Remember in 2012 when President Obama had just been re-elected and the American media celebrated by pointing out that Michelle Obama wore a dress to the election night speech that she'd already worn before? (Gasp!) It's true. Rather than focusing on the outcome of months of campaigning, many news sites reported on the "news" that was the First Lady's fashion repeat. I mean many, many, many "news" sites (Sadly, none of them even headlined the story: "First Lady Re-Elects Dress"). And now the media is at it again. Last month, they jumped all over new mom Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, for re-wearing an outfit that she wore One. Whole. Year. Ago.
The Duchess ignored the haters and repeated another outfit on November 7th. The long red coat is a fall staple of hers, and she's worn it every November for three years. This year she wore it for Poppy Day, the same event she wore it for last year.
(I don't blame her. If I looked like that in that coat, I'd never take it off.)
To add insult to injury for the new mother, photographers zoomed in close and discovered a few gray hairs in her perfect blowout. While it hasn't been confirmed whether or not she's breastfeeding, many women are opting out of coloring their hair for the health of their baby, so if that's why the Duchess is a little grayer — good for her! And if she just didn't have time or feel like coloring her hair — more power to her. The point being: This isn't news. Commenting on what she's wearing, or how her hair looks distracts from the opportunity to actually report on the event she was there for, which was to honor the fallen soldiers from World War I.
But the real question is: What's wrong with recycling an outfit? We all do it, why should Michelle Obama, Kate Middleton, or any other public figure be held to a standard that says they have to buy a new outfit for every occasion?
It's great to see that even though they may have money, these people respect that many of their country's citizens are struggling financially right now. What a statement for Michelle to show that she doesn't need a new dress to celebrate the night her husband won the election and promised to help an economically struggling America.
Let's hope the First Lady and the Duchess of Cambridge can help influence other celebrities to recycle their outfits as well.
Because that would be a change worth voting for.
