Michelle Obama, A Fashion Icon in Society with Impact On Politics

Barack Obama’s campaign in 2008 was unprecedented in many ways. He was the first candidate of mixed race to win the United States Presidency. He is one of the youngest men ever to win the office, and his inaugural broke records for the size and enthusiasm of the crowd. On top of all this, he is married to Michelle Obama, a woman of intellect and great style.

Mrs. Obama was a cool breath of fresh air on the campaign trail, always appearing poised, elegant and bubbling with enthusiasm. She is a lawyer with a degree from Harvard Law and a devoted mother to two charming little girls, Sasha and Malia. Yes, Mrs. Obama is a role model in society on many levels. Now that Mrs. Obama is First Lady of the United States, however, let’s move past politics and talk about her clothes!

Mrs. Obama’s look and personal style comes from more than just her choice of clothing and designers. She has an athletic yet regal bearing, and carries herself with confidence. The freshness and integrity she brings to her public appearances has as much to do with her confidence, intelligence and athletic ability as to anything she could ever choose from a designer. The essence of her style comes from the strength of her smile and winning personality; qualities that always make every clothing choice look great.

During Obama’s candidacy, Michelle Obama often appeared in styles from J.Crew. The colorful, clean-cut designs from this popular clothing line suited her well, giving her a casual yet somewhat tailored style that kept her looking beautifully fresh on her many campaign stops.

Since becoming First Lady, Mrs. Obama has set a new standard with her casually elegant look. She favors young designers, like Jason Wu (who designed her white chiffon inaugural evening gown) and Isabel Toledo (who designed Michelle’s lemon yellow lace inaugural day suit). To make a look that’s all her own, Mrs. Obama often combines designer looks with off-the-rack pieces. With her unique sense of style, she’s created a new standard of loveliness for the First Lady of The White House.

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Filed Under: Politics, Society Tagged With: , ,

It’s Back to School Time! But What’s For Lunch?

Barack Obama and Michelle Obama
Image via Wikipedia

If Michelle Obama and her newest proposed legislation have any say, the answer might surprise you. With her June 2010 “Let’s Read. Let’s Move” campaign aimed squarely at our nation’s childhood obesity epidemic – and her massive White House vegetable and fruit garden in full bloom, you might think government-funded school districts may be forced serve up wheat germ and mineral water, with a heaping side of grassy sprouts as students across the country all let out a simultaneous, “Yuck, gross!” come September.

However, luckily for school children – and ultimately, for parents who are responsible for feeding them – Michelle Obama’s bill, which was approved by a whopping 32-13 vote in July, and will take effect this September if all goes according to plan, will have schools serving traditional cafeteria fare like pizza and cheeseburgers – in an untraditional way. The bill dictates new ways of preparing and serving school meals, geared toward eventually eliminating overly processed, overly salted, overly sugary and heavily fattening foods. In other words, pizza in its truest form – that is, made from whole wheat flour, antioxidant-rich tomato sauce and calcium-rich, low-fat mozzerella cheese – on site, is not the enemy in schools. It’s the processed, frozen pizza packed with preservatives and salt, which gets freeze-dried and shipped across the world before a child enjoys it that is ultimately to blame. And those are the foods Mrs. Obama targets in her new bill.

The House of Labor and Education Committee voted on the bill with surprising support from House Republicans. Even packaged food and beverage companies are supporting the movement, agreeing to stock school vending machines with nutrient-packed munchies like granola and whole wheat crackers in lieu of potato chips and candy. Perhaps we are finally putting partisan politics to rest, at least for this tiny issue – and can agree that steering our nation’s children down the right nutritional path today will ultimately save millions of dollars in healthcare costs years down the road. For sure, everyone can support that – including the kids, as long as they can still eat pizza.

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Here’s to You, Mrs. Robinson — For Uprooting Your Midwestern Life for Your Family!

Mary Robinson was a typical doting midwestern grandmother, not unlike the majority of matriarchs in America today who fuss over their beautiful grandchildren and often stand in as free and ever-present babysitters for their full-time employed children and spouses. Mrs. Robinson is unlike most other matriarchs today however, because in 2008, she made the selfless decision to uproot her settled, comfortable Chicago life and move halfway across the country with her daughter’s family. Oh, and her daughter happens to be current beloved First Lady Michelle Obama.

Multi-generation households are on the rise in light of our current dreary economic climate. “Boomerang kids,” unemployed college graduates who move back in with Mom and Dad are contributing to these statistics, of course – but recently, the older generation is making a move in with sons and daughters – and grandchildren. Like it or not, multi-generational households are more economical, and trends also show – healthier for young kids. In the past, an elderly grandparent will move in with their children’s families if they are unable to care for themselves physically or financially. Recently though, it’s the children and their spouses who find themselves neck-deep in debt, both forced work full-time, inviting their elderly parents to move in and serve as free childcare.

Obviously, the Obamas lack the financial worries many American families are currently facing, but that doesn’t mean Mary Robinson’s move into the White House makes any less sense. Recent studies find that children in multigenerational households grow up independent and emotionally healthy. This may be attributed to the fact that having a grandparent around provides both stability and prospective in a young person’s life – and that’s important weather you’re the child of the President or not. Regardless, Mary Robinson’s move to Washington seems to be a perfect fit for our First Family – just like it’s becoming a great way of life for so may other American families.

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Michelle Obama Uses Summer Break to Melt Away Childhood Obesity!

Michelle Obama - Tallahassee, Florida.
Image via Wikipedia

Democrat or Republican, few First Ladies have been as relatable to the everywoman as Michelle Obama. That’s not to say Laura Bush’s quiet politeness and literary background or Hilary Clinton’s “bull-by-the-horns” version of healthcare reform weren’t equally important or equally beneficial for our country. It’s just that somewhere between the DIY vegetable garden in the South Lawn of the White House and the wardrobe from Talbot’s and J.Crew (read: NOT Saks or Barney’s), Michelle Obama seems to effortlessly tap into the hearts and homes of the everymom, because she is one. Good thing too, since she’ll no doubt need the support of women, moms and teachers across America this summer as she tackles the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

The most recent initiative in Michelle Obama’s ongoing battle against the sad state of our children’s waistlines zeroes in on the educational and nutritional backslide America’s school aged kids call summer break. Dubbed “Let’s Read. Let’s Move,” the initiative aims to contend both with children’s lack of physical activity and healthy eating habits during their off months, and also with their tendency to lose up to three months of reading progress in that time. The First Lady, alongside congressional leaders, officially launched the program on June 8, 2010 – and jump started progress by supplying underprivileged youth with “healthy lifestyle kits” packed with healthy snacks, reading material and activity equipment like swim goggles.

The ideas and motivation behind “Let’s Read. Let’s Move” are rock-solid. The statistics on unhealthy kids are staggering, and Type 2 Diabetes among children under 12 is rapidly spiraling out of control. Truthfully, parents and educators ultimately bear responsibility for these alarming trends – and if Michelle Obama can reach out to those American mothers who already connect with her, turning an unhealthy summer break into an educational, nutritious and healthy one for our country’s children may be easier than we think.

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Filed Under: Democracy, Society, United States Tagged With: , ,