Inaugural Gowns of the First Ladies

During our recent jaunt to Washington DC, we visited the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and  the section most popular with the female visitors was the hall devoted to the First Ladies' Collection of inaugural gowns and accessories.

Besides the inaugural gowns, the hall displays the china, tableware and the different kind of dinnerware that the First Ladies designed or chose,  to make their lives in the White House that much more special.  My travelling companion Kia is a slave to fashion and  clothes, so I had to play nice and dredge up enough interest in the inaugural gowns, jewellery, shoes, gloves, hair-pins, bows, scarfs, hats and the whatnot on display but the dinnerware display was to me far more interesting.

Michelle Obama's inaugural dress  had center space, in a glass cabinet of  it's own.  I guess it will join the others in the lineup if  Ann Romney becomes the new occupant of  the White House.  You can tell from the gown's length  that Michelle Obama  is really tall....  I think she towers over  the other First Ladies by several inches. Most of the other gowns looked like they were worn by women of small stature.  The only other gown that was almost long enough to judge the height of the person, was that of  Eleanor Roosevelt   (see pic of pink gown )  The tiniest frame and height, according to me, would be of Nancy Reagan.

The  gown that stood out  from all those on display, IMO,  was that of Laura Bush. (see pic of red dress )  

The   china and tableware on display   is something else altogether.  How nice it must be to enjoy this special perk of being at the top?!!  The First Ladies get to design their own dinnerware  and select the number of place settings they desire.

Again, like the best gown on display, and again in my opinion only (Kia differed entirely) Laura Bush's taste in clothes, accessories as well as china and tableware were the very best.

Does the First Family get to keep a part of  the china for themselves when they exit the White House?  According to  this,  sadly they cannot. That is a crying shame. Why can't they take away at least a 12-seating setting?

However,  all is not lost.  While they and their guests are enjoying the designer dinnerware,   the media has a field day  talking about the cost, the intentions, blah, blah, blah..