by Marilyn De Angelis Pennell

Created on: February 16, 2009   Last Updated: February 28, 2009

In these tough economic times, will Michelle Obam's fashions lean toward everyday, off the rack fashion designs or will she follow the precedent set by many previous first ladies and wear high fashion couture created by American and European clothing designers?

The tall, statuesque First Lady has said that her priority in the White House is to be "First Mom." But Michelle Obama also wears many hats. She is a Princeton- and Harvard-educated attorney, worked as a hospital administrator and also exudes youthful glamour.

Though Mrs. Obama has publicly stated that she wears off-the-rack J Crew, she also dresses in designer clothes with elegance and panache. So far, Mrs. Obama has worn sleekly styled, bold and contemporary fashions. But she also shows a certain eclectic sense of style that is uniquely her own.

Michelle Obama's Fashion Choices Will Impact American Clothing Designers

Two million people attended the Inaugural address and festivities for the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama. Many millions more watched the Inauguration on television. Though it may seem trivial to focus on Mrs. Obama's fashion statement, the new first lady's fashion choices send a message to America and the world about who she is and what she values.

Michelle Obams's Fashion Debut at the Inauguration

During the daytime Inaugural festivities, Mrs. Obama's yellow/ green dress and coat set was warm, practical and traditional. Yet the ensemble also was an example of Michelle Obama' s strong sense of personal style and individuality, as she bypassed the traditional red, white and blue of former first ladies for a unique and unusuak shade of green that suited her own style and taste.

For the Inaugural evening festivities, Mrs. Obama wore a feminine off white, one shoulder dress that departed from the sleek and trim lines of her previous big event outfits. It was a youthful, almost girlish look for the First Lady but it seemed to suit her as she glided across the dance floor with the new President.

The fashion statement that is evident in these chocies is that Michelle Obama is versatile, youtful and will make fashion choices that will suite both practicality as well as fun and femininity.

Michelle Obams' Fashion Statemnet Will Give a Boost to American Fashion Industry

Traditionally, the American First Lady's fashion couture has had a major impact on America's fashion industry. As reported by USA Today writer Maria Puente, the top fashion publications have said that The American fashion industry hasn't had "a catch this big" since another icon of Democratic chic took up residency on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1961, referring to Jacqueline Kennedy.

First Lady's Fashion Couture Will Create Global Image and Impact Fashion Forecasting in U.S

Fashion designers are in a frenzy, dissecting the fashion designers and designer clothes that this 44-year-old mother of two will choose as First Lady. Will Michelle Obama adopt the Hillary Clinton practical look, the Laura Bush traditional look, The Barbara Bush pearls, Nancy Reagan red or Jackie Kennedy's pill box hats and chic sheaths? Most likely, Obama's fashion couture will include little, if any, of these fashion statements.

Given the state of the economy and her own personal taste, Mrs. Obama has taken a practical and affordably elegant approach to fashion. Some fashion observers say that Michelle Obama, as First Lady, must show that she's tasteful, but not excessive in her dress. So, far she has done this well as First Lady and First Mom.

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