Michelle Obama's Style Secrets

While the First Lady would prefer to talk about her chosen platform -- the reversal of childhood obesity and educating the American people on healthy eating choices -- it seems that there's one thing Michelle Obama just can't escape -- what she wears. From sporting shorts on a Hawaiian vacation to an Alexander McQueen gown at a state dinner in late-January, her fashion choices immediately become part of the international dialogue and serve as media fodder. While the FLOTUS has retained an outwardly relaxed stance on her clothing choices, it hasn't stopped new sites and blogs alike to chatter about it as if it were news on major political policies.

The latest outlet to hop on the wagon is The Washington Post, which usually reserves its pages for more serious governmental affairs and local Washington D.C. going-ons, just posted an article regarding who helps MObama in her fashion choices. The First Lady has a lot on her plate, and going out and shopping for outfits can't be something she's constantly bothered by (plus we doubt it would do much good for her image). It was widely known that Chicago boutique owner Ikram Goldman was acting as fashion liaison for Obama during the campaign, as Obama was a friend and customer before being thrust into the spotlight. But once she became First Lady, Goldman couldn't just up and leave her thriving business, so she sent Meredith Koop to serve as on-site consultant. Now, it appears that Koop has usurped Goldman and is acting as full-time assistant, with Obama's sartorial choices a priority, according to the Post.

The WP does a lot of digging around, and doesn't get too far in terms of empirical evidence, as one would expect. However, it is interesting to hear the amount of energy that is focused on all aspects of the Presidential family's life -- the tip of the iceberg being what she wears. It also highlights how, sadly, it seems that women of power are always portrayed as catty and backstabbing and always defaults to more base subjects. Powerful men are respected for their prowess, women are debased to life-size dress-up dolls ignoring the fact that Obama is a Harvard educated business woman and mother, not just some fashion template. While Ms. Obama's been decidedly tight-lipped on her involvement with fashion, it seems that her every outfit now sparks some sort of international controversy, whether she likes it or not.