First Lady Face-Off?
Monday, November 17, 2008 at 9:01 AM Not since the days of Camelot has political power dressing so consumed the fashion press. Perhaps because for the first time in history the world has not one fashionista First Lady in place, but two. We all know that Mrs. O is well on her way to icon status, but in Madame Sarkozy of France, aka Carla Bruni, has she met her match?
The two first ladies have much in common in the style stakes - a penchant for purple, a taste for flats-so we asked ourselves: who wears it best? Both women favor regal shades of violet and indigo and both wear them beautifully. We love Ms. Bruni’s exquisite Hermes evening gown, but Mrs. O’s purple Maria Pinto shift was one of the defining fashion moments of recent times. This round surely then belongs to Mrs. O?
We’ve spotted both ladies out and about in remarkably similar pearl-grey coat dresses. A brave, fashion forward choice, but perhaps in this case Carla pulls it off with a little more ease. By keeping things minimal she lets the strong, clean lines of the dress cut through. Mrs. O added a fresh, relaxed feel to her campaign wardrobe with this floral Moschino shirt dress back in August. Carla kept her cool on a trip to Israel in a more tailored, golden brown option.
Both skillfully balance ease and elegance but on balance, we prefer Michelle’s softer look and simpler accessories. Finally, at 5’11” and 5’9” respectively both Mrs. O and Madame Sarkozy favor a flat. We’ve seen Carla in ballet flats, loafers and gladiators but the shoes of the political season are undoubtedly Mrs. O’s signature silver ballet flats, adding a touch of sparkle to the simplest look.
We couldn’t possibly allow them to go unrewarded. So by today’s reckoning, in our opinion Mrs. O wins by a nose, but who will be crowned the ultimate First Lady of Fashion? Only time will tell. In a recent interview however, Madame Sarkozy confessed that she “can’t wait” to meet Mrs. O - now that’s a fashion moment we’re longing to see.
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Reader Comments (28)
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Me thinks that each woman is dressing true to her countries 'signature' style - Madame Sarkozy dresses very 'French' - a bit more studied, a bit more obviously 'fashion', more formal, while Mrs O is stylish in a very American way - breezy, comfortable, cleaner and more athletic, yet completely pulled together and still elegant and forward.
Both ladies are amazing fashion icons. They rock!
I think Carla Bruni is lovely but I really don't care what she's wearing. I just don't care about her the way I do with Mrs. O. The comparison is silly. In my view Mrs. O always wins.
Always, always been a fan of Carla Bruni(very strong and fiercely independent as a model)and would love for Michelle Obama to be my friend:). Being able to read about these two ladies on the same page is quite exciting as they are so different and yet so alike.
I really like both of them! I saw Bruni's interview on 20/20 or something a while back and she was refreshingly honest and still adorable despite her maturity. So rather than think of them as competitors, I'm happy to see two such refined, fashionable women in the public eye!
Kristan
http://kristanhoffman.com/
this is going to sound like a criticism and I really don't mean it that way; something about Ms Obama's hair cut is bothering me.When I look at the photos below where she has her hair either slightly off her face,you can see what amazing ****** bone structure and lovely thick hair she has; beautiful.Not to cut it short(er)at all but smoother off her face, less chunkiness in the front bang? not sure.
oops, what I did I say wrong?
Both women deserve First Lady Fashion Icon status, but I'm going to side with the American in this case.
I was a bit worried about Mrs. O until she showed up at the White House in that gorgeous red dress. My confidence has been restored. I really think she ought to bring back and modernized the 50's hollywood look. The red dress reminded me of the a sort of the 40's & 50's cut (tailored waist to the breast).
Hi Isabelle, We're trying out a new comment screening system meant to weed out mean comments - however, it seems to have flagged your nice one. Sorry about that!
Well Carla was a model and comes from family wealth so she's had a leg up on dressing well and expensively for years. I think Michelle is on a fast catch-up course though.
