The Weather Up There

"As to matters of dress, I would recommend one never to be first in the fashion nor the last out of it."

John Wesley - Founder of Methodism 1703-1791

Everyone's a critic. Fashion pundits - people who are supposed to know what they're talking about - and just regular men and women everywhere had something to say about Mrs. Obama's wardrobe choices yesterday. Not all of it was positive.

Without unanimous consent among the pundits and the populace, her most ardent fans have nonetheless declared Michelle O. to be the "new" Jackie O. But, I know that can't be true. It's not that she's unworthy in any regard. It's not that her position as First Lady of the United States doesn't provide sufficient platform to change the way American women dress in the 21st Century. No, it has nothing to do with anything that anyone is thinking about.

Not even Stacy London. The engaging hostess of "What Not to Wear" was on the right track when she noted that the extraordinary lemongrass ensemble chosen by Mrs. Obama for the Inauguration Day ceremonies and festivities was a color that few women on the planet can wear successfully. That observation is salient. In our own family, no one can successfully wear any shade of yellow near the face. We just don't have the right combination of hair, eye, and skin tones to pull it off.

Mrs. Obama wore a color that both remarkably held the day and changed color with changing light. It was also a color that will likely prove to be uniquely her own. So, even if a lot of manufacturers rush to copy it for the little people, any of those girls actually paying attention will quickly see in the dressing room that it makes them look like they either just lost their lunch or have a liver disorder.

But, No. The color of that ensemble or any of her Inauguration weekend clothing is beside the point. Michelle Obama can wear every color of the rainbow, or no color at all. She wears white as well as turquoise.

Michelle O. will never be Jackie O. Michelle O. is the New Michelle O.

Because Michelle O. is the New Tall Girl.

I know something about being the New Tall Girl. Granted, I have never played this part in the glare of the international media. Actually, Michelle O. would not be able to look me in the eye, unless she brought along those teal-colored Jimmy Choo pumps she wore yesterday. They appeared to have heels in the two-inch range. At 5 feet, 11 inches tall, Mrs. Obama would still be shorter than me in those Jimmy Choos. But, it would be close enough.

I laugh when I read about how Jackie Kennedy was described at the time as "tall, long and lean." Some people think she was about 5 feet, 6 inches tall. Since the average American woman is still only about 5 feet, 4 inches tall, it's not surprising that Mrs. Kennedy was considered tall in 1960. She was probably viewed as a physical giant among women. But, even if I concede that she was "tall" by any standard, I cannot argue that she was "lean." She had the small bones and frame of a French woman living on cigarettes and bottled water. It's no coincidence that the word "mannequin" is the French derivative of the word from Dutch/German that means "little man."

It wasn't particularly fashionable to be an athletic woman in that era, either. I don't have a vision of her working out every day of a Hawaii vacation at the nearest military gym.

No, not only is Michelle Obama capable of carrying any color in the spectrum, she is now closer to "impossibly tall" than any First Lady in modern history. She has an athletic frame, and no one will ever describe her as "small-boned."

As a woman whose final adult height has been 6 feet, 2 inches for a long time, I'm very interested in her wardrobe decisions now. I'm not going out to replace my closet any time soon, but I already know that the number of women who can really emulate her are -- while not as rare as in 1960 -- still a definite minority. So far, it's rare when I see two consecutive things on her that I even like or that I think look good on her. But, I'm intrigued at the range of things she tries. She's going to have hits and misses. She has a lot to learn, but she'll learn quickly.

When she sees the video of herself holding the lemongrass coat together while she tried to walk, hold hands with her husband, and wave, she'll probably ask someone to adjust something in the future. When she sees the video of herself constantly hoisting up the back of her Inaugural Ball gown behind her every time her husband stepped on her hem, she'll make a mental note of it.

She will hit her stride. She won't hit it anytime soon. But, I am confident she will; and, she'll do it in the same kind of fashionable leather flats that I have been wearing unapologetically since I gave up the Nordstrom suits, silk stockings and high-heeled suede pumps of a business world almost forgotten.

Meanwhile, the "wee-Michelles," as her daughters are sometimes lovingly referred to in the fashion press, made more impact on my particular household yesterday than she did. Not for nothing had I noted during the train ride on Saturday that the girls appeared to be outfitted in clothing that definitely resembled the selections from J. Crew's Crewcuts line. Then, the video of the Sunday event at the Lincoln Memorial came over the wire. And, I was fairly certain I was looking at the next generation of Crewcuts coats that wouldn't be available to the public until whatever date J. Crew plans to release their Fall 2009 collection.

I don't have children of this age in my household anymore; so, ordinarily, I wouldn't have a reason to even be conscious of this line. Ordinarily, I wouldn't know anything about it.

But, coincidentally, our older daughter decided to move over from Banana Republic to J. Crew for her Christmas holiday work period. At 5 feet, 11-1/2 inches tall with small bones and a longer, leaner frame than Jackie Kennedy could have ever imagined in her wildest dreams, she was a walking model of J. Crew clothing on the sales floor. She contributed to a seasonal sales contest and earned herself a free pair of $325 double-faced leather boots from Italy. To say she is in her element at J. Crew is to vastly understate the obvious.

As soon as the Obama daughters were taped walking down the hall to enter the dais with their grandmother, my "dress for success" brain cells fired off a message. "Isn't that Heather Majestic Purple on Malia??"

How could I know that.

I'm not a public figure. I'll never be First Lady of the United States of America.

But, I have a Tall Girl in the White House today. And, she and I both have two daughters. And, we both have a daughter with a coat from J. Crew, cut from Heather Majestic Purple wool double cloth and trimmed with silk grosgrain ribbon on the lining.

The wee-Michelles stole the show. Isn't that always the way? Everybody wants to know what you're going to wear on the biggest day of your life -- so far -- and the two little girls -- one standing on a step stool -- during the Oath of Office -- hit the ball out of the park.

One thing is certain. If my life is any indication -- and judging from the height of 10-year-old Malia (who didn't need a step stool), I'm guessing that it is -- Sasha won't need a step stool much longer.

It's just a matter of time.