Michelle Obama's singular style

While President-elect Barack Obama promises to usher in a new era in American politics, the first lady-to-be already has begun sending strong signals of her own.

One thing's for sure. Michelle Obama is about to turn the notion of what is first-lady-appropriate on its staid, pastel-suited head.

Actually, she already has. Her choice of a black and fire-engine red Narciso Rodriguez sheath on election night, still hotly debated a week later, is all the proof we need that change is coming to the White House master closet.

"She represents an amazing, modern moment in fashion," said Vogue magazine's editor-at-large, André Leon Talley, who adored Obama's bold fashion statement.

"Her influence will be like a tsunami wave in fashion. She's pragmatic and elegant. The fact that she wears flats is amazing. When have you seen a first lady in flats?"

The fiery frock's fashion forwardness elicited excitement from many at the thought that go-to designers Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera may soon have to share the first-lady style spotlight with the likes of lesser-known, but of-the-moment designers Thakoon Panichgul, Isabel Toledo, and, of course, Chicago-based Maria Pinto.

But breaking the mold isn't going to be easy. Some were appalled by Obama's choice on election night. What was she thinking? That cocktail dress was too casual and too bright, and what woman older than 40 looks good with all that attention drawn to her hips? Not to mention those dangling earrings. Not first-lady-appropriate, some said.

At 44, Obama is America's youngest official hostess since Jacqueline Kennedy. But unlike Kennedy, she didn't grow up ensconced in wealth. There were no "expected" labels or riding-set ensembles in her world on the South Side of Chicago.

Obama's fashion tastes likely result from an amalgam of experiences influenced by growing up in a middle-class African American family where well-dressed meant donning pressed Sunday clothes. Labels didn't guide her fashion choices, Obama has said, as much as affordability, personal style, and her mother's advice.

But now, having blossomed from a Harvard-trained lawyer to vice president for community and external affairs for the University of Chicago Hospitals and now to the first African American first lady, Obama can buy what she wants.

But her basic fashion rule, which evidently is to follow the click of her own heel, clearly has stayed with her.

And that goes contrary to the traditionally homogeneous style of presidents' wives.

"Most first ladies choose classic and safe, looks that are sweet and will please the most people," said Clare Sauro, curator of Drexel University's Historic Costume Collection.

"We want them to be stylish, but not too stylish. We want them to be attractive, but not too attractive. . . . We almost force them into dowdiness."

After seeing her for nearly two years on the campaign trail, we know that Obama prefers cardigans to jackets, and that neither pantsuits nor pantyhose appears to be her thing.

We know she's partial to the sheath dress. And despite the fact that she's 5-foot-11 with an angular yet curvy frame, she likes empire waists, three-quarter-length sleeves, skinny jeans and even leggings.

Some have called those looks fashion no-nos. But that doesn't deter her from wearing what she wants when she wants.

"She is not going to morph or channel any other first lady," says Vogue's Talley. "She is always going to follow her own tune. She is a working, authentic American woman."

Her clothing palette includes bright jewel tones - reds, blues, oranges and turquoise. She's not afraid of bold prints or a cool extra, like an exposed zipper. She's quick to accessorize with a brooch, pearls or costume jewelry.

In addition to late-night J. Crew shopping online, Obama frequents the high-fashion boutique Ikram in Chicago; that's where she bought the black Isabel Toledo pants and matching tunic off the rack that drew raves. While owner Ikram Goldman suggests pieces to her, Obama doesn't use a stylist.

In fact, the family decided that Obama would wear all of her own clothes on the campaign trail.

"If you go from Narciso Rodriguez to J. Crew, you cover everything," said Harriette Cole, creative director at Ebony magazine. The Obamas were on the cover of the September issue.

Obama brought a selection of her own clothing to the photo shoot, Cole said, and it included pieces from Oscar de la Renta.

"When she entered the public spotlight, she didn't change," said Cole. "Quite frankly, she made some fashion mistakes, but we all make fashion mistakes. That's why we can relate to her."

Obama manages to keep surprising us with her easy-to-wear choices, from the White House/Black Market sundress she wore on The View to the black skinny pants and cardigan sweater she slipped into when she voted at her Chicago precinct on Election Day.

"Fashion is not a priority, but at the same time she never picks the safe or boring piece," said Pamela Edwards, fashion editor at Essence magazine.

"Everything has her own personal flair, whether she's on the campaign trail or spending time with her daughters."

Lifestyle experts are excited not only about Obama's clothing choices for herself and for Sasha and Malia; they are also looking forward to a White House that will embrace both American pop culture and world culture.

For example, Cole said, the Obamas may use the opportunity to bring to the White House walls the works of African-American masters such as Jacob Lawrence, whose art hung in the Huxtable's home on The Cosby Show, and art museum fixtures Romare Bearden and Elizabeth Catlett.

There may be influences from Hawaii or from Indonesia, two places the president-elect has lived.

"I don't think there will all of a sudden be kente cloths everywhere and Kwanzaa at the White House," said Emil Wilbekin, editor-in-chief of African American lifestyle magazine Giant.

"But they will bring what they have brought to America and the rest of the world - a younger, fresher perspective."

And with so many designers clamoring to create for the new first lady, it will be interesting to see how they will adjust their proportions to fit her. Narciso Rodriguez altered her election-night eye-popper from the runway version to suit Obama's body shape.

But the soon-to-be most important socialite in the country already has shown she doesn't have a problem shopping at, say, Banana Republic if she can't find what she wants in the high-fashion world.

"She may not be a size 2, but she's more the average-size American woman," said eBay style expert Constance White.

"She represents change in so many ways. She's tall. She's shapely. She's beautiful. The fashion world has no choice but to take notice. A new era is upon us."

And now we wait for the inaugural gown.