What Lady Bird Wore
Friday, January 9, 2009 at 1:02 PM Her given name was Claudia, but the public knew her by her nickname. She became First Lady when her husband Lyndon Baines Johnson, then vice president, assumed office after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in November 1963. In 1964, Johnson was elected president in his own right via in a landslide election and Mrs. J joined her husband at an inauguration ball that combined Texas exuberance and Beltway-style glamour.
Mrs. J loved wildflowers, particularly Texas bluebonnets-she would become known for her restoration of wildflower fields-but when it came to choosing a color for her inauguration gown, she went with a bold jonquil yellow. Designed by John Moore, a protégé of Norman Norell and the man behind Marilyn Monroe's wedding dress when she married playwright Arthur Miller, the gown was made of double weave silk. It sported a square neckline with inverted pleats and cap sleeves. Over it, Mrs. J wore a matching coat with three-quarter length sleeves trimmed in sable. White opera gloves and a strand of pearls tucked into the neckline completed the look.
The look is incredibly pared down and non-frilly (except, of course, for the sable), relying on the color and the silk, with its luxurious sheen and weight, to make its statement. While we know that Mrs. O loves a wonderful print dress, we have also seen her wear dresses that also rely solely on a bold color, cut, and fabric to carry the day-or the evening. We'll soon see which Mrs. O chooses for January 20.
Reader Comments (8)
What a bold choice of color. While I'm not a fan of it, I can see how it fit the era that it was worn in.
I'm loving these collections of what former First Ladies wore... Keep them coming!!
Speaking of sable, does anyone think Mrs. O will wear any fur whatsoever? I keep seeing this question come up in blog and I can't imagine she would. Whatever her personal feelings on the topic, why risk offending people?
Mrs. Johnson's bold yellow would be a good choice for Mrs. O!
@LisaC
I think she will not wear fur. Her not wearing fur has nothing to do with offending people. Barack and MIchelle are CONFIDENT people, they know that they cannot please everyone. I don't want Michelle to change ever during the next 8 years. I just want her to continue to be that person Barack met 20 years ago, and I am sure she will continue to be her because she was raised to not give a sh8t what other people say.
Hmmmm... I don't see that yellow as flattering to Mrs Johnson. The gown, while cut beautifully, doesn't seem to exude much of a sense of presence or 'event'.
I am a big fan of minimalism, but this gown is too chaste even for my taste.
I can't say I'm a fan of Lady Bird's dress, either. But the fur accent does give it an elegant touch worthy of a first lady. Mrs. O has such incredible style, that I can't imagine she would ever feel the need to wear fur-for fashion or status.
I don't much care for the cut -- the necklace gets lost behind the front panel and the darts at the chest are too visible -- but the color (okay, and the sleeves) are darling.
She totally looks like a Claudia, too. :)
Kristan
http://jbu.phuzzymath.net/
I'm afraid I don't care for Lady Bird's dress at all. The cut is not formal enough for my taste. Even so, if given a chance, honestly I would have dressed like Jackie O and lived the life of ( my perception) of Lady Bird.
I have to admit I don't care for Lady Bird's dress either, the cut around the shoulders and arms seems to fit badly. Not a good job by whoever fitted and sewed it. She looks okay in yellow, but to me, my Mrs. O looked washed out it yellow. Yellow seems to cause her skin to lose it's normal brightness and healthy looking quality. I hope she doesn't wear yellow to the balls.