See this dress Laura Bush is wearing in this official White House Holiday photo? It’s by Oscar de la Renta and costs $8,500 freakin’ dollars. You’d think if you were going to spend that much money on a haute couture dress and wear it to an official event, you would make sure it was an original, right? So nobody else would be wearing the same dress as the Queen of the Free World?
Well, it seems Mrs. Bush didn’t have someone do that for her and ended up wearing this dress not only for the official White House Holiday photo, but also to a celebrity studded party for fat cats at the White House. Imagine her surprise when she discovered that three other women were wearing the exact same dress! Oh, the horrors!
Letitia Baldridge, Jacqueline Kennedy’s Chief of Staff and White House social secretary says the gown was beautiful, but triple the trouble was quite the mess.
“They all should have congratulated one another on their good taste and the fact that they could afford the dress,” Baldridge says. “Jacqueline Kennedy, when she was first lady made sure, and her couturiers made sure that nobody else wore that dress that season. “
Oh please, Laura Bush is no Jacqueline Kennedy. That’s like comparing apples to oranges. But Laura did try to rectify the situation by running upstairs and changing into another gown. The other three ladies who had the same dress on didn’t have that option, and for the remainder of the night, tried to stay as far away from each other as they possibly could.
White House Holiday photo via The White House
I’ve never understood the big deal about this. Sure, you want to be unique and you’d be a little bit miffed if someone was wearing the same outfit. But come on, horrified?!? Aren’t there better things to worry about in life?
I think if all three women are wearing the same dress it must be a pretty nice dress! Take it as a compliment to the dress! I wouldn’t wear it, but it looks nice on Bushy-babe.
Seeing how all the people there were rich, Laura could have gotten a cheapy dress from Macys and be sure no one else would be wearing it!
Action, women take their dresses seriously. Even if they are not rich, and wear the same dress to say, a high school prom or reunion, it’s considered the ultimate embarrasment amongst the girls. I know it sounds shallow and ridiculous, but everyone woman likes to feel unique. when you wear the same clothes as someone else at a party, you just end up looking cheesy clone.
It looks like she took the drapes down and wore them. Or she’s wearing a couch. Yuck, that POS cost $8500? Get your money back. Fast.
I’ve never seen a less figure-flattering dress–it looks dumpy on all four women. The fact that not one, but four of people, shelled out any money at all for this horror is astounding! In any case, sure, people nit-pick more about women’s clothes at these events than men’s, but it’s pretty hard to go wrong with a tux, and that’s the standard uniform for men. That certainly makes it easier for them, and a lot tougher for women who are supposed to go out there and be unique, stylish, flattering, and put-together. I’m still confused about how this dress could overcome the last three caveats to the point that it became so ubiquitous this year…ugh!
“four people”…sorry, I’m still recovering from the crazy pattern of red-on-red lace over nude fabric and the blocky cut of this dress/suit…
Nothing which purpose in life is to simply cover your lady-bits should cost 8,500 dollars. Eight THOUSAND five hundred dollars! I mean bloody hell… The things I could do with that kind of money… They would not involve mysteriously shiny red lace, I can tell you that much.
I think this is a nice matronly-looking holiday dress. In fact it’s something my mom might wear if it didn’t cost as much as a used car, and I think it’s kind of pretty. I’m not a Laura Bush fan, and Chic Mommy isn’t either, but I don’t think it’s a bad holiday party dress for an older woman. It’s too much maybe with both the top and the skirt, but it’s kind of pretty for that style.
Yes it is not figure-flattering, but it is like a Chicos outfit or one of those boxy blazers with the fabric collar and cuffs. This style is popular.
Laura Bush is quite chic in that dress. It’s a pitty she had to remove it but she’s the First Lady and she must look great. Having two doppelangers might be a great way to ensure one’s security but as a social event, it’s a faux pas.
Well, she could have taken the slip off and worn just the lace….then all eyes would have been on her guaranteed! No one else would have noticed the other dresses.
She shouldn’t pose in front of a christmas tree wearing that dress…she looks like Mother Christmas.
Anyway, the dress is the least of her problems married to him
This is so funny.. I’m no fan of Pickles but I feel for her here. She should have had a stylist get her something unique. So what did they do to the other ladies? Take them into an “undisclosed location” never to be heard from again? LOL..