You say Oscars. I say Inauguration Day. It would seem that the latter has a decided edge, if the interest to clothe Michelle and Barack Obama are any indication. David Lipke of WWD posed the challenge to designers -- come up with sketches for inauguration outfits and day wear -- and the results are great. (Though we do now know that Obama will be wearing a tuxedo from Hart Schaffner Marx.)
Thom Browne thinks the president-elect should show off his ankles. (Um, never going to happen.) Sean John, a.k.a. P. Diddy, sees Obama as a sleek, suave James Bond in white dinner jacket -- as shown, left. I have to admit that I like the fitted jacket, slim-cut pants and black pocket square. View the entire gallery here, which includes looks by Marc Jacobs, Nautica, Salvatore Ferragamo and many others.
Notice that Brooks Brothers, right, took a John F. Kennedy approach. A morning coat seems a bit antiquated for a president-elect who, more than anything, represents the future. And why did they send a sketch of Cary Grant, I wonder? WWD asked the same question of designers for Michelle Obama, and those sketches are wonderful too. It's nice to see this eagerness to dress politicians. Are Michelle and Barack the new Angelina and Brad? I sure hope so.
-- Monica Corcoran
Photos used with permission of WWD
