NEW YORK Models on the runways are supposed to simultaneously evoke fabulous over-the-top fantasy while convincing the everywoman that she too can pull off fashion-forward, couture-caliber clothes.
But the messages often get garbled, leaving women unable to decipher what the newest signs from the fashion industry say to them.
Enter Michelle Obama, translator.
Whether you like her look or not (and the consensus seems to be that most do), the first lady has proved that she has a knack for taking high-fashion styles down a notch to make them relatable. Other times, she rekindles interest in silhouettes most tastemakers had shelved.
Cardigans, for example, which were largely seen as too-basic and too-shapeless, are coming out of the closet and being updated -- a la Obama -- with wide, waist-defining belts.
And Obama has been ahead on the hot-pink trend that will likely be all over the retail racks come fall.
"I don't think she sparks trends, but I think she validates them," said David Wolfe, creative director at The Doneger Group, which guides retail buyers on trends. "She's attractive as a personality, so I think people look at her as a role model, not to copy what she's wearing but to copy her attitude about fashion."
Not all of her individual outfits have been winners, he added, but the public is drawn to her freshness and the fact that they can imagine themselves in similar styles.
The cardigan
"There's no question that Michelle Obama has not only sparked interest in the cardigan, but she's making it happen," said Susan White, co-founder of knitwear brand White + Warren. "Literally, people are looking for cardigans to be the topper that makes the outfit."
Instead of being that last-minute thing that wards off a chill or covers up a top that's too bare, it's a bona fide "fashion" item, White said. "Right now, we're seeing it as a style statement. It's not part of the wardrobe, it makes the wardrobe."
Stylist Mary Alice Stephenson thinks the marketplace is headed toward even more stylish versions: Look for more brightly colored cardigans and those with beading, bows and other embellishment as the fashion calendar flips to fall.
The belt
Obama works the cardigan so well because she treats it more like a jacket or blazer, so it's no surprise she sometimes belts it, which gives it a new shape, White said.
But Obama doesn't just belt her sweaters -- she belts dresses and blouses, too.
"Women of stature look terrific with a wide belt because it helps create an hourglass shape and divides a longer torso," said Adam Glassman, creative director for O, The Oprah Magazine. "A wide belt helps to create a waistline for those not blessed with one -- certainly not Michelle Obama's case, though."
His advice for women not as tall: A thinner belt can help achieve the same goal.
Hot pink
Bright shades of berry, fuchsia and even highlighter pinks made a strong statement on the catwalks for fall, even if blacks and burnished metallics were more prominent. It's the hot-pink looks from Michael Kors' fall collection, especially a hot-pink sheath, that Stephenson thinks best represent the trend. "It showed you hot pink doesn't have to be scary. It can look sophisticated and grown-up," she said.
If you're not quite ready for so much of a look-at-me look, Lucky magazine fashion director Hope Greenberg goes back to another Obama trick: "Go for the cardigan," she said.
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