I don't know why I am surprised by this, and I don't even know if I should be disappointed by it. But why is Barack Obama judged on what he does and his wife is judged on what she wears? This story in the New York Times is being cute and using political language to describe the "bi-partisan" support she received for her sartorial choices during her husband's inauguration.
The same happened for Therese Rein when Kevin Rudd was elected Prime Minister here. Therese (and I love, love, love you for keeping your name) copped a drubbing for fashion choices. Never mind that she is in her own right a very successful business woman (who earns much more than her husband) and is an accomplished person and mother. The only thing people seem to care to have an opinion about is if she's chosen the right colour.
There's nothing wrong with enjoying fashion and getting gussied up, but do people need to take it so seriously.
I would so love someone (and another first lady fashion plate who probably has the chutzpah to do it is Carla Bruni-Sarkozy) to turn up to one of these official engagements in a potato sack. Now that would be something to talk about.