One blogger complained that she could hardly listen to Obama's speech "for fear of that dress"….

The juxtaposition of a rectangle of red on a black field is what we might expect to find on a flag or a shield. Coral snakes and venomous spiders signal their destructive potential by the display of similarly violent contrasts.

For some reason we are still letting this deadly woman and her family move into the White House, so now Michelle Obama must redeem herself and her country, with nothing more than the clothes on her back. The pressure is high…

By making some off-the-radar choices, Obama already greatly reduces her risk of making the same faux pas as [Laura] Bush did at a 2006 Kennedy Center Honors event when she wore the same red de la Renta gown as three other women.

The pain of that night (12/3, never forget) is seared in the collective memory of our nation.

But as another fashion nabob points out, even a First Lady can't spend every day in formalwear…

[Consultant Ruth] Sherman also wonders what will happen to Obama's sometimes-sportier look, one that likely resonates with the younger people who so strongly support her and her husband.

"If the Obamas are being considered the next generations of leaders, will the Obamas reflect that this generation is so much more casual? What does it mean when you see Michelle Obama in jeans?"

It means she has sold Texas to the Iranians.