Michelle Obama has weathered the sartorial storm.
Late last week on Good Morning America, she faced her critics: "Look, women, wear what you love. That's all I can say. That's my motto. I wear what I like because...I gotta be in the dress, so..."
Next week, she will be lauded for connecting with everyday Americans by her attainable style in a book by Kate Betts, Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style (Clarkson Potter, February 8, 2011).
If you haven't been keeping track, here's what all the fuss was about: Weeks after the First Lady wore an Alexander McQueen gown (pictured above) to a state dinner honoring Chinese president Hu Jintao, her fashion choice had grown into a full-blown kerfuffle. Some blogs were even calling it McQueengate.
From a fashion point of view, most critics agreed it was a slam dunk (the color red is auspicious in Chinese culture). From a political viewpoint, several U.S. designers-Oscar de la Renta and Diane Von Furstenberg, in particular-voiced disapproval that she donned a British, instead of American, label on an evening that was supposed to promote American Chinese trade.
