Michelle Obama

The beautiful First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, is visiting our national parks and making headlines once again for her fashion sense.

Or what some consider her lack thereof, in this case.

Various Michelle Obama pictures show her in "short shorts" at Grand Canyon National Park. Calling them "short shorts," as some have, is a bit of a stretch.

They're really just shorts, which are, by definition, short.

Well, unless you're Kevin Federline.

Nevertheless, her choice to wear shorts at all is being criticized by some members of the media and public. Apparently some people feel this type of attire is a tad inappropriate, or at least too casual, for the First Lady. Do you agree?

Michelle Obama sports shorts to the Grand Canyon. Who can blame her, it's hot!

To be honest, we don't see why anyone would be critical. She's not going Jessica Simpson on us. Michelle Obama's shorts seem of appropriate length.

It's also Arizona. In August. You can't blame a woman for dressing for the weather. Perhaps the public is not used to a First Lady who's young and hip.

Michelle Obama's shorts are ...

Michelle Obama fashion draws raves from haute couture critics and ordinary Americans alike. Will the First Lady's new hairstyle garner similar praise?

On Tuesday, the President and his wife played host to a country music celebration in the White House East Room with Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss. 

The Michelle Obama pictures from the event showed off her elegant, shorter hairstyle. What do you think? Is it a positive change for the First Lady?

Do you like the First Lady's new hairstyle?

Whether she is accompanying her husband on official business to Moscow, Russia, or just walking across the White House lawn with daughters Malia and Sasha and dog Bo, Michelle Obama's fashion sense always seems so spot-on.

Here's the First Lady and her husband boarding a presidential aircraft:

Click to enlarge more Michelle Obama photos below. Some are from her trip with Barack to Russia, where she and her daughters brought a real touch of class (and cuteness!) to the Kremlin, while others were taken before the First Family left.

Don't you just love her outfits?

One day after French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy told PETA that she no longer wears real fur, Michelle Obama made her own animal-friendly announcement.

"Mrs. Obama does not wear fur," deputy press secretary Semonti Mustaphi said.

Obama and Bruni-Sarkozy - who have met twice in recent months - are both widely known as celebrity fashion icons as well as prominent political wives.

PETA pushed Carla Bruni-Sarkozy - who was photographed wearing what appeared to be real fur - in particular to donate her coats to the homeless.

"I do not wear, buy or own fur or animal skin other than leather or skin of animals raised for feeding purposes," she wrote to PETA, adding, "I am not a vegetarian, and I don't find it illogical to wear skins of animals whose meat is eaten."

Could a Carla Bruni nude PETA campaign be in the works? Here's hoping!

FUR REAL: Don't expect Michelle or Carla to don mink coats anytime soon.

Unlike Carla, Michelle wasn't targeted by PETA, which says the wife of Barack Obama is "known to be fur-free," according to PETA's media coordinator, Amanda Schinke.

Still, the mother of Malia and Sasha followed suit with the former supermodel, releasing a statement that fur will never be part of the First Lady's famous wardrobe.

"For Michelle Obama, respecting animals is part of the social progress that she and her husband are working so hard to promote," PETA Senior V.P. Dan Mathews said.

"By officially rejecting fur, these two style icons will make people around the world see fur for what it is: old-fashioned and cruel."

During her recent trip to France with husband Barack and daughters Malia and Sasha, Michelle Obama got to enjoy a romantic date night in Paris along with the official and unofficial duties that come with being First Lady of the U.S. and a mom of two.

The style icon also debuted a number of new ensembles sure to get celebrity fashion followers abuzz. Here's one of many Michelle Obama photos taken during the First Family's stay in Europe. What do you think of this particular number?

Tell us in our survey below ...

What do you think of Michelle's outfit?

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama enjoyed a romantic date night in Paris, France, dining in the famed city just steps from the Eiffel Tower.

Dining at the neighborhood bistro La Fontaine de Mars, the President and First Lady shared the restaurant with other diners - and a large security contingent.

"We couldn't see him, but apparently he ordered the lamb," a patron who tried to get a glimpse of the first couple from outside the bistro said.

"[Officials] literally turned the city upside down - with traffic stopped all over - so he could have a 'quiet dinner with his family,'" said another witness.

The whole Obama family traveled across the Atlantic this time.

After dinner, Michelle and Barack Obama took a ride along the Seine River before retreating to the U.S. ambassador's residence, according to the AP.

Earlier in the day, the couple's two adorable daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, joined their parents for a sightseeing trip to Notre Dame Cathedral.

The trip marks the first international excursion for the girls since their father became president in January. They seemed to enjoy their time there.

The Obamas are in France to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day, the allied invasion of Normandy in WWII that resulted in victory in Europe.

Follow the link for more Michelle Obama photos!

