I'll have what she's wearing!
February 7th, 2012
12:06 PM ET

I'll have what she's wearing!

The old adage … a picture is worth a thousand words. But it looks like the women’s retailer Ann Taylor hopes that picture translates into tens of thousands of dollars. In a recent email to its customers, Ann Taylor is highlighting First Lady Michelle Obama wearing a coat from its Spring 2012 Collection at a Let’s Move event last week. The coat, which retails for $248, appears in the ad under the banner: “A Fashion First.”

But Ann Taylor isn’t the first retailer to catch the attention of the fashionable first lady. J. Crew has been a bit of a staple for Mrs. Obama. She has worn its clothes on the cover of Vogue and as guest on the Tonight Show. But the first lady really upped the ante when she wore one of J.Crew’s cardigan and skirts in London while visiting the home of the British prime minister.

A long time supporter of American designers and not one to pick favorites, the First Lady has spread her support among a myriad of U.S. retailers. She donned an outfit from retailer Talbots on the cover of Essence magazine and a dress from White House Black Market when she appeared as a guest on ABC’s The View. A Time magazine article in 2009 even asked “Can Michelle Obama save fashion retailing?”

Retailers aren’t the only ones who have benefited from the First Lady’s attention to fashion. Indeed designing for the first lady can catapult a designer into the runway spotlight. Take, for example, Jason Wu who gained national attention when his design was chosen for Michelle Obama’s inaugural gown. Just this week, the designer launched his own ready-to-wear collection for Target, reportedly causing a mad rush for items in stores and nearly selling out on line.


Topics: Michelle Obama • The Buzz • The Visuals

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soundoff (15 Responses)
  1. jerrylax

    how come her four favorite designers are all foreign born( Cuban, Israeli, Thailand)? She does shop on Madison ave in NY...to the reported tune of $50k in one spree... Has anyone ask her who pays for all this? Mrs. Bush made sure the public knew she bought her own clothing...and then sold clothes and donated the proceeds to charity.

    February 7, 2012 at 3:55 pm |
    • JIm

      Your an idiot making up lies

      February 7, 2012 at 4:36 pm |
    • Barbara

      These designers all live here now, and I believe they have all become citizens. Good message.

      February 7, 2012 at 10:38 pm |
    • Central Park West

      These are tax paying American citizens – working in the United States. Get your facts straight.

      February 8, 2012 at 9:30 am |
  2. MAC

    "jerry lax" – stop passing on rumors, lies and distortions re $50 K lingerie shopping BUT even if it was true – really not your BUSINESS!!! You sound like a mature – rumor monger – have YOU ever spent such excessive time on other first ladies – oh WHITE first ladies – or ask yourself why does this "uppity" black woman bring out your sheets??

    February 7, 2012 at 4:29 pm |
  3. george of the jungle

    Ex lax is makeing up stories again apparently he doesnt read very well.Or he is under the influence.He just likes to get noticed. Good ol Nancy spent a fortune on her wardrobe and many where foreign designers This first lady is very careful about what she spends and helps American designers. .

    February 7, 2012 at 5:27 pm |
  4. Lulu

    You say "The first lady is very careful about what she spends"? May I ask just how can you say that when she spends thousands of dollars on ONE irtem? Oh, Maybe you do the same? She has spent more of our tax money than ANY first lady from Washington to NOW! and including all those Aif Force One trips that were NOT necessary. She had to take a second plane to many of those places when she could have gone with the others in the MAIN PLANE! That cost US not her.

    February 7, 2012 at 5:42 pm |
    • jean2009

      A $250 jacket is not excessive by any standards. Check prices at L.L.Bean, Macy's, Land's End, Bloomingdale's, Coldwater Creek, Nordstrom's and you will find jackets in that price range which the average woman buys. Maybe you have forgotten that Nancy Reagan didn't think anything of spending $1,500 to $20,000 for a dress...but if they can afford it why should we care? They do pay for their own clothing so really it is none of our business....and FYI they pay for their own vacations.

      Plus if you will visit this site which records flights by President and Mrs Bush you will find many times when they either left at separate times, or on separate days, or on separate planes.

      This is the unofficial flight log of all flights to and from Texas 2001 to 2009. This does not include a record of vacations or foreign trips. But, then we didn't have all these racists popping off about such stupid things.

      http://www.kwtx.com/centraltexasvotes/misc/37768449.html

      February 7, 2012 at 8:32 pm |
    • Central Park West

      When Mrs. Nancy Regan was spending Tax dollars on tea-bag readers and fortune tellers and changing the colors of rooms at the White House at $1 million a piece to suite her superstitions where were you and your sincere interests in these matters?

      February 8, 2012 at 9:33 am |
  5. icy

    ok i am glad she can spend 248.00 on a jacket that is my grocery budget for a month...

    February 7, 2012 at 7:23 pm |
  6. arduck

    Lulu, icy. Do you not think that the FLOTUS (a former executive and lawyer), wife of a best selling author, might have a few coins around the house?

    February 7, 2012 at 8:21 pm |
    • Central Park West

      Even if they looked over the shoulders Michelle's every single day of her life as she worked her way out of the poorest community in Chicago through to being a successful lawyer they would still miss the great American story here!

      February 8, 2012 at 9:37 am |
  7. Bonnie

    Obama and Michelle don't attend all the social engagements that all other Washington politicans spend big bucks to play dress up. Think of all the parties and social engagements she could be attending and buying the thousand dollar gowns instead of staying home with her girls. Remember the Obama's aren't part of the Washington society scene.

    February 7, 2012 at 9:09 pm |
  8. Joey

    Remember the Obama's aren't part of the Washington society scene – Are you serious?

    February 8, 2012 at 4:24 am |
    • jean2009

      Actually they are not part of the social scene....which makes people complain about them being aloof, but at the end of a long day like most people they enjoy having time to be a family.

      http://www.theblaze.com/stories/i-dont-go-to-a-lot-of-washington-parties-obama-blames-press-for-cold-and-aloof-image/

      February 8, 2012 at 11:06 pm |