Michelle Obama leva o 'urban chic' para Washington

«Michelle Obama turned the campaign trail into a runway this year, sporting eye-catching colors and feminine cuts that sent fashion bloggers buzzing.

As she coupled chic designer splurges with off-the-rack goodies from J. Crew, H&M, White House/Black Market and Target, fashion spectators say her ability to make a strong statement on a budget sends an important message during tough economic times.
"Michelle Obama can't be too over the top; she has to be recession chic all the way," style expert Mary Alice Stephenson said. In a soured economy, the choices she made throughout the campaign show that "she gets it," Stephenson said.

And it's inspiring American women to emulate her style. "What she has worn in the last year has really caused a seismic reaction in the fashion community, and also retailers are depending on her," Stephenson said. "The choices she has made have set fire to slumps in retail that we've seen because of the recession."

There is such a demand for information on Obama's style and outfits that there is a Web site dedicated to that theme: MrsO.org. It promises a regular look at who and what she's wearing.

Obama's urban chic wardrobe is a style turn from the sometimes matronly choices made by other first ladies.

It's also elevated the status of designers whose clothes she wears, especially Chicago's own Maria Pinto, the woman behind some of Obama's most notable looks.

The prices of Pinto's outfits may not fit all recession-squeezed budgets. Her collections are sold at Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York and Takashimaya. Her signature scarves sell for $300, and gowns may be priced at $1,200 to $5,000.
But her designs have served the future first lady well during historic moments of her husband's campaign. The coat Obama wore in Springfield, Illinois, when her husband announced his candidacy, the purple sheath she donned the night she fist-bumped her husband when he clinched the nomination, the teal number she sported at the Democratic convention in August: all Pinto creations.

"Sometimes I have no idea what she'll be wearing until I see it on television," said Pinto, whose 92-year-old mother had to call her to ask, "is that your dress Michelle is wearing?" when Obama, wearing a red dress, accompanied the president-elect to the White House to meet President Bush and first lady Laura Bush just days after the election.

"I am very attracted to colors, because I think it really lifts our spirit. It flatters a woman. Even if you're wearing a dark suit, it's important to have color to lift up mood. I try to take into consideration women's needs, and it has to be low-maintenance and still fulfill an element of beauty and longevity. I think wardrobe is an investment, and the pieces that I create have that quality and workmanship that is timeless."»

in CNN.com/politics