Video footage of the Modern, Fashionable First Ladies

Known more for her political clout that her sense of fashion it was very hard to find youtube footage dedicated to the fashion choices of Hillary Clinton . Here you can see why….not the best fashion pieces.  🙂

Laura Bush was a throw back to old fashion style and behind the scenes  traditional role of the First Lady . Here is an example of her “matronly” style

Michelle Obama embodies a combination of Jackie Kennedy the fashion icon, Hillary Clinton’s political clout and Laura Bush’s behind the scene role of wife and mother.

Video Tributes to the Modern, Fashionable First Ladies

The epitome of charm, grace and a keen sense of fashion. Jackie Kennedy!

Open, candid and fashionable…Betty Ford

An example of classy, chic and effortless style

The Modern First Ladies- the newbie- Michelle Obama

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama was born January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois. The daughter of Frasier Robinson, a city pump operator and a Democratic precinct captain and Marian Robinson, a Spiegel’s secretary who later stayed home to raise Michelle and her older brother, Craig.

Michelle at Princeton

Michelle graduated in 1981 from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago’s West Loop as class salutatorian. After high school, she followed her brother to Princeton University, graduating cum laude in 1985 with a B.A. in Sociology. She went on to earn a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1988.

Michlle and Barack Obama

According to her biography on Biography.com, after law school Michelle worked as an associate in the Chicago branch of the law firm Sidley Austin in the area of marketing and intellectual property. There in 1989, she met her future husband, Barack Obama, a summer intern whom she was assigned as an adviser.The couple married at Trinity United Church of Christ on October 18, 1992.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle walk the Inaugural Parade

The modern mom and fashionista, continued to excel in her career becoming the associate dean of student services at the Uinversity of Chicago in 1996. In 2007, she scaled back her own professional work to attend to family, daughtes, Malia and Natasha( sasha for short!), and campaign obligations during Barack’s run for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Michelle and her beautiful family

“Since her husband’s political role pushed the Obama family into the spotlight, Michelle has been publicly recognized for her steely, no-nonsense campaign style as well as her sense of fashion. In May of 2006, Michelle was featured in Essence magazine as one of “25 of the World’s Most Inspiring Women.” Then in September 2007, Michelle was listed in 02138 magazine as number 58 in “The Harvard 100,” a list of the most influential alumni for the year. She has also made the Vanity Fair best-dressed list two years in a row, as well as People Magazine’s 2008 best-dressed list.”- Biography.com

 

Michelle the Fashionista

As the 44th First Lady of the United States, Michelle has focused her attention on issues such as the support of military families, helping working women balance career and family, and encouraging national service. Michelle worked with 23 fifth graders from a local school in Washington, D.C., to plant a 1,100 square foot garden of fresh vegetables and install bee hives on the South Lawn of the White House. According to her biography, throughout the summer, the same students returned to harvest various foods and learned to cook fresh-grown organic vegetables. In 2010, Michelle has put efforts to fight childhood obesity near the top of her agenda.

Michelle and Barack Obama

Youtube address to my fellow Uconn Journalism peers

Mr. Jeffrey Ogbar

12/11/10

From:

University of Connecticut Journalism Students

To:

Jeffrey Ogbar, Dean CLAS

Associate Dean Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar

 

Dear Dr. Ogbar:

 

On behalf of the students from the University of Connecticut’s Journalism Department, I would like to voice concerns regarding the dismal and, frankly, embarrassing state of our department. Journalism is one of the most important professions that exists within a Democratic State. When our founding fathers wrote the constitution, the only profession explicitly recognized in the Bill of Rights was “freedom of the press.” Can you imagine a world without a responsible media? With the lack of resources, equipment and adequate workstations our department is plagued with, it is no wonder the future of this noble and important profession is said to be at stake.

If UConn is a top university, we at the School of Journalism should have access to state-of-the-art resources like students at NYU, Columbia, and the University of Missouri. Though we are fortunate to have professors who have worked at top news industries both nationally and locally and who show some interest in the futures of every student, there is much room for improvement. Attending UConn is a major investment for every student and for us in the journalism department it is the biggest investment of our lives. For most, if not all, there is no other profession we could possibly imagine ourselves doing other than reporting the news. Since UConn, as advertised by the school, is the only public university offering “a nationally accredited journalism program in New England” this is all the more reason why the department should be top-notch, with state-of the-art equipment including a studio for broadcast packages, and reasonable hours of operation that can accommodate the large amounts of training hours needed to compete in this cut-throat profession.

