The girls also wore corresponding colors for the presidential swearing-in ceremony at the White House on Sunday. Malia (near right) wore a blue H&M dress (.95) while Sasha donned a plum lace dress from Plenty by Tracy Reese (.95). (Doug Mills/Pool/startraksphoto.c)
It was a color befitting a royal family. As their father, Barack Obama, was sworn-in as our commander in chief for the second time yesterday, his daughters Malia, 14, and Sasha, 11, stood by in perfectly coordinating shades of lavender and violet, which complemented their mother Michelle’s bold, blue-printed Thom Browne coat.
This was a stark change from four years ago, when the Obama women donned clashing colors of blue (Malia), orange and pink (Sasha) and chartreuse (Michelle) for the president’s first inauguration. While the girls were adorable in their be-ribboned coats from J.Crew’s Crewcuts kids’ line and Mrs. Obama was praised for her choice of trendy designer Isabel Toledo, the family failed to provide a united fashion front.
PHOTOS: OBAMA GIRLS GONE STYLED
What a difference a term makes. Although the girls lead sheltered lives at school and at the White House, they’re required to attend scores of events in the age of Twitter and Facebook, where their adolescent development, and subsequent style choices, are examined with intense scrutiny. Today, they certainly know how to work a photo-op.
“The Obamas are the first family to really experience fashion on the Web,” says Lauren Sherman, editor at large of fashionista.com. “It’s a much bigger deal now than it ever was [before].”
There were no bloggers assigned to cover the Chelsea Clinton closet beat circa 1994, and aside from a few Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta mentions, the Bush twins weren’t under the style miscroscope either. So it’s a credit to the Obama household that the girls have been able to experiment with teenage trends over the years without ever embarrassing the first family.
“When we first met the girls, they had a very classic, put-together look,” says Holly Thomas, Washington DC editor of Refinery29. “Now you’re seeing them evolve and become a bit more trend-conscious,” she adds, noting the recent proliferation of floral pants and leather accents. “Malia’s style is much more ladylike and polished — much more like Michelle’s. Sasha is a little more fun. She’s the one wearing high-tops and skinny jeans.”
In 2011, the White House confirmed that Michelle Obama’s personal assistant, Meredith Koop, also acts as the first lady’s stylist. While the family hasn’t addressed their fashion regime publicly, the buzz in DC is that Koop also helps the younger Obama ladies curate their wardrobes.
“Meredith has become much more involved,” confirms DC-based style expert Stephany Greene, adding that the 31-year-old fashionista brings a youthful sensibility to the table.
When deciding what to wear for public appearances, Malia and Sasha likely have some input, too.
“I imagine the process is one where there are options, and I definitely think the girls have a hand in picking some of those options,” says DC-based stylist and fashion correspondent Lauren Rothman. “As for finalizing those looks, I’m not sure if they get to pick every piece.”
Labels like Anthropologie, Asos and Zara have recently fit the bill, and J.Crew continues to be a go-to. Malia wore J.Crew for yesterday’s inauguration, while Sasha donned a coat and dress by the preppy New York label Kate Spade.
After Obama’s inauguration in 2009, J.Crew issued a press release announcing that his daughters were spotted in its designs, and some argued that the media focus on the girls’ clothes was tacky and unwarranted. After all, they’re not walking red carpets a la actresses Elle Fanning or Hailee Steinfeld.
But after years in the limelight, many fashion experts argue the attention is fair game. “I don’t think that anything is wrong with J.Crew being excited that they wear their clothes,” says Sherman, adding that their mother’s enthusiasm for fashion naturally turns the spotlight on them. “Michelle is fully aware of her influence. You don’t wear Alaïa as a representative of your country if you’re not extremely interested in fashion.”
Another habit the girls have picked up from their mother is “recycling” looks, which they exemplified on election night in 2012. The Chris Benz skirt Sasha wore to fete her father’s second victory was a hand-me-down from her big sister.
“A lot of celebrities outside of politics won’t be seen wearing the same thing twice,” says Greene. “I think it’s really nice that they have a more down-to-earth approach to their clothing and they ‘recycle’ their looks.”
But most of all, it’s the girls’ age-appropriate style — tights and flats, never heels; silhouettes that are classy rather than trashy — that has garnered them high approval ratings. In a way, with their bright, fun, pretty but tasteful attire, they’re setting a fashionable example for girls nationwide.
“They always look casually elegant, and I think that’s really appealing to the American people,” says Sherman. “We want to see them be the young girls that they are.”
