Why does Michelle Obama always go sleeveless? Also: Who cares?
Last night, Michelle Obama attended the President's address to Congress wearing a sleeveless Narciso Rodriguez dress, one that showcased her much-discussed "well-toned" arms. But, the thing was, it was cold in D.C. last night! Oh My Gerd! And she didn't have any sleeves! Was she or wasn't she cold? Is our first lady obsessed with showing off her arms? Just what kind of message does Mrs. Obama's bare arms send to the nation?
These are the kinds of questions heating up the blogosphere today. And, sweet lord, they are stupid.
Over on the New York Times' Caucus blog, a writer wonders if Obama's arms are "a reminder of everything about her we can't see....In two years, she has shown us a great deal of herself, more than most of us would share, and yet right now, we actually don't know that much about her...In a few years, will she still look as confident as she did last night, or will she reach for cover? And is she comfortable as she looks in those skimpy tops, or is she actually freezing?"
The Huffington Post suggests that The Arms "Inspired a Presidential Address" and that Michelle revealed
her "flinty Chicago toughness" by eschewing sleeves.
Come on, people. Could we possibly be over-thinking this? I'd bet Michelle Obama chooses sleeveless outfits because they look good on her and make her feel confident. It's the same way some of us turn to A-line skirts or wrap-dresses or bell-sleeves. We all want to feel the most comfortable and attractive in our clothes that we possibly can, and, hey, if this is the first lady's thing, so be it. It's not like she's sporting major cleavage or wearing inappropriate mini-skirts, or worse, dressing in head-to-toe orange pantsuits (sorry, Hillary). Also, the last time MO wore a cardigan over a dress that was not supposed to be worn with a cardigan, the world went crazy with style hatred. Remember that?
Source: NY Times, HuffPo