These last few weeks in the fall 2010 semester have magnified how much improvements are needed in the journalism department. With students having to share an inadequate lab, with only eight computers, only open for limited hours, getting final projects done and perfected was impossible. There is no reason why at a school with the size and level of esteem at which UConn portrays itself, should not have a better journalism department. As UConn so accurately points out on the UConn journalism website; this is the only department within the college of liberal arts and sciences that prepares students for a particular career. Our professors have done a wonderful job instilling the spirit of public service and truth which are staples of our profession ;but as time changes so does the profession. Programs like Dream Weaver, Photoshop, Indesign and Final Cut- among others- students need to master in order to meet the demands of today’s journalism profession are costly and not readily available at the Homer Babbdige Library for students to work after hours. Professors have to shuffle classes and swap classrooms in order to give students working on multi-media projects time to finish.

The professors, staff and students at the UConn School of journalism demand much of themselves and naturally we, the students, demand the respect of the university. By offering Connecticut residents the option of a public education you’ve made a commitment to supplying those students who attend your university the highest level of education and preparedness for the real world. Journalists have an obligation to fulfill for the public they serve and it’s this public university’s obligation to produce journalists with the highest standard of professional integrity. In order to do this the university must remain vigilant in meeting the needs of this departments. This means giving journalists the tools be the best professions they can be and to reach a public that they and the university mutually serve. We are fully aware of and understand that the school is pressed financially, but reallocation of funds would serve us well. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to hear us out. We hope to see many changes within the department.

 

Sincerely ,

The students from UConn’s Journalism Department

The Modern First Ladies-the Mom- Laura Bush

Laura Bush

Laura Welch Bush was born on November 4, 1946 in Midland, Texas. She was the only child of Harold Bruce Welch, a loan company branch manager and owner of home building company, and Jena Welch, who worked as bookkeeper of husband’s home building company from their residence.  Her biography on Biography.com states that after graduating from high school in 1964, she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Southern Methodist University in 1968. She later taught in public schools in Dallas and Houston. She received a master’s degree in library science from the University of Texas in 1973 and later worked as a librarian in Austin.

Laura Welch became Laura Welch Bush on November 5, 1977. The couple had twins Barbara and Jenna on November 25, 1981. While her husband pursued a career in politics, Laura ended her work as a librarian and went to work full-time on his campaign. Laura also devoted her time to volunteer work and homemaking.She would continue to play this behind the scene role all the way to the White House.

 

Laura and George Bush

 

In 1994 Laura became First Lady Of Texas when her husband won the Governorship. As First Lady of Texas, Laura Bush successfully lobbied for state funding of early reading, literacy and early childhood development programs, which became the social issues on which she focused.

 

Laura Bush

 

According her biography, through the 2000 campaign, Laura avoided any controversy with remarks that were inconsistent with those of her husband, but she broke precedent by becoming the first presidential candidate’s wife (who was not already First Lady) to address the convention that was nominating her husband. During the 2004 campaign, Laura Bush dramatically increased her role, delivering a policy-oriented speech at the Republican National Convention, making hundreds of stump speeches in which she addressed substantive policy accomplishments and goals of the Administration in economics, homeland security and the Iraqi War.

 

The Bush family

Though her taste in fashion can be  described as  matronly, that looked seemed to somehow just work for her. She was a wife and mother first, then First Lady. Laura was a modern first lady, very much involved in political causes, that managed to keep that soccer-mom ambiance.

 

 

 

The Modern First Ladies- Beauty and Brains-Hillary Clinton

HILLARY DIANE RODHAM

Hillary Diane Rodham was born, October 26, 1947 in Chicago Illinois  to Hugh Rodham, a textile supply owner, and Dorothy Rodham, a stay-at-home mom. The blond hair  blue-eye beauty has always had a passion for politics.In fact,  she was active in young Republican groups and campaigned for Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater in 1964. She was inspired to work in some form of public service after hearing a speech in Chicago by the Reverend Martin Luther King and became a Democrat in 1968.

