Michelle Obama: First Lady Fashionista

Michelle Obama has already been compared to the undisputed maven of White House style, Jackie Kennedy. Despite media-made monickers such as "Commander in Sheath" and the "First Lady of Fashion," Obama is just as comfortable in ready-to-wear as she is in couture, prompting The New York Times to speculate that she might be "US Fashion's One-Woman Bailout." Her preference for American designers and brands, especially young and up-and-coming names such as Thakoon Panichgul and Narciso Rodriguez (whose red-and-black creation received mixed reviews on election night), bodes well for those seeking a democratic fashion plate.

America's women are already taking cues from the future first lady. Obama's June 2008 appearance on The View, for instance, sparked what some media called a "frock frenzy," making her $148 White House Black Market sleeveless dress by Donna Rossi the must-have of the summer. She also became an advocate of fashion for the masses when Jay Leno asked her about the sunny ensemble she wore on the Tonight Show, saying: "Ladies, we know J. Crew. You can get some good stuff online!"

While Mr. Obama will likely be donning a suit by his Chicago-based designer Hart Schaffner, fashion pundits are wild with speculation about what Mrs. Obama will be wearing on Inauguration day—and designers are chomping at the bit to dress her. Women's Wear Daily ponders her presidential premiere in an online slideshow of gown sketches submitted by the top names in fashion, including Betsey Johnson, Diane Von Furstenberg and Michael Kors. One thing we can expect for sure: the design will be understated, no doubt to avoid a response similar to the backlash over Nancy Reagan's glitzy gown during the 1981 recession.

America and the rest of the world will have to wait until January 20th to see which noble garb will join the Smithsonian's first lady collection (dating back to Nellie Taft's white silk chiffon dress from 1909). At a time when the American fashion industry—along with the rest of the economy—is treading a tumultuous path, many find Obama's poise and mix-and-match fashion sense extremely refreshing. She's a style icon women can relate to, and elegantly proves that good taste doesn't have to come with an astronomical price tag.

—Charlotte West