs. Reagan’s fashion choices. "The Reagans were accused of not caring that America was having trouble making ends meet," PBS notes, "while they lived and entertained lavishly, surrounded by well-heeled friends." But the First Lady gained credibility with voters by spearheading a drug awareness program, and she had more than just a sartorial influence in the Reagan Administration."

--Believe me, as someone who shares her first name, abhorred her politics and her use of an astrologer in the White House, and who had to hear "Nancy Regan Red" any time I wore the bloody color, I KNOW how much we heard about what she wore.

Who talks about First Lady Fashion?
The Washington Times

Ann Coulter, anyone?

My gosh, the Washington Times is dishing on fashion AND smirking over Sam Shepherd’s arrest. Here

And the Wall Street Journal has a blog devoted to "The latest fashion news, images, and analysis from around the world."

QDog, your clichés are showing!

I'll bet Barack - maybe even Brian Williams - doesn't buy $100 off the rack suits from the Men's Warehouse! No one finds men having their bespoke tailors outrageous.

I worked in DC, we dressed well and though not everything in the closet was at the high end - but if you went classic or tailored, having a selection of blouses, shoes, accessories, etc. and your wardrobe stretched out just fine.

It would be more appropriate to mention her warm smile. Any woman could have that should they choose so and it is free.

Now, I don't spend that kind of money on clothes because I don't need to, so I don't budget for it. I work in a "business casual" environment where I can wear slacks and sweaters every day, and I don't work with the public. But certainly, several hundred dollars for decent tailored suit jacket alone is not unreasonable, and I wouldn't be shocked if I ended up spending that much. And I'm cheap. ;)

Let's face the truth,she is NOT everywoman..They live in a million dollar+ home, have their children in private school, and are free from day to day worries the "everydayPERSON" deals with..And this is prior to his being President...The Democrats have a history of whacking Republicans as the "out of touch Richie Riches" in regards to John Q Public but they enjoy "marinating their ice cubes" in the same drinks the GOP does...For the record, i am an independent ;)

That's a bet you'd win because the reason why is obvious - she will be in the public eye (which sees all nowadays) whereas most of us are not and never will be. In our daily lives we usual folks aren't seen by people who would bother to commit our wardrobes to memory and find a way to use it against us.

Million dollar homes and kids in private schools aren't all that rare though and certainly aren't weighted to any particular political party. Maybe there are some people who wish these things WERE rare so they could keep feeling superior and exclusive. Ya think?

As a side bar: I'll admit to noticing two other woman who might not fall into the category of Everywoman - before Condi Rice hit her stride, she would appear on the news every night in this nubbly pink suit. Same for some financial analyst named Kristia something - have seen her on Nightly Business Report, McLaughlin Group, Washington Week, etc. etc. between October and now and always wearing the same distinctive dress - saggy mock turtle neck, greenish or brindle brown with a diamond-shaped target like affair in different colors covering the entire upper front.

Regardless of having noticed, one's personal sartorial choices are just that - personal.

But why should she care if she wore the same thing several times in public? Perhaps THEN,the media could pander to Jane Q Public and it would be legit...My point continues to be the MEDIA,not Michelle's choice of clothing,and if the media continues to portray her as Jane Q Public,that is a joke

I'm not working anymore so I wasn't sure how working women felt about the media's portrayal of Michelle Obama.

So, today I polled DH's female direct reports (4 of 5 are women). First, they all were glad to talk about Michelle. Second, they all do think of her as an American "every day woman". Every one of them said they felt she was a good (they actually said, "great") role model. Each of these women holds a post-graduate degree & makes a $125K+ salary. So, no...they're not WM employees but they also are not millionaires. Two of the four are the primary support for their families. We talked about Michelle's clothes & whether they cared about where she shopped. They do. And, J. Crew seems to be a big winner because they all have purchased something since the election.

So, at least these 4 women relate to something in Michelle that's inspiring. None of them saw a problem with the media's reporting of her clothes. One of them said she hopes Michelle gets up a web page after the inauguration with a blog that includes her wardrobe choices.

Michelle is a lawyer. As such, she has to dress professionally. But, so do other American women in similar postions. In that respect, she is an American "everyday women". It is not unreasonable to expect that professional women might shop at Nordstrum's. So, here's the suits & separates section from Nordie's website. As you can see, $400 is very reasonable for a 3-piece ensemble (blouse, skirt, & jacket).

