Driving Force

Clothes really do make the man. And they the make the man (or break the man) if he's in the public eye. So is the situation with newly sworn in President Barack Obama. Not to be left out of the lion's den is his wife, Michelle. In an age where public figures have their every move scrutinized and picked over almost instantly thanks to the internet, style and clothing choices are important.

In an article from WWD, found here, author Bridget Foley investigates how presidents through the ages have used style to their advantage-and sometimes disadvantage, and how the Obama family in particular is especially captivating.

With Obama as our starting point, we can look back dissect the style of past presidents. One of the most prevolant comparisons made to the Obama's are with the Kennedys'. The similarities are quite uncanny: both men took the presidency young, have intelligent,stylish wives, and young children. The Obama's have an air of attainable sophistication, a family life most Americans hope to emmulate. Jackie Kennedy was the epitome of grace and style, and became a fashion plate in her own right. It seems Michelle is headed down the same path.



In the article, Foley quotes Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of "Team of Rivals", an Abraham Lincoln biography that notably inspired Obama. Goodwin says, "What style means to the country is a window onto the personality of the president and his wife. The way that [presidents] conduct themselves really does attract fascination, and it often reflects the mood in the country.” The Obama's have what the Kennedy's did: star power. They're smart, charming and charismatic, and capable of leading a nation. There's almost a mystical aura surrounding the First Family. There was a reason the Kennedy's inhabitation of the White House was called Camelot.

Clothes are not the only name of the game with the Obama's. A genuine appreciation for fine arts and theater, and for international culture are making the rest of the world warm up to the U.S. again. We can perhaps dig ourselves out of the mess we've been in for the past eight years and not underestimate the importance of the arts.

The press aren't the only ones to make comments and comparisons. Designers are giving their two cents, too. It seems most are engulfed in an infatuation bubble with the pair of them, but especially Michelle. Isaac Mizrahi gushes, "Oh my God, is there anything more glamorous than Michelle and Barack Obama? There’s nobody more glamorous than them. Totally, no.” Donna Karan adds, “When I look at them and I hear them and I see them, and their sense of style and grace and humbleness and clarity and strength, I think they really are iconic. I think people search their whole life to become what they emanate.”

Obama ran a smooth campaign, one that spoke to the youth of this country. Because Barack Obama is so smooth, cool, calm and collected, and not to mention technologically savvy, it's no wonder he got the support of Generation Y, myself included. In my eyes, the Obama's are bringing are bringing a breath of fresh air to Washington, and to the rest of the country. A vision of hope and future promise for this nation is what we all needed. And it doesn't hurt that they're achieving all of this with a stylish wardrobe.


Photo credits, first set: Barack and Michelle Obama found here here, and JFK and Jackie Kennedy found here