A Happy Ending

In 2002, Pinto was able to relaunch a scaled-back version of her collection, which quickly took off. Today, she continues to design couture and also ready-to-wear clothes, which are sold in a variety of price points to fit a variety of budgets, tastes and body types.

Where To Shop

You can find Maria Pinto designs through her own elegant boutique on Jefferson Street in Chicago’s West Loop. Her items are also sold in luxury stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York (both of which carry her accessories) and Takashimaya in New York City (which carries select items from her ready-to-wear line).

What It Costs

You may remember the flurry of media attention that resulted when Cindy McCain wore an outfit reportedly worth $360,000 (including jewelry) at the Republican Convention. Obama’s more restrained, yet also elegant, taste, led her to call on a Pinto original at a tiny fraction of the cost, but still enabled her to look great.

Pinto’s items start at around $300 for some of her more simple shawls and wraps. These go up to about $600 or more, depending on the fabric and detailing. You can also get a ready-made blouse, shell or jacket in the $300 to $600 range. Dresses start at under $1,000 and go on up to about $5,000 for a hand-embellished creation. (Just keep in mind that custom-made creations can cost more, depending on your desires and specifications.)

While these are very reasonable prices for high-end designer wear, if these prices are still too rich for your budget today, there is one more, more affordable, way to get a piece of the first lady’s chic style for yourself without going broke.

You can attend a Maria Pinto sample sale, where items from past collections sell for a greatly reduced price. For instance, you can find a silk bustier for $25, a shawl for $75 and formal dresses starting at about $500. This is a great way to invest in some timeliness pieces you will be able to wear for years.

A Final Note

If you are interested in following the first lady’s fashion style and want to understand more about what works and why, you may want to pick up a copy of an upcoming Michelle Obama Style Guide, which is being written by Mademoiselle editor Mandi Norwood and is expected to be available widely at bookstores and online in the spring of 2009.