Hillary Rodham

According to her biography on Biography.com, Hillary attended Wellesley College; she was active in student politics and was elected Senior Class president before she graduated in 1969. She then attended Yale Law School, where she met  her future husband, Bill Clinton. Graduating with honors in 1973, she also attended one post-graduate year of study on children and medicine at Yale Child Study Center.

After rejecting Bill Clinton’s proposals three times,  Hillary accepted and the two were married on October 11, 1975 forming a political power couple that demands respected to this day. In 1976, she worked on Jimmy Carter’s successful campaign for president while husband Bill was elected Attorney General.  According to her biography, her husband Bill, was elected governor in 1978 at age 32, lost re-election in 1980, but came back to win in 1982, 1984, 1986 (when the term of office was expanded from two to four years) and 1990.During the twelve years that she served as First Lady of Arkansas, Hillary  worked as a full-time partner of a law firm, chaired the Arkansas Education Standards Committee, managed a home, and cared for her husband and daughter Chelsea.

First Lady Hillary Clinton

In January 1993 her husband became the nations 42nd President. He  asked the First Lady to chair the Task Force on National Health Care Reform. Though he efforts to pass health reform legislation failed. Hillary went on to have a prominent and inspiring career as a deeply politically involved first lady.Hillary Clinton was the only First Lady to keep an office in the West Wing among those of the president’s senior staff.

n 1988, US President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton hosted President Kim Dae-jung and his wife Lee Hee-ho at a White House state dinner.

According to her biography, Hillary had encountered controversy from practically the beginning of her tenure.
“By her having assuming a more overtly political role than any of her predecessors, Hillary Clinton was an easy target for the political opposition; oftentimes it was she personally that was attacked, beyond the words she spoke or actions she took.”- Biography.com

Sen. Hillary Clinton greets graduates of the Pelham Preparatory Academy in the Bronx.

On November 7, 2000, Hillary became the first First Lady ever elected to public office, winning the U.S. Senate seat from New York State. Sworn in as a U.S. Senator on January 1, 2001 but remaining First Lady until January 20 of that year, she  served simultaneously for twenty days as a member of one branch of government while married to the leader of another branch. She was re-elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006.

 

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton

“In early 2007, Hillary  announced her plans to strive for another first—to be the first female president. During the 2008 Democratic Primaries, Senator Clinton conceded her nomination when it became apparent that nominee Barack Obama held a majority of the delegate vote.”- Biography.com

 

Barack Obama gets a peck on the cheek from Sen. Hillary Clinton

Shortly after Obama won the U.S. presidential election, he nominated Clinton to become Secretary of State in his 2009 cabinet. She accepted the nomination, and was officially approved by the senate on January 21st, 2009, becoming the first Fist Lady to become Secretary of Sate.

 

The Modern First Ladies-Classy and Chic- Nancy Reagan

Nancy Robbins Davis Reagan

Anne Frances “Nancy” Robbins was born in Flushing, Queens, New York  on July 6, 1921. Her father, Kenneth Robbins, was a used car salesman and her mother, Edith P. Luckett was a Broadway actress. Her parents divorced shortly after her birth. According the a PBS biographical piece on Nancy , in 1931 her new stepfather, Loyal Davis, a prominent Chicago neurosurgeon, adopted her.Nancy was raised in Chicago, where she graduated from Girls’ Latin School and went on to Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts and majored in drama.

Nancy Davis the actress

In her early career, Nancy Davis worked as an actress in stage, film and television productions. She  enjoyed moderate success as an actress before meeting her would be husband, actor Ronald Reagan, in 1949. The couple was married on March 6, 1952.Nancy made eleven films in all, including three after her marriage.

Nancy and Ronald Reagan

On January 3, 1967 Nancy Regan became the First Lady of California after her husband clinched the top office in the state, Governor. According to her PBS bio, Nancy raised eyebrows as soon as she moved into — and quickly out of — the Governor’s Mansion in Sacramento. The mansion, she said was a “firetrap” — it had been so described by the fire department — and she moved her family to an exclusive suburb. What Nancy claimed was concern for Ron’s safety, many Californians perceived as snobbery.

