American First Lady Michelle Obama may be the one hogging most of the spotlight, but when it comes to fashionable political spouses, French First Lady Carla Bruni may well have the last laugh.

While Obama’s preference for up-and-coming young designers and cult brands earned her a fashion-forward reputation in the beginning of her husband’s term, the recent focus on her style has not always been flattering.

Last year, New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn wrote a much-discussed piece about the wardrobe of Michelle Obama, 46, and concluded: “She wears Rodarte, Jason Wu, Sophie Theallet, Narciso Rodriguez, Thakoon, Isabel Toledo and Rick Owens, labels that in terms of creativity and price are at the highest level of fashion.

Go much higher and you hit couture... Is this how a modern, educated, working woman wants to be viewed in her first historic year – as a maven, an icon? Who’s Barbie now?”

To add insult to injury, another New York Times article published earlier this month questioned the notion that Obama’s fashion picks translated into more sales for her preferred brands.

The report quoted owners of many high-end boutiques, who noted that “most of their clients who have the taste and the money for high-end designer clothes are looking for something they feel is special – not, say, a dress that everyone has seen on magazine covers and on TV”.

Meanwhile, Bruni, a 42-year-old former supermodel and sometime chanteuse, is playing the fashion game very differently.

From her public appearances as First Lady, most would be hard-pressed to identify her as a woman with nude photoshoots, rockstar ex-boyfriends and several racy pop songs to her name.

LOW HEELS ONLY, PLEASE

Unlike Obama’s preference for bold hues and striking prints, Bruni has stuck to an exceedingly simple style formula, namely, demure dresses from Dior.

These frocks, typically in regal purple or ladylike grey, are usually paired with modest flats or dainty kitten heels, reportedly so that she will not tower over her shorter husband.

This genteel, predictable wardrobe has done wonders for Bruni’s image. Soon after she made a state visit to Britain in 2008, British newspaper The Guardian noted:

“In terms of style, dressing in a uniform way, or even role-playing with your wardrobe, isn’t a weakness. It can indicate strictness, consistency and a great understanding of clothes.”

The prognosis for her impact on sales appears to be somewhat more optimistic. British newspaper The Sunday Times speculated that Bruni’s choice of Dior was due to her husband’s friendship with fashion mogul Bernard Arnault, who owns the brand, and noted that “one fashion industry source suggested the exposure the collection received would be worth £1 million (S$2 million) in extra sales”.

Whether her endorsement proves to be lucrative to the brand or not, one thing is clear: Bruni is using fashion to complement, rather than upstage, her husband’s political clout.

UNIFORM MESSAGE

A case in point: The couple’s state visit to China last month made headlines, but very few of these were devoted to her wardrobe (perhaps everyone just assumed she would be wearing Dior, as indeed she was).

Instead, photos of the statuesque First Lady clad in her customary sheath dresses were displayed next to articles about Sino-French talks on nuclear sanctions, Tibetan tensions and other most unfashionable issues on her husband’s agenda.

This Barbie is well aware that fashion can be a distraction – and her savvy style uniform sends a clear message about what she wants the world to focus on.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.