First Lady of Style: Michelle Vs. Cindy

October 28, 2008

With all the hype surrounding Sarah Palin's $150,000 wardrobe, and the election right

around the corner, I thought it might be a good time to talk about the potential first ladies and their styles. Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain both have great fashion sense, but completely different styles.

Michelle's signature style is really a reflection of who she is. She is a strong, smart, independent woman from a working-class family. Her style is classic, feminine and sometimes even more casual than we are used to seeing. She wears dresses rather than suits most of the time. Her color choices are usually bold, but not flashy. She has been at the top of Vanity Fair and People's best dressed lists and is often compared to first lady fashion predecessor Jackie O.

What I love about Michelle's style is that she always looks put together effortlessly. As we saw on The View, she wore an off-the-rack $148 Donna Ricco Dress from White House Black Market. She looked put together, understated and most importantly relatable. The dress she wore sold out across the country because women wanted to and could afford to look like Michelle Obama. The dress she wore for her DNC speech was a simple sleeve, turquoise knit jersey dress. She popped a statement necklace on and Voila! She had an outfit that any American woman would want and could afford to put together.

While most of middle-America can relate to Michelle's style, many of us only fantasize about a wardrobe like Cindy's. Cindy McCain's style is very polished and elegant. Her personally style is evidence of a beauty queen raised in an affluent family. She wears couture designers such as Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera.

Her color choices are bright and bold, which can be quite refreshing. Her well tailored style is often compared to Nancy Regan who was known for her red power suits of the 80's. There is a lot to admire about Cindy McCain. There never seems to be a hair out of place. What I like about Cindy's style is that it is very true to who she is. She is a person that strives for perfection which is evident in the impeccable design and structure of her clothing. While her suits are conservative in nature, she modernizes them by chooses beautiful fabrics and playing with unexpected bright colors which add youth to her complexion. There is a regal air to her that speaks first lady fashion.

These women have great style and have raised the bar for their predecessors. Each of these potential first ladies brings a unique personal style to the table. But while each indulges in trends, like Michelle's wide belts or Cindy's showy colors, they both still embrace the pearl necklace which is forever classy.

Whichever has the honor of being the next first lady, you can be sure they will do it with style and class.

posted by: Milena Joy