First Lady Michelle Obama always looks fabulous, but she isn’t a hairstyling trendsetter like some of her predecessors. Instead, Mrs. Obama has kept her focus on bringing fitness back into fashion, with frequent reminders that strong is sexy.
However, from the late 1800s to the mid-20th century, first ladies influenced the hairstyles of women nationwide, creating fashions that defined their decades in the White House.
A La Frankie
Any conversation about fashion eras begins with Frances Cleveland, who was the first celebrity to inspire national hairstyling trends. Frankie was the youngest first lady in history, and her wedding to President Grover Cleveland took place when he was already in office.
By the turn of the century, ladies were wild for hair “a la Frankie,” which referred to her signature up-do with the back of the neck shaved completely clean.
Mamie Bangs
Before Jackie Kennedy defined hairstyles for a generation, Mamie Eisenhower was the talk of the town, and the country. At first, folks didn’t know what to make of Mamie’s attachment to her bangs, and she endured an excessive amount of bang-related attention, not all of which was kind.
It didn’t take long for the trend to catch on, and soon bangs were all the rage. By the time Jackie arrived in Washington, lots of ladies had adopted Mamie’s look, and “Mamie Bangs” became synonymous with good taste.
The Jackie Look
The most well known first lady fashion icon was the lovely Jackie Kennedy. From hairstyles to clothes, women’s publications in the late ’50s and early ’60s shared tips and tricks for achieving “the Jackie Look.” Ads promised women a path to becoming the Jackie Kennedy of their social groups, and ladies spent hours in front of the mirror trying to duplicate the most recent photographs.
Jackie was particularly known for her striking bouffant hairdos, which complemented her features and made her all the more dazzling.
In recent years, movie stars have set hairstyling trends instead of first ladies. First Lady Hillary Clinton was more well-known for her politics than her fashion. Nonetheless, she has certainly enjoyed plenty of interest in her hair.
Mrs. Clinton likes to make dramatic changes to her look, and women have enjoyed her range of hairstyles, from the bob that marked her entry into the public eye to the short, closely styled cut she wore as Secretary of State.
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Photo Credit: Magnus Karlsson Via Flickr Creative Commons
