THE IMAGES OF MRS.O AS AMERICAN FIRST LADY REFLECTED BY HER FASHION STYLE

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1 digilib.uns.ac.id THE IMAGES OF MRS.O AS AMERICAN FIRST LADY REFLECTED BY HER FASHION STYLE THESIS Submitted as a Partial Fulfilment of Requirenments for the Sarjana Sastra Degree of English Department Arranged by: GALUH LANIDA QORYVITA C ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF LETTERS AND FINE ARTS SEBELAS MARET UNIVERISTY 2011 i

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4 digilib.uns.ac.id PROUNOUNCEMENT Name Number : Galuh Lanida Qoryvita : C The researcher states that this thesis entitled The Images of Mrs.O as American First Lady Reflected by Her Fashion Style is neither a plagiarism nor made by others. It is originally made by the researcher. All theories and materials taken from other sources are put in direct quotation and paraphrased citation. The researcher is fully responsible for the pronouncement and if this is proven to be wrong, the researcher is willing to take any responsible actions given by Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts, Sebelas Maret University. Surakarta, June 28, 2011 The Researcher, Galuh Lanida Qoryvita iv

5 digilib.uns.ac.id MOTTO A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues. (Cicero) Powerful Dreams Inspire Powerful Action. (Jonathan Lockwood Huie) If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything (anonymous) If you have problems, commit your heart to solve them (the researcher) v

6 digilib.uns.ac.id DEDICATION I dedicated this thesis to: my beloved father and mother my family and my friends who support me vi

7 digilib.uns.ac.id ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Alhamdulillahhirobbil alamin Foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Allah SWT, the one and the almighty for giving me the wonderful things and guidance in finishing this thesis. My gratitude also for all those who gave me a lot of contributions in completing this thesis, especially for: 1. Drs. Riyadi Santosa, M.Ed, Ph.D, The Dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts, for the approval of this thesis. 2. Drs. Budi Waskito, M.Pd, The Head of English Department Non Regular program, for the approval and permition in writing this thesis. 3. Nani Sukarni, MS, The Thesis consultant, for giving me directions, advices, and support in finishing this thesis. Thanks for your patience mam, your guidance helped me in all the time of writing this thesis. 4. Ida Kusuma Dewi, S.S, M.A, The Academic Consultant, for advices and care. 5. All English Department Lecturers, for giving me lots of knowledges. 6. My parents, Mr. Hadi and Mrs.Yayuk, for giving birth to me and supporting me spiritually during my life. You are the best partners in my life... I you! 7. My sister (Dini) and her family, for the support and for giving me a lovely niece, the cutest Hasna. 8. My big family, for being the part of my life. 9. Zaki and his family, for the attention. I owe to you! May Allah save you and your family... vii

8 digilib.uns.ac.id 10. My ladies Pandewi. Ika, Karin, Gabby and Noni who helped and encouraged me during my time. Thank you so much gals! I m going to miss every single moment of us (karaoke with free pass, hang out with a glass of ice tea and the annual birthday surprise!) I you all! 11. My fellows in ED Non-Reg 06. Ludmi, Jiryan, Yudha jegrik, Yudha pinky, Oscar, Sayi, Adhitya, Reo, and Septian, for your tolerance, good humour, and insight added. Actually, I really don t want to sever our togetherness guys My fellows in Senior High School. Asti, Fafa, Fatma, Ayu, Galih, Yudhan, Fikri, and Alif, for sharing your great experiences with me. 13. My Family of ED Non-Reg 06. Wibi, Agung, Ichwan, Kiki, Rosyid, Ulung, Richa, Rury, Ratna, Tika, Tychan, Endang, Mimah, Atun, Nova, Dewi, Berlin, Gunung, and others (sorry guys if I cannot mention your name one by one. It could make my hand be kinky if I do that. Hahah! The point is I u all). I m going to miss our great time in getting Buber in my home! Surakarta, June 2011 Galuh Lanida Qoryvita viii

