When it comes to First Ladies, Jackie Kennedy is credited with bringing au courant style from the runways to The White House, wearing the likes of Givenchy, Chanel, and Oleg Cassini. But it's the late Nancy Reagan, who brought American glamour to the forefront, celebrating stateside designers, such as Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, and famously, James Galanos.
With the sad news of the former First Lady's passing today, we pay tribute to her and her formidable style. As a former actress, Reagan, understood the power of costume. She opted for bright, bold colors, such as patriotic red and robin's egg blue, with a dose of gem-colored looks in amethyst and emerald in classic silhouettes.
On the occasion of "Nancy Reagan: A First Lady's Style," the 2007 exhibition of her White House style at the Reagan Library, she told W Magazine “I don’t like a lot of frills and fusses..I’ve always gone for the more understated look.” A tough feat to achieve in the over-the-top, gold lamé-infused '80s. She did, however experiment some, notably with a pair of a pair of rhinestone-studded Galanos knickers worn to a dinner at the American Embassy in Paris in 1982.
Overall, Reagan's sophisticated looks captivated the nation—and resulted in a sales uptick for American fashion brands. “What better endorsement for our industry than to have a wonderfully well-dressed first lady?”the late De la Renta is quoted as saying in the same story.
Here's a look back at Reagan's most notable looks:
Nancy and Ronald Reagan in 1952.
Wearing a Galanos suit in 1976.
Off-the-shoulder at the California Governor's Ball in 1978.
In polka dots, circa 1980.
The newly anointed First Couple at the 1981 Inaugural Ball. She wore Galanos.
In a red Adolfo suit with Princess Diana in 1985. In a nod to the First Lady's penchant for crimson, Diana wore a handkerchief in the color.
At a state dinner with Princess Diana in 1985. Reagan again, is in Galanos.
At Westminster Abbey at the 1986 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of York.
Photos: Getty Images
Source: http://feeds.glamour.com/c/35377/f/665038/s/4e12255c/sc/14/l/0L0Sglamour0N0Cfashion0Cblogs0Cdressed0C20A160C0A30Cnancy0Ereagan0Estyle0Efashion0Eobit/story01.htm
No comments: