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Posts Tagged ‘Michelle Obama Fashion’

First Lady Michelle Obama – My Top Ten List of Fashion Dos and Don’ts

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

I am a huge admirer of our First Lady but I find a lot of her fashion choices to be problematic.  Some days she hits it out of the park; other days it’s a swing and a “fall on your face” miss.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that she takes risks, but when it comes to dressing her triangle silhouette, I do believe she should adhere to a few basic fashion rules.

Recently, one of my twitter followers posed the question “whose advising her?”  With her dizzying inconsistencies, one has to wonder if she’s even being advised.  Afterall, a woman of her status and stature could easily intimidate the best of stylists.  But, as I sit here behind my Macbook Pro, I’m feeling quite ballsy and am willing to take a stab at furnishing Mrs. Obama with some fashion advice.  So, Mrs. Obama, if you’re reading, here is my list of 10 fashion dos and don’ts, because I want to see you hit a grand slam every time you step up to bat.

1. Fit is everything. As the First Lady, do pay closer attention.  Everything you wear, whether luxe or less, should fit impeccably. You want your clothing to graze over your womanly curves, not cling to them.
   

   Don't allow your clothes to talk behind your back. (Click image for larger view)

   

   Love the color but not the fit of the sweater. (Click image for larger view)

2. Avoid dresses that exaggerate your triangle silhouette.
   

   This is wrong on so many levels. (Click image for larger view)

   

   The dramatic flare of this dress emphasizes the First Lady's triangle silhouette. (Click image for larger view)

3. Create visual spacing and make your beautiful face and swan-like neck the focal point with V, scoop and sweetheart necklines.
   

   This dress is dead on. Love the warm autumn color. Love the asymmetrical neckline. Also note how the seam in the front takes the eye to the smallest area of her hips. (Click image for larger view)

4. Look for shoulder straps that are wide set to visually balance your shoulders with your hips.
   

   Simply beautiful! Mrs. Obama wears strong, clear blacks very well. (Click image for larger view)

   

   The straps of this dress are not as wide-set as the picture above, but set far enough off the shoulders to work. Also, the scoop neckline brings the focus to Mrs. Obama's beautiful smile. (Click image for larger view)

5. Opt for A-line and fluted skirts/dresses that flare out gradually.
   

   Mrs. Obama looking photo ready in this purple Maria Pinto dress. (Click image for larger view)

6. Wear autumn warms and some winter cools; avoid spring warm and summer cool hues.
   

   Although this is a beautiful hue, it's not your blue boo. The color makes her look older and tired. (Click image for larger view)

7. Choose low to medium contrasting color schemes over high to correspond with your natural color contrast.
   

   These colors are gorgeous and I can even take the belt. (Click image for larger view)

   

   Another great example of choosing low to medium contrast color schemes. That belt gets around. (Click image for larger view)

8. Wear trouser style pants and boot cut jeans.
   

   Love the fit of these pants. The flat pockets don't bring a lot of attention to her butt and the volume in the top balances the entire look. (Click image for larger view)

   

   These pants too are a great fit and the colors are dead on. (Click image for larger view)

9. Please quit it with the layering and the belting and the bows, especially combined.
   

   Okay this is definitely layering on steroids, but I like it. Colors work; color contrast level is good; great trousers even though they're lighter; belt isn't overkill; and the fit of all pieces are on point. (Click image for larger view)

   

   Belt bondage, but her face looks pretty. (Click image for larger view)

   

   Bows + Belt + Layers + High Contrast = Fail. (Click image for larger view)

10. Do continue to pay attention to your posture both standing and sitting.  I’ve noticed a vast improvement.
    

    Stand tall Mrs. Obama. You have so much of which to be proud. (Click image for larger view)

Tags: Celebrity Fashion, Choosing the right colors, How to Dress Your Body Type, Michelle Obama Fashion
Posted in Body Analysis, Color / Colour Analysis, Personal | 4 Comments »

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First Lady Obama Style – Take the Poll

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Last week, I tweeted this picture of the First Lady Michelle Obama speaking to the Grocery Manufacturers Association in Washington, D.C.   Shot from an interesting angle, we see Mrs. Obama donning a sleeveless gingham blouse paired with a high-wasted, rather form fitting, skirt.  Both hues of pink compliment Mrs. Obama’s skin tone nicely. And of course the First Lady’s hair and makeup look flawless as we’ve come to expect.  My initial reaction upon seeing this image was quite favorable.  San the bow on the blouse,  I loved the L’Wren Scott ensemble. The image received several retweets and, overall, positive responses.

The following day, more images of the First Lady wearing pink appeared over the Internet, including this jaw-dropping view from “behind”.  Of course I had to tweet this image too.  “Is THAT the First Lady?!” one follower replied.  “Dayum!!!” replied another male follower.

Listen, I admire our First Lady and respect her many accomplishments.  Further, I  think she is a stunning looking woman with an equally stunning figure. However, with that said, I don’t think she always uses the best judgment when it comes to style. This skirt, for example, is just too tight.  I mean really.  Beyond hugging, it grips her arse and clings on for dear life!

One reader posed the question, “whose advising her?”  With her dizzying inconsistencies, one has to wonder if she’s even being advised.  Some days she hits it out of the park; other days it’s a swing and a “fall on your face” miss. Could it be that Mrs. Obama is too powerful, too intimidating or maybe even too obstinate to advise? Real Talk: That height and those brows are enough to intimate anyone.

I’ve heard that folks get real ballsy on the Internet, hiding behind their computers. So tomorrow I plan to woman up behind my own Macbook Pro and present my style advisory list to First Lady O. But in the meantime, I’ve given you my opinion, what’s yours?

*If you chose other, view results and type in a comment

Tags: Choosing the right colors, How to Dress Your Body Type, Michelle Obama, Michelle Obama Fashion
Posted in Body Analysis, Corporate, Personal, color | 1 Comment »

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Could Green be First Lady Michelle Obama’s Favorite Hue?

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

It’s St. Patrick’s day and the folks of Ireland aren’t the only ones enamored with the hue green. From where I sit, it appears that First Lady Michelle Obama may have a thing for green too.

Green is a secondary color formed by mixing the primary colors red and yellow. While psychologically cool in temperature, this hue hosts a number of relatively warm hues within its family. With both a warming and cooling effect, the color green denotes balance, harmony, and stability. Green also represents life and signifies growth, renewal health and environment. Conversely, green occasionally defines inexperience, jealousy and envy, although Grammy nominated singer Erykah Badu would like us to believe otherwise.   According to Ms. Badu, her eyes are green, ’cause she eats a lot of vege-ta-bles.  “It don’t have nutting to do with your new friend”.  Lyrics taken from song  Green Eyes found on the CD Mama’s Gun.

Green is a restful color with some of the same calming attributes of blue. Like the color blue, green rooms help time to move faster.  Team green with blue to produce echoes of nature i.e. water and forest.

Green with brown, tan or beige resonates organic or recycled and is an excellent combination for packaging of those types of products.

For a sporty, outdoorsy feel, consider a tri-color combination of green with yellow and black or white.

The high contrast of purple with green are sporty, outdoorsy colors. Purple with green brings energy, excitement and activity to any space.

Finally, if your skin tone falls under the category of “warm-spring”, consider lime green with orange.

If you are in the image profession or simply looking to learn more about selecting colors to suit particular skin tones, sign up for one of our color training webinars.  The next class is Thursday, March 18.

Tags: Choosing the right colors, color analysis, Color Trends, Michelle Obama, Michelle Obama Fashion, Michelle Obama pictures
Posted in Color / Colour Analysis, Personal | 2 Comments »

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Petite Belt Rules

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Since the beginning of her husband’s campaign trail, we’ve witnessed first lady Michelle Obama’s ingenious ability to transform a simple outfit into a fashion statement by incorporating a wide belt.  Needless to say, fashionable women around the globe have followed suit.  But for the petite woman, pulling off this coveted trend can be tricky.  The same wide belt worn by a tall woman like Mrs. Obama, would take up half the torso of a petite woman’s frame.  So what’s a petite dynamo to do?  We’ve listed seven pointers to help you tighten your fashion belt game.

1. Before incorporating a wide, waist-cinching belt into your wardrobe, take an honest look in the mirror and do it in the buff.  It’s true that a belt can accentuate your waist, but belts also accentuate body flaws.  Know yours.  The wrong belt will emphasize full hips or a wide rear end.
2. Make sure that the width of your belt is proportionate to your height.  A belt that covers up too much torso, creates a choppy silhouette.
3. The top of the belt should hit at about the middle of your ribcage. Wearing a belt higher than that will start to manipulate the proportions.
4. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule.  If you have a thicker waistline, move the belt up slightly higher to create an almost empire-waist effect. (See photograph of Carrie Underwood above.)  Doing so, draws attention to what is likely the narrowest part of your body and creates a longer, leaner leg-line.
5. When wearing a wide belt, tone down your jewelry. Oversize earrings work but consider omitting a necklace.  Allow the belt to create a statement on its own.
6. A wide belt makes a delightful juxtaposition to a top with pleating or ruching.  But if there’s beading or embroidery, keep the belt simple.  Again, you don’t want various pieces of your wardrobe vying for attention.
7. Finally, your belt doesn’t have to match your shoes or bag, but it should complement them.

Tags: Carrie Underwood, How to Accessorize an Outfit, Michelle Obama, Michelle Obama Fashion, petite fashion tips
Posted in Personal, Petite | No Comments »

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An Obama Family Picture is Worth A Thousand Sales

Wednesday, November 26th, 2008

Some say a picture is worth a thousand words.  Others, remind us that we can’t believe everything we see.  Both sayings appropriately apply to this week’s cover of New York Mag featuring a beautiful picture of future first lady Michelle Obama and first daughters Sasha and Malia.   Subscriber or not, I definitely would have picked up this issue.  Seeing the soon to be ladies of the White House and their radiant smiles on the cover totally piqued my interest and I couldn’t wait to read the story.  But after a minute or so of flipping madly through each page, I found myself staring at the back cover in bewilderment.  Did I miss it?  I even took a second stab, this time flipping each page more deliberately and looking with sleuthing eyes.  Once again, I ended up at the back cover without a trace of an Obama article.  That’s when I decided to take a second look at the cover and to my surprise, I noted (with the help of my little glasses), the very tiny print at the bottom right-hand corner of the cover:  “REQUISITE DISCLAIMER:  This is not really Michelle, Sasha, or Malia.  And of course it’s not even the Obama puppy, whomever he or she turns out to be.”  WTF! Not only was there no story aligned with the cover picture, these weren’t even the real Obama girls!  Could it be that magazine sales have slumped so low that the industry is resorting to trickery?  Guess a picture is now worth a thousand (or so) sales.  Call the cops; I’ve been robbed!

For More Michelle Obama Fashion, Click this Link

Tags: Michelle Obama, Michelle Obama Fashion, michigan image consultant, Personal Image Consulting, Sasha and Malia Obama
Posted in Body Analysis, Color / Colour Analysis, Personal | 2 Comments »

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