Mrs. O is no fashion icon--yet. She could be, but she really has no style--unless THAT is her style. If so, then too bad for all of us. We have such high hopes. However, it is unlikely that she will ever beat out the French first lady, who is a former fashion model, unless Mrs. O learns to carry herself with a bit more grace. She looks lumbering from time to time, she's rather hippy, and a bit bow-legged so she does have some challenges. However, those things are harder to change than her choice of dresses and that is where she needs to hire someone to help her. The right clothes will help lessen the obviousness of those other problems. I keep going back to Lady Di because she was an unfashionable, awkward, 18 year old when she married and then she blossomed into a swan and a fashion icon. Someone was obviously dressing her (at least in the beginning) and when she attended formal events, she looked better than a fashion model. Mrs. O is a mature woman in a very formal and important position and someone needs to dress her too. Instead of wearing whatever some ambitious designer concocts for her, she needs someone with true taste to help her just say no and to make more appropriate choices. Since she does have nice arms, I am hoping she will wear a strapless or small cap sleeved ball gown for the inaugural ball and not try to pull off some slinky thing that keeps exposing us all to her bulges and wide rear view. The purple dress above has great color, but it was too clingy for her figure. While Madame Sarkozy looks tres elegante. The dress Mrs. O wore to the White House recently was another wierd design with ugly 3/4 sleeves and when she turned her back to go inside, one couldn't help, but wince. When my husband, who couldl't care less about fashion, commented on her posterior, then you know there's something wrong.
Pamela gives us the brutal truth. One can wax and wane all the Camelot one wants, but standing up straight and being able to objectively view all views would be a starting point on the road to Camelot.
I adore Mrs. O and am always riveted by her fashion choices, but I think you can't really compare her with Carla Bruni, who used to be a fashion model. I think both women have their own unique and fabulous sense of style.
That said, I do think there are times when Mrs. O could use the help of a stylist. I don't see any "problems" with her figure at all, really. But some styles suit her more than others. Carla Bruni has a model's figure so pretty much anything looks good on her, and keep in mind that she's never had children either, so she doesn't have a mother's curves like Mrs. O does. So I think you can't really compare the two in terms of style and clothing choices.
*But* I tend to like Mrs. O's style much more because I'm always more interested in how regular, non-model women dress stylishly, and I think Mrs. O does that better than any other First Lady we've had, with the exception of Jackie O. But then I've never been a fan of Jackie O's style ... always seemed a bit too severe and kind of androgynous, to me.
In the picture of Carla Sarkozy, she reminds me of Cindy McCain: too rigid, doll-like (not in a good way). At least Mrs. Obama looks like she is comfortable and real with imperfect hair and softer fabrics. Wearing a lesser-known designer will only prove her individuality, rather than following the crowd in Oscar de la Renta. I would love to see her in other American designers like Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan.
Did you guys catch that Avon A, an imprint of Harper Collins, is going to do a book on Michelle Obama's style. They seem to love her ability to look as smashing in a J. Crew as she does in a Narciso Rodriguez. Mandi Norwood is going to write it.
http://www.obama-mamas.com/blog/?p=108
Small correction to one comment listed here: Carla Bruni has had a child. She has a son. I think his name is something like Aurelien and he's around 7 or 9? Regardless, she was a professional model and is, moreover, often dressed from head to foot by her friends at Dior. So, bien sur, she is chic. As for the unflattering comments about Mrs. O's figure: Mrs. O seems very comfortable with her body and that confidence makes her look even more attractive. She is not a size 0 -- thank God for that. A lot of people admire her figure...including her "posterior." The red dress for the White House was gorgeous! Vive Madame O!
Whoops ... you're right! My mistake! Carla B. does have a son named Aurelian. It's funny but I never came across that fact in any of the articles I read about her.
Damn, that's beyond awesome that both these women look like they do after having children! I don't think I could ever look like that even if I worked out for hours every day, lol!
they are both beautiful women. mrs. s seems flawless, classic and predictable. mrs. o seems more risky with her choices... which makes it more interesting to follow. i hope mrs. o does not become predictable.
