First Lady Fashion

A week after Barack Obama's acceptance speech, the black and red Narciso Rodriguez dress Michelle Obama wore is still a topic of conversation. People either loved or hated it.

I, for one, thought it was stylish and splashy, and moreover, completely appropriate for the occasion. The entire Obama family always looks impeccable, with the girls dressed to complement their parents. I can't wait for the pageantry they'll bring to the inauguration.

Speaking of that, the Plymouth Township Historical Museum just staged the most interesting Inaugural Gowns of the First Ladies exhibit. It was a walk through American history via recreations of the garments each first lady wore to her husband's inaugural ball.

I wrote an article about it, which unfortunately contained one of the most embarrassing errors I've ever made in a story! The sidebar, a rundown of "First Lady Fashion Facts," contained this sentence:

"The poor health of Ida McKinley (1847-1907) confined her to bed during her husband’s pregnancy, where she knitted slippers that were auctioned for charity."

Obviously, you can see I had pregnancy on the brain. The worst part is that I caught the error before the paper went to press and had a laugh with my co-worker before I corrected it on my computer screen.

To my horror, I came into the office the next day to find several phone messages from amused readers. Somehow the error crept into about 130,000 copies of Observer & Eccentric Newspapers!