Compared to Cindy McCain & Sarah Palin's compaign wardrobes...gosh, Michelle seems downright frugal. The media is portraying Michelle as a women today's American woman can aspire towards as opposed to Cindy McCain...an heiress. Goodness, Cindy McCain was voted "Best Dressed" while still in highschool! And then, there's the Sarah Palin saga. What can be said about that? If you want the public to see Sarah as an American "every day woman" you can't put her in $250K worth of designer clothes! Women have some hope of being able to purchase a $400 outfit but NOT a $2,500 cute little red leather jacket!!

/tricia

I'll bet the average salary for working women is likley under 70k, and the word is "average",considering the "average" salary from 2005 census is 51k for people with college degrees..at 50k,400 bucks is almost 1% of their gross income for 1 outfit,not a good recipe for financial planning ;)

We both know that if one aspires to higher position it pays to dress like you already had the desired position! That's one of the first things I learned in banking...needed to buy suits! Same as a young man entering the work force just after college graduation. He also needs suits/shirts/ties.

Personally, I believe $400 for a pulled together ensemble is a pretty good price. Yep, some are going to have to save for awhile but it's at least attainable within some reasonable length of time. Two quality suits & a half dozen equal quality blouses & you're dressed (well, you need shoes & unmentionables!).

I think there will be many young American women looking to Michelle for wardrobe inspiration. Heck, I'm looking forward to seeing her inauguration gown. I hope she doesn't get influenced by the white house staff & end up in designer clothes...would, IMO, be a mistake.

/tricia

I don't hold Walmart as the standard for Everywoman. I know very few professional women who buy work clothes at Walmart but I do know professional women who shop at J.Crew, ITalbots, and Nordstroms as well as Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, and JC Penneys.

I also don't think clothes have to be affordable to EVERY SINGLE working woman to be called affordable or for the masses. Certainly Mrs. Obama's clothes are very affordable to professional white-collar women such as she (e.g., a woman in a suit) and vastly more available to the working masses than Mrs.Reagan, Mrs. Kennedy, or even Mrs. Clinton.

I don't wear suits to work but when I did (in the late 80s and early 90s), my impression was MEN spent around $300-$500 a suit back and women spent about 1/2 that amount ($150-$250) per outfit. So in 2008, I don't find a $400 outfit totally outrageous. It's on the high side but it's not exclusive and plenty of professional women spend about that amount.

P.S. - Mrs. Obama may have also shopped sales :)

If your DW has weeks full of that type of clothing, what is the problem? Is the complaint that the media isn't ringing your doorbell?

You're complaining about the media's view of the cost of Michelle's clothing but if she dressed like a bag lady we'd complain about that too, how she is an embarrassment, why doesn't she have someone coaching her on her clothing, etc.

I can't tell where you live, qdogni, but I live in a major metropolitan area and work for a Fortune 500 company. Women do dress that way. Women do spend that much on business attire.

And no, I don't shop at Nordstrom. I have my clothing professionally tailored :>)

And i can assure,1st hand, professional women do indeed wear high-end clothing,but is a woman who works in that type of position the typical "everyday" woman? I seriously doubt that...

Personally, I don't care at all... and wouldn't even know about this --- except for the fact that the OP brought it up and keeps belaboring the issue....

My definition is simple,everywoman is the average of all women in the workplace,not women who are CEO's,CFO's,or in senior management positions...

The "average" woman is not spending thousands of dollars on wardrobe..

amazing how i am getting grief over a comment about the media!!!!!!!!

I shop at JCrew, Talbots, etc., but also JCPenney and Marshall's. My closet certainly isn't full of $400 outfits, but I have spent that much on occasion. $150 for a dress isn't out of line for me at all. Just means I may not buy anything again for a while.

I find MO's style very approachable - much more so than other candidates' or presidents' wives in recent memory. I would (and could) wear some of the outfits I've seen MO in, which I couldn't say for another first lady I can think of.

Now, is that what the media should be focusing on? Of course not, but it's something that has always been an item for discussion for the wives of candidates. In MO's case, I think she's contributed much more than fashion sense to Obama's campaign - she's quite vocal about her opinions. The media could find much more to talk about than whether the dress she wore on election night was flattering or not (which, by the way, I loved).

she will be crucified no matter what she does or what she wears, right or wrong.

I think you may be over-reacting a bit :)

You threw out a thought (the media misspoke when characterizing Mrs. Obama as everywoman based on her clothing choice) and you found that many women on this forum disagreed with you.

