Causing quite a stir, are First Lady Michelle Obama’s appearances in public in sleeveless designer dresses.  Michelle Obama’s Sleevegate:  Why Can’t America Handle her Bare Arms?

By Bonnie Fuller

Is Michelle Obama supposed to wear a burka? Since when are a woman’s arms considered an erogenous zone here in America? Why would it be inappropriate for the First Lady to attend her husband’s address to Congress in a beautiful, purple Narcisco Rodriguez SLEEVELESS dress?

Whoever those twitterers — or should I call them “twits” — are out there who have raised the question of propriety, they should not only get a life, but also a history book. Not only have many First Ladies been photographed at official state and White House events, America’s most fashionable previous First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy practically made sleeveless looks her uniform, whether they were dresses or two piece shirt and skirt ensembles.


”We wore sleeveless dresses all the time,” Letitia Baldridge, Jackie Kennedy’s social secretary, tells me. “It was the fashion of the times and it was fine then and is fine now for wearing in the White House. It’s not like Mrs. Obama was going to see the Pope, or like she had her bosom popping out — that would have been immodest. There’s nothing immodest about showing your arms!”

Hillary Clinton’s Social Secretary, Ann Stock, couldn’t be more in agreement. Sleeveless “is totally appropriate,” she reports.

Now, those going nuts over “Sleevegate” probably really have their knickers in a knot over Mrs. Obama’s recently released official White House portrait in a sleeveless black crepe jersey gown by American designer Michael Kors. Kors happens to have been known over the years for his sleeveless styles so it was only a matter of time before these two teamed up.

Apparently, the gown, which is cropped in the photograph to look like a dress, was custom-made from his spring collection fabric and Kors had no idea that any of the pieces that Michelle Obama ordered might end up as her official portrait outfit. Since Michelle, like the rest of us these days, re-wears even her most public outfits, expect to see her show up at an official black tie event in it. And for those, who also value sleevelessness, you can buy it at Bloomingdale’s in royal blue, for $3,195. Kors is considering whether to add a less expensive version to his MICHAEL by Michael Kors collection.

The designer calls Mrs Obama “modern” and “confident” and says that his dress exemplifies that with its “clean, timeless elegance.”

I actually think her look says even more than that. Michelle’s sleevelessness conveys the fact that she is ready to get to work as First Lady, doing everything that she can to help the American public. It’s her variation on the look that men use to visually telegraph the fact that they are hard at work on important business. When the President is rolling up his shirt sleeves, we know we’re being told that his job is far more than ceremonial. Michelle’s saying that exact same thing.

Michelle’s also giving us another not-so-subtle message — she’s strong and tough. Those arms with their well-defined biceps……..

To read the entire article, visit Huffington Post at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bonnie-fuller/michelle-obamas-sleevegat_b_171172.html

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