9 digilib.uns.ac.id TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER PAGE. i APPROVAL BY THESIS SUPERVISOR. ii APPROVAL BY THESIS EXAMINERS.. iii PRONOUNCEMENT.. iv MOTTO. v DEDICATION. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENT.. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS. ix ABSTRACT.. xi CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND SCOPE OF THE STUDY PROBLEM STATEMENT OBJECTIVE RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Type and Design Data and Source Data Population and Sample Method of Data Collection Technique of Analyzing Data THEORETICAL APPROACH Semiotic Approach Historical Approach Cultural Perspective Political Approach Thesis Organization. 16 CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 POPULAR CULTURE The Basic Concept of Popular Culture ALL ABOUT MICHELLE OBAMA AMERICAN FIRST LADY The Basic Concept of American First Lady Michelle Obama as American First Lady FASHION, IMAGE, AND WOMEN The Basic Concept of Fashion Fashion, Image, and Women SEMIOTICS THEORY. 42 ix

10 digilib.uns.ac.id CHAPTER III. ANALYSIS 3.1 MRS.O S CONSTRUCTED IMAGES THROUGH HER FASHION STYLE Cheerful and Comfy Feminine Classic and Elegant Smart and Influential CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 4.1 Conclusion Recommendation BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES x

11 digilib.uns.ac.id ABSTRACT Galuh Lanida Qoryvita. C The Images of Mrs.O as American First Lady Reflected by Her Fashion Style. Undergraduate Thesis. Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts. Sebelas Maret University. This research was conducted in order to find the images of Mrs.O as the first African-American First Lady. Related to her role as the US President s spouse, specifically, this research aimed to find out how Mrs.O constructs her images to send the messages which lay behind her programs to American Society through her fashion style. The research was conducted within the boundaries of American Studies. To gather the needed data, descriptive qualitative was used as the type of research. The main data were taken from official websites: and in the range time from November 2008 until August Then, the supporting data were taken from some additional information about the related topic such as books, websites, magazines, journals and articles. As the method of data collection, the process is started by observing the pictures of Michelle Obama gained from the source of data of main data which are collected, then wrote down some important parts which related to the problem that will be analyzed. As the technique of analyzing data, the process is started by classifying the data from the main data which are collected, analyzing the data by using some theories and approaches, then explaining the data to get the result. By using the recent data and knowledge about the images of Mrs.O as the American First Lady, it is found that Mrs.O s constructed images are the crucial things in helping her to send the messages which lay behind her programs as American First Lady to the American society. It is because these constructed images give tremendous effect to Mrs.O in creating strategy to gain the public attention so that they understand what the messages behind her programs easily. The constructed images of American First Lady are the construction of stereotype which relates to the society s beliefs and values. Thus, it must be based on the cultural mindset in order to get recognition from the American society. The principal conclusion was Mrs.O s constructed style functions to help her in grabbing attention and sending the messages behind her programs to American society, so that she could invite and convey American society to help her in succeeding her programs. xi

12 THE IMAGES OF MRS.O AS AMERICAN FIRST LADY REFLECTED BY HER FASHION STYLE Galuh Lanida Qoryvita 1 Dra. Nani Sukarni, MS 2 ABSTRACT Thesis. Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts. Sebelas Maret University. This research was conducted in order to find the images of Mrs.O as the first African-American First Lady. Related to her role as the US President s spouse, specifically, this research aimed to find out how Mrs.O constructs her images to send the messages which lay behind her programs to American Society through her fashion style. The research was conducted within the boundaries of American Studies. To gather the needed data, descriptive qualitative was used as the type of research. The main data were taken from official websites: and in the range time from November 2008 until August Then, the supporting data were taken from some additional information about the related topic such as books, websites, magazines, journals and articles. As the method of data collection, the process is started by observing the pictures of Michelle Obama gained from the source of data of main data which are collected, then wrote down some important parts which related to the problem that will be analyzed. As the technique of analyzing data, the process is started by classifying the data from the main data which are collected, analyzing the data by using some theories and approaches, then explaining the data to get the result. By using the recent data and knowledge about the images of Mrs.O as the American First Lady, it is found that Mrs.O s constructed images are the crucial things in helping her to send the messages which lay behind her programs as American First Lady to the American society. It is because these constructed images give tremendous effect to Mrs.O in creating strategy to gain the public attention so that they understand what the messages behind her programs easily. The constructed images of American First Lady are the construction of stereotype which relates to the society s beliefs and values. Thus, it must be based on the cultural mindset in order to get recognition from the American society. The principal conclusion was Mrs.O s constructed style functions to help her in grabbing attention and sending the messages behind her programs to American society, so that she could invite and convey American society to help her in succeeding her programs. 1 Mahasiswa Jurusan Sastra Inggris dengan NIM C Dosen Pembimbing