INow, is that what the media should be focusing on? Of course not, but it's something that has always been an item for discussion for the wives of candidates.

Maybe not but it is often informative and fun to read! Check out Robin Givhan of the Washington Post. She writes a column on the fashion choices of many politicians - I remember the column on Cheney's choice of a parka over a suit at a state funeral (I think it was a state funeral - lots of other heads of state were present). She also dissected the image the Republican and Democrat presidential and vice-presidential candidates presented via their clothes (rather than say, their words).

Wow - that would make Barack Obama an "affordable everyman" in comparison. His Hart Schaffner Marx suits are a mere $1500, although according to the Sun-times, he buys them 5 at a time.

There is plenty of press concerning the men and their wardrobe, but it must not draw as much interest. Wasn't there some to-do about McCain's choice of shoes? Heck, I remember reading about the Pope's $600 handmade shoes.

Regardless of whether it is designer or not, it would be nice if she wears something made in the U.S.A..

I get almost all my stuff at FiFi's Fine Resale, where, the staff tells me, nearly 25% of it has the tags still on it. Like $300 Carlysle wool slacks for $8. I like to let some other woman take the depreciation hit. Also, I have to gloat, I got a $98 pair of Chico's jeans at the outlet for $9.50.

When visiting my daughter last month, I got $198 worth of things for $42 and change. That included WA state tax, too!

"First lady Michelle Obama wore a sparkling yellow-gold sheath dress with matching coat by Cuban-born American designer Isabel Toledo. She paired the embellished ensemble with green gloves from J. Crew and green shoes."

Links that might be useful:

Michelle Obama shines in Isabel Toledo
www.startribune.com/lifestyle/style/37874579.html

Isabel Toledo
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Toledo

So, I was immediately struck by the thought that the right shoulder strap on that gown was the exact size, shape, and location of a fuzzy guitar strap protector. On TV the color was truly indeterminate, at first I thought she was wearing white! And then were there little fluffy cut out flowers on it, or something? And very shapeless.

Didn't your mother ever teach you - "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all?"

Sephia, doesn't it make you feel lucky that we have not one but TWO fashion experts in this thread who are willing to go to so much trouble to show us what a fashion doofus our new first lady is?!

rileysmom17-"Oooh pain...that Inauguration ball gown. If you are in the public eye it pays to dress WELL so that no one can say anything about what you wore except "good choice". Of course the problem is the definition of "well"."

Speaking of definitions ("well"), have you checked out the definition of "snob" lately? I'm sure it doesn't describe anyone you know...

Definition of snob-

"A snob is someone who adopts the worldview of snobbery �" that some people are inherently inferior to him or her for any one of a variety of reasons, including real or supposed intellect, wealth, education, ancestry, etc. Often, the form of snobbery reflects the offending individual's socio-economic background. For example, a common snobbery of the affluent is the affectation that wealth is either the cause or result of superiority, or both, as in the case of privileged children.

However, a form of snobbery can be adopted by someone not a part of that group; a pseudo-intellectual is a type of snob. Such a snob imitates the manners, adopts the worldview, and affects the lifestyle of a social class of people to which he or she aspires, but does not yet belong, and to which he or she may never belong.

A snob is perceived by those being imitated as an arriviste, perhaps nouveau riche or parvenu, and the elite group closes ranks to exclude such outsiders, often by developing elaborate social codes, symbolic status and recognizable marks of language. The snobs, in response, refine their behavior model."

No matter what Michelle Obama wears, she is still a beautiful intelligent and accomplished woman. I felt she looked great on Inauguration Day and at the Inaugural prayer service on Wednesday. Regardless of what she's wearing, she always seems to look happy and confident and poised.

I never criticized her as a professional,educated,mother of 2 children...

"Don't forget about her feet allegedly hurting..But what do you expect when you walk Pennsylvannia Ave in her Jimmy Choo's!!!!!!!!! Even i know you're not suppposed to walk in Jimmy Choos,just supposed to stand there and look great in them,lol"

$400 on a single outfit? That's an average of $328.07 ... PER YEAR!

But, I'm a male, and definitely not a "fashionista." Whew!

I don't have any friends like that either. Seems that money can buy pretty much anything BUT class, hmm?!

I'm looking forward to the breath of "fresh air" Michelle Obama will be bringing to D.C.. I'm sure her staff will make sure she is presentable enough for whatever functions she will be attending so she can focus on REAL issues, instead of worrying about what people think of her wardrobe.....