They are both wonderfully dressed. Check out the pix from the Sarkozy's recent state visit to the UK. Carla was mostly in dove-gray Dior - very classically tailored and entirely appropriate for the situation (when meeting HM the Queen, "hey look at me" is just not on). Looked great with her coloring, too. She had a stunning purple gown for the fancy dinner. My only kvetch is that her husband is enough shorter that she almost always wears flats, when another shoe might work better. Not a problem that Michelle has!
Sigh. I hope to see a whole let less of these comparisons between Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Sarkozy and any other lady....
Can't each just be appreciated separately for the unique individual that they are, and the equally unique spin that their tastes, values, etc. bring to their style choices? These competitive "dress offs", between high profile women although intended to be just for fun, I know, are often not helpful or healthy...
I enjoy what each lady brings to the table, and feel certain that they will enjoy one another's company when they finally meet. Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Sarkozy together would most likely make for an interesting, fun and lively pairing!
Now, to another matter. Reading Pamela's comments, I wonder whether we are ever going to see a day when unconstructive and unkind woman-on-woman criticism of hips, thighs, bottom, gait, bulges (??) fades away. It is still amazing to me that a woman can be picked on by another woman for being "hippy", having thighs and possessing a visible behind! I think it worth repeating a comment I've made elsewhere here; a black woman possessed of West African bloodlines is very likely have been blessed with these attributes. (What with the padded underwear and bottom augmentation going on out here, some are obviously choosing to try to buy that which Mrs. Obama got for free, which given Pamela's comments certainly gives me food for thought....)
Judging from the loving (not to mention lustful) way that Mrs. Obama's husband often looks at her, he appears very happy and content at being "saddled with" his wife's "problem areas".
Finally, perhaps, "Mr. Pamela" "couldn't care less about fashion", but that didn't stop him from looking/staring long enough at the "wince inducing" sight of Mrs. Obama's back entering the White House to comment on it. He was obviously fattening his eyeballs......!
I love Mrs. O, this site and the chance to immerse myself in Mrs. O's modern chic. Also, I think it's terrific to have a first lady who, while stylish, looks like she actually eats a full meal once in a while. For girls and young women everywhere, she's a refreshing counterpoint to the ultra-thin look idealized in the media. Mr. O obviously seems to agree - love the photos of him looking at his wife like she's the last piece of cake!
Is this the smile he fell for or was it this one http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/2805195898/ ?
Both are beautiful!
I am with Deb. Both women are accomplished in their own right and are great role models for both young and not so young women so there is no need to do a direct comparison; although, I know that these posts probably get the most comments. :-)
What is not to like about either of them, they are both accomplished, beautiful and smart. I like that both of them bring something to the table regarding fashion, style and just plain old interest. I am sure many of us women would like to step into their shoes for a day or two just to experience their lives. Again, I see two great women in their own right!
I think Mrs. O deserves to be compared to a model, and I don't understand what her posture has to do with her clothing choices. I agree she needs to stand better, but that doesn't mean she has bad taste. I think she has had to hunch since she probably deals with alot of shorter people. As for her not being a model, well she certainly has the height and attractiveness. Again, that has nothing to do with her style anyway, imo.
I think Carla Bruni is adorable, but she doesn't seem very confident in the role of first lady. It might have something to do with the fact that she is an entertainer in the world of politics and there is an unease because she has not had the chance to form her own identity in that arena. After she started seeing Sarko, she began dressing in this very conservative manner that seemed at odds with the person she is and the life she has led. I feel she needs more time to truly be comfortable in her own skin as a political spouse and to find a style that's more "her".
And....Pamela is a total troll. Can we ban her?
I'm french and I probably better knew Carla Bruni than you. Carla Bruni is an italian model as you know and for 3 or 4 years a singer. She wears often "escarpin" (sorry I don't know the english word for). But my president is small (1m68). Carla is taller than Sarkozy if she don't use flat shoes our president gonna looks like à dwarf.
I can't totaly agree with your article Michelle Obama is more charsmatic, clever in politic but Bruni is more elegant.
Funny blog!