【泰晤士报】Michelle Obama's Abbey outfit: stacked like a wedding ……

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Michelle Obama's Abbey outfit: stacked like a wedding cake – but nice colours
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article6470675.ece
From Times Online   June 10, 2009



What was that strange orange snake working its way around the First Lady's middle?


Wow, look at her go. Michelle Obama, who was in London on a short sightseeing trip with her daughters, didn’t let the small issue of a failing government stand in the way of her sunny style.

While the men around her look to be in mourning, Mrs O stands out like a beacon against the night sky. Ok, the appliquéd tunic has the air of Malia or Sasha’s art class about it and sure, it does nothing for her hips – all that extra fluff and detail around the middle adds bulk to her usually smooth lines. But when did looking trim become part of a visit to Westminster Abbey?

From a fashion purist’s perspective, the colours are bang on the money. Designers have been consumed with Post-it note yellow, flamingo and tangerine for the past season or so, and Marc Jacobs, who sets many global trends, has taken neons to the extreme for winter by painting all of his outwear in Mrs O’s lurid brights. And wearing them stacked as she has done, is also correct.

Wide stripes sound like a neurotic fashion no-no, but again the First Lady knows exactly what she is doing. It’s all about Richard Nicoll, isn’t it? The Australian designer is the fashion set’s New Best Friend thanks to his summer collection that used strips of bright pink and orange to slice horizontally the female form.

Mrs O is a clever woman: pretending to have just thrown on any old holiday number whilst actually acknowledging pioneering catwalk ideas is no mean feat, she is probably laughing at all the criticism as I write.

Unfortunately, those three-dimensional flowers, that strange orange snake working its way around her middle and the yellow curtain pelmet are impossible to defend.

As a stack, they look like one of those modern, fancy wedding cakes that brides’ co-ordinate with their flowers. For a woman who established her look on the principles of sophistication and elegance, the detailing is just a bit too sugary.

And the spotted plastic belt? Well, put it this way, her favourite Alaia studded one need not worry about the competition. So, this outfit isn’t 100 per cent faultless, but at least the First Lady has the confidence to have fun with what she wears. It takes a brave woman to wear pink daisies. And bloggers rejoice, her arms are covered too.