All the liberal ladies, all the liberal ladies
All the liberal ladies, all the liberal ladies
All the liberal ladies, all the liberal ladies
All the liberal Ladies

Now put your hands up
Up in the club,we just broke up...lol

"...For the record, i am an independent ;)"

Yeah, right...

Free press, by definition, must be liberal; how can strictly conservative press be more free or accurate? YOU must decide if what you read is correct. That what an Independent (thinker) does. I also don't know any independents who rant "liberal" either - just crestfallen Neocons...

As for MO, what Sephia said. She could blow a bunch on foo foo duds, but she is more CONSERVATIVE with her pocketbook. That is one thing she can do for our contry - teach us how to be more CONSERVATIVE...

And she can TEACH you how to be more conservative? You can't possibly be serious..I can't imagine anyone who is not frugal/conservative waking up and saying" Michelle Obama is my kind of gal,she is SOOOO conservative,that today,i am going to follow her example"

You DON'T care what Michelle Obama wears? Could have fooled me...

I guess that explains why you started a post about her that focused on everything BUT her wardrobe? ;)

IT IS the M-E-D-I-A portrayal of her as the "average Amercian woman" which the post is about,but perhaps you don't understand that...please try and read content of posts,not words which fits your agenda...

Seems there are some who liked it and others who disliked it and tore her choice of attire to shreds for different reasons.

No, I didn't misspeak. I'm not going to do your homework for you. Just do a Google search on First Ladies and you can find for yourself the contributions that First Ladies make. Of course the "husbands" make the decisions for the country (duh!), but First Ladies have a conservative role that they play. For example - do a Google search on Lady Bird Johnson and check out all that she did for the environment.

You should do some research yourself before spouting off inaccurate statements.

qdog-Let me to spell it out for YOU dear!!!

It wasn't the M-E-D-I-A that posted the thread, it was YOU. It WAS about CLOTHING, not Michelle Obama's other attributes. lol.

oh, brother,Dreamgarden,the GIST of the post is the clothes are NOT mainstream for MOST American women,but the MEDIA portrays it such...I'll bet the average "mainstream"female employee can't afford the wardrobe Michelle has,not even close..But the mainstream media is so liberal,that it does so to foward its agenda,whether thats good or bad is your choice :)

So MO's PR people did an excellent job of portraying MO as "mainstream" and accessible to many women. No, maybe not everyone - or relatively few - can afford to spend $400 on an outfit but that's not the point. The point of the PR is that 1) her clothes are accessible - this is probably the more important point than their cost - she buys clothes in stores ordinary, non-wealthy people can shop and easily find something to buy and 2) her clothes are relatively affordable - I would say none of the women reading this gasped at the cost, like I did when prices were quoted for Mrs. Reagan's Galano outfits or Mrs. Cain's outfits or even Mrs Palin's Valentino jacket (anything having a comma in the price).

It isn't surprising that MO's people are sketching a woman who is more like "everywoman" than not. I would say, Laura Bush's people did the same very successfully. They played up Mrs. Bush's profession as a librarian even though relatively few women have their MLS required to be a librarian. But the profession is not high-powered and it is very visible so that made Mrs. Bush, the wife of a multi-millionaire, more "mainstream".

All this is probably in response to the missteps of previous first ladies. Mrs. Clinton and Mrs. Reagan come immediately to mind. Mrs. Clinton, a Yale law school graduate, came across as an arrogant wannabe co-president who practically sneered at SAHMs (I'm thinking about the unfortunate cookie remark) while Mrs. Reagan seemed aloof and detached from most people. I think Mrs Reagan was going for a more regal image but this fell flat when she kept wearing very expensive clothes during a deep recession - consulting with an astrologer didn't help either.

Mrs. Obama has much in common with both Mrs. Clinton and Mrs. Reagan, so she took steps to avoid their mis-steps. While Mrs. Obama is, like Mrs. Clinton, an Ivy-League trained lawyer who has her own career, she comes across much more like a stylish working (albeit very successful) mother.

So, instead of ranting about the "liberal media" (didn't see these words in your original post), you should be congratulating the Obama team for successfully constructing Mrs. Obama's public image.

Disclaimer: I have never spent $400 on an outfit at one time. BUT, I may have spent on separate occasions $150 on a dress, $100 on a pair of shoes, and $50 on jewelry and other accessories. Throw in a jacket ($75-$100)and voila, I have a $400 outfit.

Sometimes you need to read the foreign media to figure what's going on in the US.