Inaugural Musings

I was scrambling to get home – I would NOT miss this moment!  It was already 10:30, I had on NPR, I was taking on every yellow light in my path.  Yellow seemed to be the color today.  Yellow lights, Diane Sawyer’s yellow top… but, most importantly, Michelle’s GORGEOUS dress.  She looked stunning, comfortable and engaging.  I like her in other colors, but this one was significant in the way in makes you FEEL.  First of all, I have always heard that yellow is the color seen best at the longest distance.  With the 1.4 million on the mall, that makes yellow a good choice.  Yellow is also a color the makes you feel pleasant and uplifted.  Yellow is associated with good judgement and strong intellect.  I think she choose well.  The dress was designed by Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo.

I had to laugh listening to NPR about her dress.  First Steve Inskeep asks Michele Norris what color she would call the dress.  Norris responds “mustard”.   She then amends her color choice by stating that as Michelle moves there seems to be more green than first noticed in the dress.  Then, another lady pipes up that she would call it Butter Cream.  (so to recap, we are talking a mustard, green, butter cream) Then, they all agreed that it was an “intense pale yellow brocade” sheath dress that conjured up Jackie O.  I had no idea what to expect after that description!  I’m not sure I like the length of Michelle’s dress to flatter her legs the most.  But, then upon second thought, it is bitterly cold today in Washington D.C. and I, too, would have fought for every inch of length.

One thing I can’t figure out is the collar on the dress – is it a collar encrusted with little crystals or is that a necklace?  I think it must be part of the dress but I may be completely wrong.

Other things of note: Every woman on camera had on a coat without a collar, with the exception of Ms. Biden with her large rounded collar on her red coat.  This includes: Dianne Feinstein, Aretha Franklin, Michelle Obama, and Laura Bush. Later, I saw Hillary Clinton and Cindy McCain, and they both had collars.  There was not a belted coat to be seen.

Did anyone else notice what I think was Bill Clinton foot moving in a circular motion in and out of camera view behind Dianne Feinstein while she was speaking?  Cracked me up….

Laura Bush was dressed in all gray.  I think she is taking note of the new depression chic that I saw last week on www.Style.com (a great resource).  But, when talking the psychology of color, gray is supposedly the one color that has no impact.  I’ve read it can invoke feelings of loneliness and independence, but it is also many times mentioned as the one “neutral” feeling color.  She did not look great on this gray cold day in Washington.  But, she did fade into the background and showed no impact on today’s ceremony.   I think that is probably what she intended.

-Liza

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