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Has anyone else noticed that Carla Sarkozy, credited with saving the French fashion industry, is always wearing The Same Dress?
On Saturday, to mark the 60th anniversary of D-Day, it was cream. Yesterday, at the ballot box with husband Nicolas, it was blue with white spots.
From pale pink to royal purple, it's always the same body-hugging shift. Cap sleeves. Tick. Pin-tuck neckline. Tick. Narrow belt. Tick. You could write pages about the semiotics of Carla.
Severe but inherently sexy, the Dior shift says: “I am not as other women.” One-colour dressing is bold. Sans jewels. Sans heels.
Pictures: Get the Carla Sarkozy look
Most of us over 35 wear the shift dress to hide a multitude of sins. But Carla taunts us. With her supermodel figure she could bare more flesh. But that's oh-so-boring. Especially as those nude photos are still circulating.
Working with arch fashion collaborator John Galliano, Dior's English-born designer, Carla embodies the new modesty.
Think square neckline and schoolgirl skirts. Yet worn by Carla, the raunch factor remains high. When the silhouette is really severe, Galliano tailors it at the waist (like a courtesan laced into her corset). And the hemline reveals her coltish legs.
It started when the Sarkozys visited London and Carla won our hearts with a faultless “ladies who lunch” wardrobe.
Since then she's refined the shift. Sometimes adding a nun-like cowl neck, three-quarter sleeves or decorative ruching. For a dress-down vibe, it's off-the-shoulder.
For formal occasions, La Dress becomes separates.
Cream was a shock on Saturday. But she needed to pull out the stops. Back in April, Carla wilted next to Michelle's bold poppy-print dress.
Suddenly the French First Lady looked dated. People — whisper it — noticed that she doesn't exactly have a day job.
In contrast, Michelle is just as happy digging out the White House garden or volunteering in a soup kitchen. Well, she succeeded.
On Saturday the two First Ladies were a vision in cream (has Carla got a spy in the Obama camp?).
But while Michelle looked relaxed, Carla had that brilliant slutty-gone-pure look. She's back.
Pictures: Get the Carla Sarkozy look
Reader views (8)
In ALL the pictures of Carla Sarkosy she is classy. Michelle is very hippy and does not look pulled together at times. Why she always wears those funny little sweaters and a belt to cover her hips is not, in my opinion, stylish. She needs to go to Macy's and get somebody to help her pick out decent outfits.
- Sunny, AZ, USA, 10/06/2009 23:57
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As we used to say at t'Ilford factory: "she can have me if she plays her cards right".
- Steve, London, England, 10/06/2009 16:15
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Come on ladies! Michelle's got a lovely smile but she is rather hefty.
- Richard, London, 10/06/2009 13:58
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Michelle Obama looks wonderful too. And by all accounts, a genuinely nice and warm person and a credit to the USA.
- Gabrielle, London, 10/06/2009 12:52
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Meg sound peeved and miserable because President Obama won.
Meg is a typical right winged twit. She cannot say anything apart from attacking a really beautiful black lady.
Do have a nice day, Meg.
- Jaberwokie, Switzerland, 10/06/2009 11:46
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Hey Meg. You seem upset. Sit down, put your feet up. I don't like to see people getting so stressed about these things, it was only a dress....
- Jon, london,England, 09/06/2009 17:20
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This is a joke right? You are knocking a beautiful woman like Carla and fawning over a cow liked Michelle? Are you brits blind or what? We do not call Michelle MOO for nothing. Get your blinders off on America's first frauds. They do not deserve to live in our White House. They are the biggest disaster that has ever happened to us because this administration is hell bent on destroying America, one American at a time while they go to Europe and embarass us with their behavoir. You can have them!
- Meg, Chicago USA, 09/06/2009 16:51
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She always looks fantastic! Compare her to our female Royals, politicians, politicians' wives - no contest!
- Gabrielle, London, 09/06/2009 15:50
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