Nancy and Ronald

On January 20, 1981 Nancy and Ronald Reagan became the First Lady and President of the United States. As the new First Lady, Nancy followed in the foot steps of Jacqueline Kennedy, and proceeded with renovations to  the White House. The PBS bio states,  although the White House, after years of neglect, needed the lift, Nancy was criticized for spending frivolously in the middle of a recession. Criticism of Nancy’s close relationship with high-end fashion designers and  expensive in fashion soon followed.

“Designers donated their fashions to Nancy in exchange for the exposure she afforded them, but the public balked. The Reagans were accused of not caring that America was having trouble making ends meet, while they lived and entertained lavishly, surrounded by well-heeled friends.”-PBS

Clothes of Nancy Reagan

Despite her critics Nancy improved her image by becoming one of the most politically involved first ladies to date. According to her PBS bio,though she left policy to the Reagan men, Nancy was deeply involved in selecting who those men were. Discreet as it may have been, her influence was undeniable.

Classic and Chic Nancy and Ronald Reagan

After her husband’s presidency Nancy  published her memoirs entitled My Turn, in 1989, she established the Nancy Reagan Foundation, to support educational drug prevention after-school programs; it merged with the Best Foundation for a Drug-Free Tomorrow, out of which emerged the Nancy Reagan Afterschool Program, a drug prevention and life-skills program for youth.

 

Nancy Regan

 

 

the Modern First Ladies- A New Face – Betty Ford

First Lady Elizabeth Ford

Elizabeth Anne (Betty) Bloomer was born in Chicago on April 8, 1918 and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to William Bloomer  a traveling salesman and Hortense Neahr Bloomer who worked in the un-salaried position of President of the Crippled Children Association of Grand Rapids. The petite blue-eyed  beauty began dancing at an early and according to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library age upon graduation from Central High School in 1936, she attended the Bennington School of Dance, in Vermont. She continued her studies  in New York City, becoming a member of her Auxiliary Performance Troupe and performing at Carnegie Hall.

Betty Ford portrait

In 1941 Betty returned to Grand Rapids where she took a job as a fashion coordinator at an exclusive department store and continued her interest in dance, forming her own performance group.  Her passion for dance and helping others  led her to volunteer  with handicapped children, teaching the joy of rhythm and movement in dance.

Betty and Gerald Ford

In 1947, a friend introduced Betty to Gerald R. Ford, Jr., a young lawyer who had served as Navy lieutenant during World War II. According to the Ford Library,by February  1948 the couple was engaged. Eight months later they were married on October 15, 1948, two weeks before Mr. Ford was elected to his first term in Congress. They moved to Washington D.C. where he served as member of the House of Representatives for 25 years.

The Fashionable Betty Ford

While in Congress, the Fords lived in Alexandria, Virginia and had four children.

The Modern First Ladies- The Introcuction

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy

Known the world over as probably the  most fashion forward first lady- say that five times lol- in American history, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy is one of my favorite style icons and personal hero. Though she was a  fashion icon, there was much  more to her than being consistently well dressed. The 5’8 doe-eyed Burnett was  was born on July 28, 1929 in Southampton, New York.  The daughter of an affluent Wall Street stockbroker- John Vernou Bouvier III- , and a decorated equestrian-, Janet Lee Bouvier, Jackie , by all accounts, lived a privileged childhood. According to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum , she attended Miss Porter’s School for Girls in Connecticut and Vassar College, where she excelled in history, literature, art and French. After studying at the Sorbonne in Paris for her junior year in 1949, she returned to the United States to earn a degree in French literature from George Washington University.

Jacqueline Kennedy working as an Editor at Viking Press

An avid and quite talented writer, with a passion for reading and horse back riding,   Jackie won a prestigious “Vogue” magazine contest in 1950 that led to a year-long position as a trainee at Vogue, spending six months in their New York office and six months in the Paris office. Her first official job came two years later as a photographer for ” The Washington-Times Herald”

Jacqueline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy

The future first lady met her would be husband , John,  the senior senator from Massachusetts  in 1952. The pair married a year later on September 12, 1953 at St. Mary’s Church in Newport. In January 1960 John F. Kennedy announced his campaign for presidency. Though she was pregnant at the time, Jackie remained active in her husbands campaign, answering campaign mail, taping TV commercials, giving interviews and writing “Campaign Wife,” a syndicated column carried across the nation.

