After all the hand-wringing and carping and critiques and obsession with Michelle Obama’s wardrobe choices of  little-known American designers (and Azzedine Alaia) she showed up for two recent high-profile events in fab outfits by Michael Kors.

Early last week, she rocked the Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential people gala with a gorgeous black Kors gown, all sleek and flattering. She topped it with a mix of varied beaded strands around the neck , and her hair was sleek, pulled back and gorgeous. (Initial reports were that the black dress was by Alaia! Woops!)

Then, at the White House Correspondent’s event last night, she showed up in a bright pink Kors sheath dress, sleeveless and simple, but topped with a jumbo diamond-encrusted necklace. (By the way, if you want obsessive blanket-coverage of Mrs. O’s daily wardrobe picks, check out New York Magazine’s online “Mobama” blog posts).

Of note (and you can see this at the always-current Mrs-O.org) was a big, black pleated satin corset belt, above, complete with cinched ties in the back atop the black Kors gown. The corset was by one of her favored new designers, Peter Soronen, so she didn’t leave all the young designers in the closet.

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We’ve been on a Michelle Obama fashion de-tox because we were just exhausted trying to figure out who made her every dress, skirt, shoes, belts, jewelry and on and on.

But we’re breaking the fast to mention that at a Food Bank event yesterday in D.C., Mrs. O. had on a very cool pair of sneakers, at right, that turned out to be by Lanvin and a similar style (which aren’t even as cool as hers) costs $540 at Barneys.

Uhhm, we’re good with Michelle’s mix-and-match philosophy most of the time, but sometimes pairing a cute little J.Crew cardigan (it’s on sale for $100) with wildly overpriced sneakers may not be exactly the fashion statement the First Lady wants to project.

Maybe we’re just jealous. But if we were going to spend $540 on a pair of shoes, we’d go for these blue suede Miu Miu platform sandals for $595 (below left), or these Brian Atwood starlette printed pumps (below right) for $600, or

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We love Susan Boyle — not only for her talent, but because she looked frumpy and scruffy and ruddy and said she didn’t care how she looked and neither should anyone else.  That was great, and empowering to those who aren’t obsessed with plucking and brushing and coloring and staining and dieting and on and on.

Of course, it couldn’t last. The woman behind the beautiful voice that rocked the world on Britain’s Got Talent has had a makeover. We knew it couldn’t last. An instant-celeb like Susan couldn’t stay as she was. Someone had to convince her to change.

At least she didn’t go for the all-out makeover, just a bit of spiffing up: a haircut, a weed-whacker taken to those bushy brows.

Now, with today’s release of the paperback version of Charla Krupp’s best-seller, How Not to Look Old, we are reminded of our universal fear of aging. In other countries, elders are revered. Here, we want them to hide, or go to great lengths to stay blonde, tweezed, thin and frozen at some earlier age. Maybe 39. (more…)

The election of Barack Obama may have exhilarated the nation with hope and new energy €” but who knew the fashion implications? Elect a president and get a bonus: the most stylish, sophisticated and fashion-conscious First Lady since Jacqueline Kennedy cat-walked through the White House.

Michelle Obama is beautiful, strong, elegant, a career woman, wife, mother, and now — subject of her own style book, Michelle Style: Celebrating the First Lady of Fashion. The author is Mandi Norwood, an award-winning women’s magazine editor (Company, Cosmopolitan UK, Mademoiselle, and Shop Etc.).

Michelle Style celebrates the distinctive style of the First Lady, featuring color photographs, exclusive illustrations and descriptions of her most iconic looks. Get a new look at the sleeveless Maria Pinto purple silk crepe sheath that she dazzled the crowd with on the night Barack clinched the Democratic nomination. Or admire, again, the ivory fairy-tale gown by Jason Wu worn for the inaugural balls.

The book also has quotes from world-famous designers, stylists, and fashion insiders €” and inspired advice on everything from dressing to suit your body type to shopping at Target.

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Wipe that sneer off your face, mister. It’s not just pretty boys like Ozzy Osbourne who get to look all dangerous and edgy and, just downright scary. Affliction Clothing, the label that “embodies our generation’s fast and loud attitude and lifestyle”  (and just a peek at their Web site will make that all clear) has announced the launch of a collection for women that will launch June 1.

Now you, too, ladies, can get some of that dark, goth, tattooed, satanic and scary style that your fave metal rockers have worn but that has generally not been available to the ladies.

The collection will launch with V-neck and scoop-necks Ts, tanks and dresses loaded with lavish detail and ”indulgent color, dramatic foil and patch appliques, custom deconstruction, metal grommets and always the sophisticated, sexy fit ready for rocking the red carpet.”

Yikes!

All this edginess comes with an eco-conscious, to boot. The clothes are made of soft bamboo yarn — it’s light and softer than cotton, but you can still toss it in the wash. If you’re the kind of metal girl who washes clothes. 

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Susan Boyle has a voice like an angel, but you already know that. (If you don’t, you need to watch this and then feel ashamed for being so out of the loop). Her jaw-dropping performance on Britain’s Got Talent catapulted her into a very bright spotlight. The YouTube video of her performance has been viewed more than 35 million times.

And, of course, because she’s frumpy and chubby with dowdy hair and big bushy dark eyebrows, the fashion world is salivating at the idea of making her over. Just do a Google search on “Susan Boyle and fashion” and you can almost hear the tut-tuts and the acrylic nails tap-tap-tapping.

We want Susan Boyle to stay the way she is. 

1) For once, just this once, how about not creating another slick, tanned, toned, stylish, thin diva. That’s what happens to every female (more…)