Of course Michelle Obama and Jill Biden will be the true belles of the upcoming inaugural balls, but every woman attending can make her own splash with the right attire, fashion experts said.
Some women confident of an invitation to one of the grand events started shopping for gowns before the election results were even tallied, said stylist Lana Orloff of Washington.
“Those still shopping now are pushing it,” said Orloff, style editor for Washington Life Magazine. “A lot of my clients purchased their dresses months in advance. They wanted something special.”
Although Washington has no shortage of black tie events, the excitement around President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration has set a new tone for this year’s events. That will be displayed in a flurry of colorful gowns, particularly pink, magenta and fuschia — spring’s hot colors.
“There is such an excitement with the new family moving into the White House,” said Ken Downing, senior vice president and fashion director of Neiman Marcus, Dallas, adding that many fashion-conscious women will take their cues from Michelle Obama. “She is certainly trend savvy as we’ve seen from her clothes, the interesting colors she chooses. Color is always very important, and fashion is so forward; there are so many great options.”
Those include short cocktail dresses, tuxedos and traditional black dresses with pops of bold yellows and metallic hues. Styles are also a bit more daring.
“We are selling beautiful classic dresses and neoclassic structured looks a la Jackie O, but also goddess/Grecian looks, both long and short, in colors. … Blues and purples and jewel tones are popular,” said Patricia Vailes-Macarie, personal shopper at Lord & Taylor, Chevy Chase. “Although one-shoulder ‘little black dresses’ look very fresh.”
Hot designers including Teri John, David Meister, Tadashi and Badgley Mishcka. “The aqua beaded cap sleeve satin gown from Niteline and the red matte jersey gown with embellished scoop neck from JS Boutique are standouts,” she said.
At Lord & Taylor in Tyson’s Corner, the long blue taffeta shirtdress with illusion neckline and cap sleeves from Kay Unger is the hot item, personal shopper Ashley Yvette said.
That’s not to say all women can or do splurge thousands on gowns.
Liisa Ecola of Washington plans to wear one of the evening gowns she currently owns and spice it up with jewelry and accessories for the evening.
“For someone like me, that’s fine,” Ecola said. “I will just do my own thing with a sparkly pair of earrings [and other accessories]. I have a couple of nice wrap shawls that I could also go with.”
Ecola has the right idea, fashion insiders said.
“Big chunky pieces always make a statement and can compliment a gown beautifully. It doesn’t have to be bling,” Orloff said. “You can do some custom or some fashion jewelry that isn’t outrageously expensive.”
Wraps with delicate detailing and the taffeta stole with flower closure from Badgley Mishcka “has been blowing out,” Vailes-Macarie said.
Just how do you avoid the nightmarishly long coat check lines at such galas without risking Washington’s winter chill once you step outside?
“Something that has become an important fashion trend is the future first lady wearing cardigan for day and for night,” Downing said. “An evening look is great with an embellished cardigan such as those from Oscar de la Renta with cashmere, sequins and beading. That perfect little layering piece, that makes you feel dressed, elegant and also keeps the chill away.”
The bottom line is to dress so you feel your best, but don’t ignore comfort. Steer clear of heels higher than 2 inches and consider dark shoes, which will still look great if they’re soaked in the rain.
You may not be an Obama or a Biden, but inauguration balls are the perfect chance to see and be seen, even in crowded rooms.
“Once you get into the main room there is always that entrance factor,” said LaShea Green, salon buyer for Saks Jandel, Chevy Chase. “And you always have photographers. Women want to look beautiful.”
Oops … there goes my gown
Just in time for the inauguration comes dressregistry.com.
The free site, founded by automotive industry consultant Andrew Jones of Stuart, Fla., allows users to “register” their gowns.
Consider the registration a cyber placeholder, so another attendee doesn’t inadvertently buy the same dress for an event (remember when Laura Bush wore the same red Oscar de la Renta gown as three other women at the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors?)
“Women always wanted to be unique,” said Jones, who hatched the idea some years back when he heard his wife and a friend discussing where to buy gowns for events.
Site registrants post descriptions of their gowns — including color, length and designer — and can even upload photos.
The site was started last month with a 1,000-piece mailing to some key targets including members of Congress and lobbyists. From there the site has taken off with 22 million hits, 60,000 unique visitors and about 200 “registered” dresses on the site, said Jones, who added that no personal information about the users is collected.
Visitors also troll the site for fashion ideas, Jones said.
“Every woman wants to look special and unique at these events,” he said.
His style
It’s been reported that Barack Obama just bought his first new tuxedo in 15 years.
So it’s not surprising that many men attending this year’s inaugural balls will be donning their tried-and-true black-tie attire, said personal stylist Lana Orloff, of the District. But they should heed a few caveats to ensure they don’t give away the age of the clothes.
“If they don’t wear them frequently, they should try them on well in advance of the event to make sure they fit,” Orloff said. “Your body can change in a year.”
Once minor alterations ensure the clothes fit well, men can freshen their attire with some extra accessories such as a new bow tie and cummerbund. But remember, this is black-tie, Orloff said.
“Buy a self-tie bow tie instead of a pretied one,” she said. “It looks better, it shows you made the effort.”
