Not since Jacqueline Kennedy first donned her signature pillbox hats have fashionistas paid such close attention to what the women of politics are wearing. Take a look at some of the styles worn by first lady hopefuls Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain at their party's conventions.
Here, both women opt for updos and neutral-color dresses.
Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., listens during an economic roundtable for women, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008, in Denver. Her understated-but-elegant fashion sense has been compared to that of former first lady Jackie O.
Cindy McCain, wife of Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, is led onstage by first lady Laura Bush during the opening session of the Republican National Convention Sept. 1, 2008. Vanity Fair editors estimated that McCain's fierce saffron shirt dress with the popped collar, diamond earrings, four-strand pearl necklace, white Chanel watch and strappy shoes totaled up to $313,100.
Michelle Obama makes her way through the crowd at Denver's Invesco Stadium, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008. In a blue shift dress adorned with a pendant, her penchant for the look has been described as "sexy but safe."
Fashion editors say Cindy McCain is still evolving in her style. The purple pant suit and leather jackets of the early part of her campaign have given way to crisper, more contemporary dresses with richer colors.
On Aug. 25, 2008, Michelle Obama addressed delegates at the Democratic National Convention wearing a simple, blue-green wool dress with a V-neck and 3/4-length sleeves by Chicago designer Maria Pinto. The large starburst pendant on the dress, worn near her heart, came straight from Obama's jewelry box, and was reminiscent of her husband's rising sun campaign logo.
Throughout the convention, Cindy McCain wore two rhinestone pins close to her heart that say Navy and USMC - representing the military branches her sons serve in. Above those two is also a Blue Star pin, signifying she has a child on active duty.
Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama donned t-shirts instead of designer dresses during public service drives at their respective conventions. McCain's accessory was the hot pink cast on her right arm.
Sara Iglehart of Glamour magazine says Michelle Obama mixes high and low styles. On the historic night that her husband became the first African-American to accept his party's nomination for president in Denver, she was wearing a printed dress by hot designer Thakoon Panichgul. The sleeveless, black-and-white dress she wore weeks earlier on "The View" became a must-have, off-the-rack item.
Of the turquoise suit with a trapeze-shaped jacket Cindy McCain wore when introducing her husband at the RNC Sept. 4, 2008, Sasha Iglehart, Glamour magazine's deputy fashion director said, "She appreciates very well-made clothes that have rich, luxurious fabrics."