This work will focus on the two latest First Ladies, Michelle Obama and Melania Trump. Not only do they give an overview of how republican and democrat First Ladies eventually are depicted differently, but both first Ladies have a special connection to fashion.
The First Lady of the United States, or FLOTUS, is the President's wife's official title. Her position is a job with no rules or descriptions, but she must fulfill duties, including attending events, giving speeches, supporting her husband, and being the mother of a nation. Unlike the President, her job is not a paid one. At first glance, the First Lady paints an outdated picture of wives. As the mother of a nation, the First Lady is supposed to be a role model. Therefore, magazines and news do frequently discuss the image of the President and the First Lady. Those articles often focus on the FLOTUS’ wardrobe, which might signify the wife's perception as an ornament of her husband. They discuss the wardrobe, considering appropriateness and message. FLOTUS studies study what kind of position the First Lady has, but it also studies her position as a role model. To what extent is the First Lady a celebrity, a politician, and a US-citizen, involving information about American culture, politics, and feminism?
Gossip magazines might, at first glance, appear to focus on unnecessary details. However, fashion studies show that clothes have more meaning to them than just protecting the body from the weather. Already in 1950, John Carl Flugel studied the psychology of clothes and discussed the purpose of clothes. Roland Barthes followed Ferdinand de Saussure’s theory on semiology to study fashion magazines and their clothes' portrayal. Alison Lurie extended fashion theory with an actual fashion vocabulary. Theorists like Barthes have described fashion as a sign system, but Lurie specified how clothes talk. Fashion studies explain how clothes create and convey meaning. Furthermore, they ask who the creator of this meaning is and how culture and politics participate in creating meaning through clothes.
Fashion and political studies have been done before and play an essential role in studying the country that wears it. After all, fashion also participates in social change and is even change itself, as Malcolm Barnard analyses. Therefore, the question about the colors and shape of a clothing item is not petty, but essential to understand a country.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Fashion Studies
2.1 Function of Clothing
2.2 Fashion as Communication
2.3 Fashion and Identity
2.4 Politics of Fashion
3. First Ladies and their Background
3.1 Michelle Obama – Fashionable Lawyer
3.2 Melania Trump – Political Model
3.3 Difference in Portrayal
4. Inauguration Gown
4.1 The Gown of the Presidency
4.2 Michelle Obama – A New Beginning
4.3 Melania Trump – A Ray of Hope
5. Conclusion
6. Works cited
Research Objectives and Themes
This work aims to analyze the role of fashion in the lives and public perception of the two most recent First Ladies of the United States, Michelle Obama and Melania Trump, and explores how their clothing choices served as political communication tools within distinct media and cultural contexts.
- The semiotics of clothing and fashion as a communication system.
- The intersection of fashion, personal identity, and political power.
- A comparative analysis of media portrayal regarding republican vs. democrat First Ladies.
- The cultural significance and messaging behind inaugural ball gowns.
- The critique of the "taxpayer-funded wardrobe" narrative versus the reality of First Ladies' clothing expenditures.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Michelle Obama – Fashionable Lawyer
Michelle Obama, née Robinson, was born in 1964 in Chicago and grew up in the South Side (Obama 3). She began studying at Princeton University in 1981 (Obama 68) and later finished Harvard Law School (Obama 91). Afterward, Michelle Robinson started working as an attorney in the law firm Sidley & Austin (Obama 92), where she eventually met Barack Obama (Obama 94). Robinson moved on to work in the Chicago mayor’s office (Obama 157), became executive director for Public Allies (Obama 175), was then employed at the University of Chicago (Obama 186), and at the University of Chicago Medical Center (Obama 202). Barrack Obama and Michelle Robinson married in 1992 (Obama 163) and became the parents of Sasha and Malia (Obama 199). Michelle Obama became the first black First Lady of the United States of America in 2009. Becoming the first black American family in the presidency was a major historical milestone and offered the opportunity to change how black people are perceived.
Michelle Obama learned to use fashion in her way as articles increasingly wrote about her. During Barack Obama’s campaign, Michelle Obama realized that media and fashion bloggers were paying attention to what she was wearing (Obama 332). Obama says that flat shoes instead of heels, dresses' color, and sleeveless dresses suddenly mattered. “It seemed that my clothes matter more to people than anything I had to say” (Obama 332). She learned to use this focus to her advantage. At photoshoots, she insisted on wearing the designers she wanted to (Obama 333). Before becoming First Lady, she had only a little knowledge about fashion and found a personal aide and wardrobe stylist to help her (Obama 333). She did not want anyone to read messages in her clothes that were not there (Obama 333). Obama also had to balance between having to stand out and not overshadow others.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the research focus on Michelle Obama and Melania Trump, establishing the significance of fashion as a political and social communication tool.
2. Fashion Studies: Provides the theoretical foundation, discussing clothing's functions, its nature as a language, its role in constructing identity, and its link to political power.
3. First Ladies and their Background: Examines the lives of the two First Ladies, analyzing how their personal histories influence their fashion choices and media representation.
4. Inauguration Gown: Investigates the specific cultural and political messaging conveyed through the inaugural ball gowns of both First Ladies.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes findings, noting that while both women used fashion to convey personal and political messages, they faced vastly different reception due to political bias and public expectations.
6. Works cited: Lists the academic and media sources utilized throughout the thesis.
Keywords
First Lady, FLOTUS, Michelle Obama, Melania Trump, Fashion, Political Communication, Identity, Semiotics, Media Portrayal, Inaugural Gown, Cultural Politics, Gender Roles, American Politics, Representation, Ideology
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this thesis?
The work examines the intersection of fashion and political life, focusing on how Michelle Obama and Melania Trump used clothing to construct their images and communicate to the public.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The study covers political science, fashion theory (semiotics), gender studies, and media discourse analysis.
What is the main research objective?
The goal is to determine how fashion functions as a tool for political communication for First Ladies and why their portrayals in media differed so drastically.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses discourse analysis, incorporating semiotic theory (Barthes, Saussure), sociology of fashion (Barnard, Lurie), and Althusser’s ideological theory to interpret public media reactions.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The chapters detail the functions of clothing, compare the backgrounds of both women, analyze their inaugural fashion choices, and evaluate media bias.
Which keywords define this work?
The work is defined by terms such as FLOTUS, Political Communication, Semiotics, Identity, and Media Portrayal.
How does the author define the role of the inaugural ball gown?
The author argues that the inaugural ball gown serves as a critical first indicator of the administration's tone and style, carrying significant symbolic meaning for future generations.
Why are Melania Trump's fashion choices perceived as "coded"?
The author explains that because Melania Trump often maintained a reserved public persona, the media projected political messaging onto her attire, such as interpreting her white pantsuit as a reference to suffragettes or a silent rebellion.
In what way does the author argue that fashion is political?
Following Barnard's theories, the author asserts that clothing is inherently political because it reflects social status, cultural ideology, and the power dynamics between different groups in society.
- Quote paper
- Nathalia Rölli (Author), 2020, The Fashion of the First Lady. Differences in the Media Portrayal of Michelle Obama and Melania Trump, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1363406
