12/07/2006
Laura Bush in Red Dress Alert at the White House
Three women experienced their worst holiday nightmare following Sunday's Kennedy Center Honors when they showed up to the White House reception wearing the same $8,500 red Oscar de la Renta dress as First Lady Laura Bush.
Unfortunately they were not promoting Bono's (RED) campaign.
Laura Bush went upstairs and changed mid-party. CBS News talked to Letitia Baldridge, Jacqueline Kennedy's Chief of Staff and White House social secretary: "They all should have congratulated one another on their good taste and the fact that they could afford the dress." As for Mrs. Bush, Baldridge noted: "[Changing outfits] was the right thing to do, take the heat off the other women."
Posted 8:52 AM EST by Andy Towle in Christmas, George W. Bush, News | Permalink
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I was hoping it was for the Red Campaign. Oh well.
Posted by: Rob (lrdarystar) | Dec 7, 2006 8:58:20 AM
Congratulations, Pickles, for being able to afford that dress. We know that's all that's really important.
Posted by: Rey | Dec 7, 2006 8:59:01 AM
perhaps they should rename that awards show The Oscars.
Four identical sofas in the same room, and judging by the horrid mistaste one shudders to think of the paintings they'd match to hang above.
Posted by: milo | Dec 7, 2006 9:07:29 AM
how'd they all end up with identical hair? apparently they all had the same lame stylist.
Posted by: yawn. | Dec 7, 2006 9:13:31 AM
Mousey-brown hair is all the rage now?
Posted by: Mike | Dec 7, 2006 9:26:37 AM
What does red mean on the terror alert scale? Is this a warning?? Are they trying to tell us something?? Does red with sequins mean the terrorits are targeting Versace stores next???
Please someone tell me, I'm panicking here.....
Posted by: mark m | Dec 7, 2006 9:32:18 AM
Thier dresses matches the tree behind them.
Posted by: Jake | Dec 7, 2006 9:36:27 AM
"The debacle led Mrs. Bush to make an executive decision. 'She went upstairs and changed, very easy for her to do. It was the right thing to do,' Baldridge says. Mrs. Bush's office said the mid-course correction was a first and that both she and the president got a kick out of it."
Is this irony intentional, George?
Posted by: GBM | Dec 7, 2006 9:42:02 AM
Good taste...yeah.
Posted by: Burnssuit | Dec 7, 2006 9:44:35 AM
fugly dress, fuglier women.
Posted by: Benito | Dec 7, 2006 10:06:25 AM
Too bad Mary Cheney didn't show up in the same dress. That would've been hilarious!
Posted by: gabe | Dec 7, 2006 10:27:01 AM
Mary Cheney only wears dresses when she's pimping her book on TV. In fact, L.L. Bean will be designing her flannel checked maternity gowns. Make that pimped, past tense. Look for it in the remainder bin at fine bookstores everywhere. Soon to be joined by "I'll Say Anything To Stay Semi Famous" by the former Mrs. Lance Bass.
Posted by: Leland | Dec 7, 2006 10:35:56 AM
Cylons- there are many copies...
Posted by: homer | Dec 7, 2006 10:41:13 AM
Isn't this a shoe-in for US Magazine's "Who Wore it Best?" page...
Posted by: buster | Dec 7, 2006 10:45:09 AM
A better orgainized clothes house (won't mention names)...would never let this happen...they have a list of events & the dress from their house that they will be wearing for the event ....so I guess 8,500 doesn't warrant this type of orgainizing
Posted by: TC | Dec 7, 2006 10:55:57 AM
OMG....I just took another look at that red dress .it is BUTT UGLY!!.that's what you get for buying "off the rack"!...yeah that's Laura's taste......Jackie would never be seen in that piece of shit
Posted by: TC | Dec 7, 2006 11:21:31 AM
Horrenda! They have (mistakenly) forgone foundation garments too by the looks of things. How bland, how terrible for S. De La Renta.
Posted by: Joe | Dec 7, 2006 11:50:08 AM
What I find shocking is there are three other women out there with the same taste as Laura Bush. meow
Posted by: Patrick | Dec 7, 2006 12:12:40 PM
First, I know they have some money, but how is Laura Bush affording $8,500 dresses... because it sounds like she would acquire it through showroom or by some other means that would alert people to what she had. Somehow, I just don't see Jackie Kennedy (or even Nacy Reagan) getting herself into a mess like this.
Posted by: weboy | Dec 7, 2006 12:13:20 PM
..and another thing that pisses me off is that for 8,500, which is very cheap for that dress ...that means that there had to be 25(?) Indonesian or Chinese slave laborers who were making these dresses, popping one out every 2 weeks ... so these bozos can have their "walk of fame"
Posted by: TC | Dec 7, 2006 12:29:03 PM
When will the ladies learn to keep a spare gown in the car?
Posted by: CaliNexus | Dec 7, 2006 1:16:27 PM
Somewhere in Washington, a funeral parlor is missing a very large curtain.
Posted by: Chris Wren | Dec 7, 2006 1:54:43 PM
Talk about walking blood clots! It looks like they shopped at the same "Dynasty" garage sale.
Posted by: Rad | Dec 7, 2006 2:05:47 PM
So that's what Project Runway's Angela has been up to.
Posted by: Marco | Dec 7, 2006 2:34:04 PM
I think Chris Wren wins this week's contest. :)
TC, I don't think you're right though about the price point - I think at that price reflects more attention to construction. I don't know where de la Renta does his assembling, but I thought it was here in the US - you'd tack on another third of the price for Europe, I think, but Asia would be able to finish a dress like that for much less...
if I'm mistaken, I'd love to know more...
Posted by: weboy | Dec 7, 2006 3:16:19 PM