Michelle Obama Preens At The Debate

I know this is a style blog and not a political one. But those that know me understand that I’m almost as much of a political wonk as I am a fashion geek. I’d rather read the Daily Kos than Daily Candy, and I think Rachel Maddow is a million times cooler than Rachel Zoe. I’d give my eye teeth for Ms. Maddow to come visit and mix me one of her famous old-school cocktails so we could shoot the shit.

I looked forward to this past Wednesday’s debate with the same fervor as I did the first episode of Project Runway (actually, more.) Well, suffice it to say my guy got his ass kicked, and I’m still pissed-off thinking about it.

Thank god for Michelle. I am always curious to see who and what she wears since she continues to champion new and emerging designers (i.e. Jason Wu) mixed with more affordable mall brands (i.e. J.Crew.) When she walked out in that radiant royal blue ensemble, I Googled “Michelle debate outfit” to learn that it was from her closet: A Preen jacket and dress from their fall ’11 collection that she had worn on two prior occasions. The horror! She didn’t run out to buy a new outfit to wear on National TV for the big debate, which also happened to be their 20th wedding anniversary. Preen, by the way, is not exactly a mainstream brand which is why you may be scratching your head. JSlow and I are both huge fans, and both own the same black Preen shearling and leather jacket purchased last year from Elizabeth Charles. The fact that Michelle would seek this brand out speaks volumes.

Last month when I flew to New York to join JSlow for New York Fashion Week, I spent many late nights holed up in my hotel room blogging while watching the Democratic National Convention, my passions colliding. I was in heaven. I stopped typing altogether when Michelle took the stage to speak as I was so mesmerized by what she had to say. Towards the end, I grabbed my pens and dashed off this quick sketch of her wearing this rosy Tracy Reese pink brocade dress and J-Crew heels.

Without saying anything, but by simply dressing a certain way, Michelle has taught us all some valuable lessons about fashion and her democratic attitude about style:

1. Support the up-and-comers and unknowns. You’ll covet something no one else has, and do your part to help make them successful and bring more variety to the fashion world.

2. Mall brands and more affordable clothing mix great with high-end pieces, and stand alone quite well too. Don’t be a slave to over-priced designers.

3. If you love something, wear it again. And again. And again.

All of these lessons will help you look great for less. Which is something we can all agree on, no matter what our party. Yes, I’m still pissed about the debate, but looking at fashion blogs instead of political blogs is slowly helping me recover.