I have to admit, one of the first stories I read after the inauguration had to do with the First Lady's choice of attire for herself and her children. Even my daughter commented on her dress selection, saying she liked the ball gown much better than the coat dress.  "What is that color?", she asked.  I have to admit, I had a hard time answering her question.

Regardless of whether you liked Michelle Obama's choices or not, what is more fascinating to me is the amount of dialog about them.  It is truly reflective of what I heard on the Jane Nation Listening Tour that the apparel industry leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to helping women in their mid-forties and up find options that not only fit their changing bodies but also their changing identities.

I'm sure that in her role as an attorney and mom, Michelle Obama would never have selected what she wore to see her husband sworn into the highest office in our land. But changing roles require a change in attire.  Fortunately for her, she had access (and the means) to professional counsel.  Most of the women I know have neither. 

It helps to talk to each other, and find out what is working and what isn't.  But at the end of the day, we all go into our dressing areas alone and come out hoping we don't look like the woman we fear we are becoming, but instead, look like the woman we want to be.