Jacqueline Kennedy with JFK and John junior

At tender age of 31 Jackie became the third youngest first lady in U.S. history and , according to the JFK Presidential Library and Museum,  the first to be the mother of an infant since the turn of the century. As first lady, she redecorated the family quarters of the White House and historically restored the public rooms. Her warm personality and  knowledge of different cultures was a great help to her husband.

“It was the extraordinary warm welcome afforded to the French-speaking Mrs. Kennedy during her visit to Paris in May 1961 that prompted President Kennedy’s remark, “I do not think it altogether inappropriate to introduce myself…I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris, and I have enjoyed it.”.”- JFK Presidential Library and Museum

Jackie Kennedy Collage

On November 22, 1963 John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas and Jacqueline Kennedy became a widow at age 34. According to the JFK Presidential Library after President Kennedy’s death, she began the work to build the John F. Kennedy Library which would commemorate her husband’s life. She chose then-unknown architect I.M. Pei to design the Library and decided upon a striking location overlooking Boston Harbor.

Jackie at JFK's funeral

She married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis five years later in 1968. After his death she went on to enjoy a successful career in publishing.

Jackie and John Jr.

On May 19, 1994 Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis died in her New York City home. She was laid to rest beside President Kennedy in Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, DC.

Jacqueline Kennedy

The Modern First Ladies…Hillary, Laura and Michelle

Hillary Clinton

The role of the First Lady, traditionally, was to support and “take care” of the president.Even for the first wave of who can be considered modern First Ladies when it came to fashion, the role of the First Lady was to be a caring and supportive wife.

” I think it’s an important, legitimate role for a First Lady to look after a President’s health and well being. And if that interferes with other plans, so be it. No first lady need to make apologies for looking out for her husband’s personal welfare…The First Lady is, first of all, a wife.”- Nancy Reagan

“I think the major role of the First Lady is to take care of the President so that he can best serve the people. And not to fail her family, her husband, and children.”- Jackie O

Even before her introduction many speculated about the kind of First Lady she would be.Well that traditional role was certainly  obliterated when the nation was introduced of Hillary Clinton. The Yale-graduate proved to be a new kind of First Lady one that took a more active role in political discussions during he husbands presidency.

First Lady Hillary Clinton and Pres. Clinton

Hillary had a much tougher time finding her own sense of fashion as First Lady. According to Valerie Steele of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology in an Early Show segment of the inaugural balls on CBS, Clinton was criticized very much for her wardrobe  during her husbands presidential terms. She chose a little-known designer for her first gown, Sarah Phillips. Mrs. Clinton wore a violet beaded gown with blue-velvet silk overskirt, as well as an overcoat in violet and gold velvet.

Hillary Clinton wore this violet beaded lace sheath gown with iridescent blue velvet silk mousseline overskirt to the 1993 inaugural balls. The dress was designed by Sarah Phillips and made by Barbara Matera Ltd., a New York theatrical costume maker.

Laura Bush was a modern First Lady that was a throw back to old-time style. Sometimes described a matronly her style is  conservative and  lady like.

First Lady Laura Bush and Pres. Bush

According to the Smithsonian Laura Bush wore a dress designed by fellow Texan Michael Faircloth. Some reports speculated that Faircloth encouraged the normally conservative Mrs. Bush to choose the brilliant color.

Laura Bush wore this ruby-red gown of crystalembroidered Chantilly lace over silk georgette to the 2001 inaugural balls.

The final First Lady is the most modern and arguably the most fashionable since Jackie O, Michelle Obama became First Lady in 2008 and from the time we were introduced to her during her husbands campaign to her formal introduction at the inaugural ball and to this day we have been fascinated with her ability to be blend fashion with political savvy. Michelle seamlessly combines a bit of Jackie O and Hillary.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Pres. Obama

According to the Smithsonian the First Lady wore a one-shouldered white silk chiffon gown embellished with organza flowers with Swarovski crystal centers designed by Jason Wu.

Michelle Obama inaugural gown by Jason Wu was breathtaking

I hope u enjoyed this discussion about a part of our history that both intriguing as it is important. Fashion in politics especially with First Ladies is something that has always been a part of the national discussion and one that will remain a hot topic for fashionistas, historians and everyday citizens.