photo from http://www.people.com
First Lady Michelle Obama graces the cover of the People Magazine issue set for release tomorrow, Friday, February 27. It’s a lovely cover. The Michelle Obama fashion style website www.mrs-o.org says the first lady is wearing a lace kimono dress in dried azalea (love that color) by African American designer Tracy Reese. A full length view of a version of that dress is on www.mrs-o.org.
The dress looks wonderful on Michelle, however, it also highlights the latest style controversy buzzing around the first lady. The controversy is about Mrs. Obama’s apparent preference for baring her arms, no matter the occasion or season, or what the temperature gauge shows.
A post yesterday, on MSN’s allDAY Blog talked about the controversy surrounding the first lady’s right to bare her arms. There are comments from readers from across the nation on that blog. Some claim this is a “none issue,” others say go ahead bare those arms if they are shapely like Michelle’s, still others insist the first requirement is to be appropriate for the event.
Even during President Obama’s address to Congress, the first lady grabbed attention for her outfit. The www.mrs-o.org website has a post and photo of Michelle in the sleeveless plum colored dress she wore to hear her husband make his first speech to the joint session of Congress on Tuesday. Some felt it looked like the first lady was dressed for an after five party affair. Again, the dress showcased Michelle’s very toned arms.
Frequently women want to show off what they consider their best physical assets, whether it be long legs, buxom bosoms, or well defined arms. So Michelle has plenty of company in this thinking. However as first lady, the focus of national and world attention, Michelle has to meet a higher standard than most women. As first lady, what is appropriate always takes priority over personal style and personal preference. This is something Michelle will have to come to terms with, hopefully, sooner rather than later.
