Carla Bruni Doesn't Live Up To Expectations

And opts for the irreconcilable causal and chic

She is Italian, but she should be dressing like a French woman by now. I never discussed Carla Bruni's fashion sense when she met up with Michelle Obama during their husbands’ NATO Summit meetings, and when both were being touted as fashion icons, because my focus was on Michelle. But Carla was hardly the Jackie Onassis they're now trying to make her out to be.

She was recently in Spain with Sarkozy during their first state visit to the country, and was upstaged by the Spanish Princess. Shame on France!

But, there is something strange going on. Leading ladies are coming out as dowdy (look at poor Mrs. Brown), overly casual (Michelle) and now Carla, who seems to want to have it both ways - casual and chic.

Left: Carla wearing a blue Dior dress
Right: Princess Letizia in Spanish designer Felipe Varela's dress

But, it doesn't work. Look at this blue dress for example, it is a good, interesting color, but why such flimsy material, which looks like it wasn't quite her size or just wasn't even cut right? It's supposed to be a Dior, but looks like a cheap, off-the-rack version. Then there's her evening gown, where she opts for black. What is it with black? Wasn't that at one time a color for mourning?

Then have a look at the Spanish Princess. Both her evening gown and the dress in which she received Carla are a league above her guest's.

Carla opts for black, while Princess Letizia
wears an aqua/silver gown with silver embroidery

I think the problem with fashion these days is that people don't want to look formal, well dressed and respectable. They want a little of that immature bohemian look, that free look, a little dishevelled and unconstrained, and perhaps in their opinion, young. So, how can you choose an evening gown and look "informal" and young at the same time? You cannot, really. You will just look insignificant, uninteresting and even, surprise, dowdy and old.

Something about well-cut, well-tailored formal clothes actually makes you more interesting, more dynamic, and even more youthful. Look at this lovely outfit, which I commented on here, worn by the Czech President's wife Livia Vaclav Klaus during the Obamas' visit to Prague, who despite her sixty six years looks radiant and lovely.