13 digilib.uns.ac.id 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background Fashion is closely related to women s life, and it seems to be an important thing because it is considered as the reflection of their identity. The role of women in the peresent day diverse to the role of women in the past; nowadays, women are not purely spending their time just to ensure their home life, but also their economic feature, and how women view and value their bodies has changed over time. Women have multi-position; thus, they need efforts to adjust their environments, both home environment and working environment. Sukolo (a master of Fashion Design, CREAPOLE-ESDI, France) stated that women are more complex than men, they do many activities and variant tasks in their daily live. Thus, it makes their personality grow up and consequently they need proper style which is suitable with their multi-position (Sukolo, 2009, p.34). Living in this modern era, women are expected to be able to explore their individuality and looking attractive (Barker, 2000, p.314. Therefore, in conducting her role in this modern life, women still has a burden to be attractive. America is one of modern and popular countries. Many issues happen in America could be something which is proper to discuss, and cannot be missed. One of the latest great issues is about the first African-American First Lady, Michelle Obama or usually called as Mrs.O. Since the inaugural ceremony of her husband, Barrack Obama as the commit 44 th President to user of the United States on January 1

14 digilib.uns.ac.id 2 20th, 2009, consequently the fact of her race becomes more concrete and her fashion becomes public s concern. Braithwaite (an ardent follower of fashion and style) gives an opinion that Mrs.O s fashion sense became the panacea for dealing with the stereotypes that surrounded her race and gender ( accessed on Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 12:13 AM). Mrs.O has to devote her image as a black people or First lady. Whether she would be popular or not, it depends on her efforts in attracting public attention. Related to her fashion style as American First Lady, in comparison to the former First Lady, many people have compared her to Jackie Kennedy. Mihai (a Vancouver-based Human Resources Manager, management coach and freelance writer) states in all fairness, some of their fashion choices seem quite similar, which makes it entirely credible that Michelle may in fact be getting some of her inspiration from Jackie s wardrobe (Mihai as cited in accessed on Sunday, August 21, 2011, 08:10 PM). Constructing her fashion style as American First Lady, Mrs.O seems follow the way how Jackie constructs her fashion style, it can be seen from Mrs.O s choices of style which seem quite similar to Jackie Kennedy. Having great sense in fashion as the same the former First Ladies, such as Jackie Kennedy, surprisingly in the beginning of her debut as American First Lady, Mrs.O got the recognition from American fashion magazine, Vogue, which introduces her to be one of Vogue top 20 best dressed women of 2009 (

15 digilib.uns.ac.id 3 dressed-women-of-2009/ accessed on Monday, October 1, 2010, 06:52 PM), and historically only Hillary Clinton and now Michelle have ever made the cover of Vogue Magazine. From this condition, it seems that Mrs.O has got her success in constructing her attractiveness as African-American First Lady as the same as the former White-American First Ladies through her fashion style. Being American First Lady in the present day, everything about Mrs.O represents the modern life. She is post-feminist woman: she is clever, independently minded, and attractive (Vine in The Times as cited in e ece accessed on Monday, August 21, 2011, 09:50 PM). Therefore, in conducting her roles, Mrs.O is expected to have good performance, good intelligence and good manner because she has a burden to be a representation of the president, American society, and country. Labeled as African-American First Lady, consequently she is going to be an American outlook because her life closes to the public and everything which is linked with her life will be nice issue to discuss; therefore to face the public and gain their attention, Mrs.O is expected to be attractive. Attractiveness can be constructed by physical appearance, such as fashion style. Fashion itself functions to gain public image which actually has an important role in constructing certain identity that attracts others. Moreover, fashion has a contribution to send messages in the society, as what Barnard stated that intuitively fashion and clothes can illustrate that people want to send their message (Barnard, p.42). Mrs.O is the example of women who uses her fashion style to construct her attractiveness commit and her to user images as the African-American First