President of the United States of America Barack Obama and celebrity fashion icon / First Lady Michelle Obama made their first trip to New York City since he took office in January, enjoying dinner and a Broadway play over the weekend.

A White House press spokesperson said that the President had "promised" his wife that he would take her to a Broadway show after the election was all finished.

Between the NYC trip and getting his daughters Bo the First Dog, Barack has now made good on at least two of his major campaign promises. That's leadership!

After both parents attended eldest daughter Malia's soccer match (her team won), they boarded a C-20 plane and arrived in the Big Apple Saturday afternoon.

The pair's first stop: New York's West Village neighborhood, where they dined at Bluehill Restaurant. Fellow diner Eva Fleischer of Manhattan said she "had no idea" the Obamas would be there when she made her 5:30 p.m. reservations.

"They had to pat us down," she told reporters outside the restaurant, which is known for its "locally grown fare." As the Obamas left, Fleischer recalled, the President said to her table, "'Hi, guys!' It was very exciting and surprising."

Another diner at the restaurant, Susan Korchak of Manhattan, noted that Michelle Obama "is very tall. She's just statuesque and gorgeous."

Post-dinner, the Obamas hit the Belasco Theater on West 44th Street for a performance of Joe Turner's Come and Gone - about a group of African-Americans coming to grips with the legacy of slavery - before flying back to the White House.

Follow the link for many more Michelle Obama pictures!

Her official title is First Lady of the United States, but Michelle Obama has also been called a one-woman stimulus plan for the fashion industry.

The cataloging of Mrs. Barack Obama's style selections choices - from $565 two-tone Lanvin sneakers to the black Michael Kors sheath and Peter Soronen corset she donned for a recent Time gala - has shown no sign of abating.

Along the way, those who produce the clothes, whether J. Crew or high-end designers (for which Michelle has shown a considerable penchant), have been catapulted into the limelight, with her triple-A-list exposure offering a boost to business.

“There has been a huge interest in special orders, which has helped maintain business in a gloomy time,” said Peter Soronen, whose pieces are sold through Ikram, a Chicago boutique owned by Ikram Goldman, the First Lady’s de facto stylist.

Soronen, who called his 11-year-old company “a semicouture house” because custom orders make up a large percentage of his business, was quick to point out that major retailers have not yet come knocking for his entire collection.

However, individual Michelle Obama fashion statements have elicited direct specialty boutique orders and, in some cases, requests for an entire new dress.

Continue reading this article in Women's Wear Daily, and click to enlarge some of Michelle's style choices that have made headlines in recent months ...

Despite hectic schedules, White House life has actually been a calming influence on the Obamas, according to First Lady of Fashion (and the U.S.) Michelle.

Michelle says living in the residence has been a particularly positive experience for her daughters Malia 10, and Sasha, 7. When it comes to life in the Executive Mansion, the First Lady calls it "the greatest single benefit for us as a family."

After all, now they see each other every day, which hasn't been the case for most of the kids' lives, especially during the grueling presidential campaign.

"It's rare [for most families] to have dad at home for dinner, to see him in the mornings, to have him there when you go to bed at night, just to be able to have the casual conversations that happen about life at dinnertime," Michelle tells Time.

"That's been terrific, and more normal than we've had for a very long time."

On maintaining perspective and putting family first, Mrs. Obama says, "We stay 100 percent in their world. Their lives are very disconnected from this [place]. You can do that with kids when they are young, because they just don't care."

The President of the United States agrees.

"Among the many wonderful things about being President," Barack Obama tells Time, "the best is that I get to live above the office and see Michelle and the kids every day. I see them in the morning. We have dinner every night. It sustains me."

He also takes work breaks for what he terms "Michelle time," when retreats from his office to the residence. Every now and then, his wife shows up in the West Wing with family dog Bo and/or the kids for "a brief but lively interruption."

"And if the kids really, really need to see him, they can," Michelle says. "They're free to walk in. They're welcome wherever they want to go around here."

Click to enlarge more Michelle Obama pictures from the article ...

As people across America fall in love with Michelle Obama fashion, it might seem odd to hear any negative critique about her always flawless appearance.

But for Iman, the 53-year-old supermodel and wife of David Bowie, the First Lady of the U.S. is more than a pretty face ... she's just not that beautiful.

"Mrs. Obama is not a great beauty,” Iman tells Parade magazine. “But she is so interesting looking and so bright. That will always take you farther."

Thanks ... right?

Iman thinks First Lady Michelle Obama isn't that great looking - but hey, looks can be overrated, you know. Easy for a supermodel to say, but we digress.

"When you’re a great beauty, it’s always downhill for you," Iman explains. "If you’re someone like Mrs. Obama, you just get better with age.”

Hmm. We're still not sure if that's a compliment or not, but all we know is that if "going downhill" involves looking like Michelle, we'll take it.

Follow the link to check out the First Lady's fashion tips!