Potential U.S. first ladies draw fashion buzz

Cindy McCain or Michelle Obama for the White House?

Among fashionistas, the wives of the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama are drawing the kind of enthusiasm that Nancy Reagan and Jacqueline Kennedy once attracted.

As might be expected, style mavens' critiques focus less on what the potential first ladies say or do than on what they wear.

While Obama won fans for wearing a relatively affordable $150 dress on talk show "The View," McCain drew attention for her expensive tastes. Vanity Fair magazine estimated one outfit she wore at the Republican National Convention this week was worth $300,000.

The choice of John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who took part in beauty pageants in her youth, also has caused a buzz. But Mickey Blum, director of survey research at Baruch College, said her style could not be compared to McCain and Obama.

"That's a different look because you have to look a little bit more serious and professional," Blum said.

The consensus at New York Fashion Week is that both potential first ladies have style but most designers in the traditionally Democratic-leaning industry would much rather have the chance to dress Obama over McCain.

"I am in the fashion industry, I live in New York -- I'm probably not going to go for McCain to dress," designer Rebecca Taylor told reporters.

"Michelle is really fresh and she could sort of go where Jackie O went given the right sort of tools and grooming," she said. "I think it could be nice for America to have somebody who's a little bit more stylish as their first lady."

Obama, 44, is a Princeton and Harvard educated lawyer who has appeared in Vogue and was named on Vanity Fair's 2008 International Best Dressed List.

谁将成为白宫下一位女主人？辛迪•麦凯恩？还是米歇尔•奥巴马？

正如当年的南希•里根和杰奎琳•肯尼迪，如今美国共和党总统候选人约翰•麦凯恩和民主党候选人巴拉克•奥巴马的夫人正引发一股时尚热情。

在时尚专家眼中，准第一夫人的着装打扮总是比她们的言行举止更值得关注。

奥巴马夫人在谈话节目"The View"中穿的一套价值仅为150美元的套装为她大赚人气，而麦凯恩夫人则凭其奢华的着装品味吸引眼球。据《名利场》杂志估计，辛迪在上周的共和党全国代表大会上所穿的一套衣服价值达30万美元。

当天麦凯恩的竞选伙伴莎拉•佩林的着装也引发了一阵热评。不过圣巴鲁学院的调研主任迈奇•布鲁姆评价说，佩林的着装风格无法与辛迪和米歇尔相比。现任阿拉斯加州州长的佩林年轻时曾参加过选美比赛。

布鲁姆说：“那种场合的造型风格是不一样的，应该更加庄重和专业一点”。

纽约时装周的设计师们普遍认为，两位夫人的装扮各具风格，但大多数在这一“倾民主行业”工作的时装设计师们则更希望能为米歇尔设计服装。

设计师丽贝卡•泰勒在接受记者采访时说：“我在时尚界工作，并且生活在纽约——可能我不太倾向于为辛迪设计服装”。

她说：“米歇尔的穿衣风格让人倍感新鲜，而且她的配饰和着装选择有点杰奎琳的味道，我想对于美国民众来说，拥有一位穿着时髦的第一夫人也是一件不错的事。”

今年44岁的米歇尔•奥巴马曾登上《时尚》杂志，并入选《名利场》杂志2008年度全球最佳穿着名人榜。米歇尔曾就读于普林斯顿大学和哈佛大学，现为一名律师。