Laura Bush Among Four Ladies In Red
Every woman who's ever attended a formal party has had the same concern: What if someone else shows up in the same dress?
As CBS News correspondent Thalia Assurasreports, that's exactly what happened to first lady Laura Bush at Sunday's Kennedy Center Honors, always one of Washington's biggest nights for stars, and glamorous fashion.
With guests in the spotlight at the exclusive White House receptions that go with the ceremony, the designer gowns are always scrutinized.
And on Sunday, four women at the reception wore the exact same $8,500 Oscar de la Renta dress, Mrs. Bush among them.
Letitia Baldridge, Jacqueline Kennedy's chief of staff and White House social secretary, says the gown was beautiful, but oh, what a faux pas!
"They all should have congratulated one another on their good taste and the fact that they could afford the dress. … Jacqueline Kennedy, when she was first lady, made sure, and her couturiers made sure, that nobody else wore that dress that season."
"If you're paying (that) much for a dress," Assuras asks, "wouldn't you want to be confident you'll be the only one wearing it? Especially if you're the first lady?"
So, says Assuras, Mrs. Bush made an executive decision.
"She went upstairs and changed," Baldridge says. "Very easy for her to do. Very, the right thing to do. Take the heat off the other three women."
The first lady's office said the mid-course correction was a first, and that she and the president found it quite amusing.
Baldridge says, if she were one of those other three ladies, "I would have laughed and laughed and I would have said, 'Listen, I'm not going to stand next to her because I'm fatter than she is.' But, other than that, I think it's a hoot!"
This is an incident the White House isn't likely to forget anytime soon because, in this year's official presidential holiday photo that goes out all over the world, Mrs. Bush is wearing — that same red dress.
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. As CBS News correspondent Thalia Assurasreports, that's exactly what happened to first lady Laura Bush at Sunday's Kennedy Center Honors, always one of Washington's biggest nights for stars, and glamorous fashion.
With guests in the spotlight at the exclusive White House receptions that go with the ceremony, the designer gowns are always scrutinized.
And on Sunday, four women at the reception wore the exact same $8,500 Oscar de la Renta dress, Mrs. Bush among them.
Letitia Baldridge, Jacqueline Kennedy's chief of staff and White House social secretary, says the gown was beautiful, but oh, what a faux pas!
"They all should have congratulated one another on their good taste and the fact that they could afford the dress. … Jacqueline Kennedy, when she was first lady, made sure, and her couturiers made sure, that nobody else wore that dress that season."
The real question, Assuras observes, is, how could this have happened?Photos: Kennedy Center Honors
"If you're paying (that) much for a dress," Assuras asks, "wouldn't you want to be confident you'll be the only one wearing it? Especially if you're the first lady?"
So, says Assuras, Mrs. Bush made an executive decision.
"She went upstairs and changed," Baldridge says. "Very easy for her to do. Very, the right thing to do. Take the heat off the other three women."
The first lady's office said the mid-course correction was a first, and that she and the president found it quite amusing.
Baldridge says, if she were one of those other three ladies, "I would have laughed and laughed and I would have said, 'Listen, I'm not going to stand next to her because I'm fatter than she is.' But, other than that, I think it's a hoot!"
This is an incident the White House isn't likely to forget anytime soon because, in this year's official presidential holiday photo that goes out all over the world, Mrs. Bush is wearing — that same red dress.
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I can understand why Mrs. Bush went and changed, but, just leave her alone. She did what she thought was best!
The part about guests not wearing the same thing as the First Lady is because she is the hostess and it is never "appropriate" to upstage the hostess. Yes, It's kind of Emily Post but to some people these things really matter.
(snort) Huh? What?
Oh.
( y a w n )
Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z
It is a grand advertisement for a designer to have one of their creations worn by so visable a figure as a 1st Lady. In any event, the practice of loaning out creations (and jewlry too) is becoming more & more popular. This way the person wearing a creation gets to wear an original, give it back and not get stuck with an 8500.00 bill for material that looks as if it belongs on a sofa.
Everybody could go to college too.
"I hope this blunder puts la Renta out of business!
A lot of folks like our first lady quite a lot, even those that dont like the President, this will backfire on Oscar de la Renta. It's below contemp!!
Oscar de la Renta must be a Democrat to try this sort of tactic."
Is there some sort of rule that says de la Renta can only make one of each dress he designs?