Michelle Obama's dress: What color was it really?

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-01-22 09:08

U.S. President Barack Obama, the newly sworn in 44th President of the United States, and his wife Michelle walk down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, January 20, 2009. [Agencies]

NEW YORK – So what color is "lemon grass," really?

The color of Michelle Obama's ensemble during the inauguration ceremonies seemed to change all day Tuesday, leaving observers wondering what to call the shade. Was it golden? Was it Granny Smith apple green? Was it just plain yellow?

Isabel Toledo, who designed the matching coat and sheath, called the color "lemon grass," a grass grown in tropical regions that has lemon-scented foliage. The plant, a favorite in Thai cooking, can be green at the top, fading toward the root into shades of pale green and yellow.

"I called it 'lemon grass' because it's not yellow, it's not green," Toledo said in an interview Tuesday.

She said in a follow up e-mail Wednesday she prefers "non-color" colors. The fact that colors on textiles can take on changing tones is an important element when making clothes, she said.

"The idea that the coat and dress are gold to some, pale yellow to others...gives that moment you happen to catch sight of it that much more depth," she said. "It gives the wearer and the viewer much more of an individualized experience."

Things like lighting, texture and how an image appears in print and on television can make colors look different to different people, said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

The coat had "somewhat of a shimmery surface, which can pick up the light and throw the camera off," she said.

The color confusion threw some fashion editors for a loop. Style.com described Obama's day ensemble as "lemon yellow," according to executive editor Nicole Phelps. Early in the day, Glamour.com called it "golden yellow." (The AP initially called it gold and later yellow, noting that the color sometimes had a pale greenish cast.)

While the most obvious color question Tuesday was the color of Obama's outfit, there were other hues that also looked different to different people.

Malia's coat was called deep periwinkle blue, and Sasha was wearing a deep coral dress and sweet guava (that's pink with some orange tones) coat, according to J. Crew. But to Patricia Mears, deputy director, The Museum at FIT in New York, Malia's coat looked more purplish blue, she said.

J. Crew said the coat was called deep periwinkle because it was intended to be paired with a periwinkle dress. (A periwinkle flower is often found in shades of purple to blue, but usually leans toward the medium or pale side of those colors.)

"I admit that we take liberties sometimes," said Jenna Lyons, creative director for J. Crew, which has long been known for its evocative and poetic color names.

Obama's evening ball gown was made of ivory silk chiffon, according to designer Jason Wu, but it appeared white under some bright television camera lights.

While it may sound trivial, color name is important in marketing to consumers. A mango sweater sounds more enticing than an orange sweater, said Lyons.

How crucial is an exact color name?

Not that much when there's a photo with the story, said Phelps. She said she's more interested in the designer and fabric. Still, better to be precise.

"You never know," said Susan Cernek, senior fashion and beauty editor at Glamour.com. "It is kind of going down in the history books, so you do want to get it right."