16 digilib.uns.ac.id 4 Lady. Through her constructed style, Mrs.O could enlighten her personality and provide public mindset to build her images. In other words, fashion gives chance to Mrs.O to build her image as the African-American First Lady. Related to the strategy in helping American society to understand about what messages inside her programs easily, Mrs.O uses her attractiveness and her images which are constructed by her fashion style to send those messages. In revealing and succeding her significant programs, Mrs.O tries to alter her constructed images to be the strategy to send messages which lay behind her programs to American society. In other words, Mrs.O tries to use her attractiveness as African-American First Lady to grab public attention and her images to send the messages of her programs to American society so that the programs could run well. From this condition, the main question around is could Mrs.O s constructed images which are reflected by her fashion style represent her messages? In summary, it can be said that the relation between women, fashion and image is close. Therefore, the researcher wants to describe the constructed images of Mrs.O as the first African-American First Lady related to her role in succeeding her programs to American society through her fashion style. Mrs.O is able to get recognition because her fashion sense is able to construct her image to be an attractive African-American First Lady like the former White-American First Ladies. By her appearance, it seems that Mrs.O has got her success in constructing her images to represent her messages and conveying American society to assume her as their First Lady.

17 digilib.uns.ac.id 5 The research investigates how Mrs.O constructs her images through her fashion style to represent her messages and her attractiveness as the African- American First Lady. By analyzing Mrs.O s images, it opens our understanding on how fashion works in constructing images which function to send messages and how fashion could build attractiveness to grab public attention. The researcher believes that by combining Mrs.O with her fashion style, it will reveal the construction of Mrs.O images as African-American First Lady which function to send messages behind her programs to American society. In other words, it can be said that this research is interesting to analyze because it was talking about the African-American First Lady s fashion style which function to construct her images to send messages in the society and her attractiveness as the same as the former White-American First Ladies to grab public attention. B. Scope of the study In accordance with the theme of the study, this research is focused on the main object of the study of American fashion style. The goal of this research is to find out how Mrs.O s images as American First Lady are constructed through her fashion style to send the messages which lay behind her programs. In other words, the study was only exploring about the images of Mrs.O as the first African- American First Lady which are constructed by her fashion style as what described through some pictures in and

18 digilib.uns.ac.id 6 C. Problem Statement 1. What images and messages does Mrs.O want to show as American First Lady through her fashion style? D. Objective The objective of the research was to find out the images and messages of Mrs.O as the first African-American First Lady which are reflected by her fashion style. E. Research Significance From the topic above, the main purpose of this research are: 1. Theoretical purpose In theory, this research has purpose to build the reader outlook up in giving images to Mrs.O as American First Lady through her fashion style. 2. Practical Purpose This research has purpose to attract people interest toward fashion which is brought by African-American First Lady, the historic American First Lady and the new American Fashion Icon. F. Research Methodology 1. Research Type and Design This research was descriptive-qualitative research. It is a type of research that aims to make description systematically, factually and accurately about facts,

19 digilib.uns.ac.id 7 characteristics and relations among the phenomenon which are observed (Nazir, 1998, p.63). Qualitative research is related to verbal data, not quantitative, statistic, or numeral data (ibid). It is stressed on the meaning, definition of certain situation (certain context), and more concern in examining something which related to daily activities. This research used qualitative method because it relates to verbal data, not the quantitative, statistic or numeral data. This research was also a library research because in the technique of collecting data, the main data were collected from the online magazines, official website, journals and articles. After collecting the data, the researcher wrote down the significant evidences, quotations, important ideas, that were found from those data. The next step is selecting the data; it was based on the problem statement which was analyzed by applying the theories and approaches that were used in this research. 2. Data and Source of Data In this research, there are two kinds of data which can be obtained to support the analysis, the main data and the supporting data. As the main data of this research, it can be obtained mostly from the pictures of Mrs.O in some official websites: and Considering those main data concern about Michelle Obama and her fashion, thus the researcher could find many facts about the images of Mrs.O as American First

20 digilib.uns.ac.id 8 Lady reflected by her fashion style. The data w ere taken from November 2008 until August Supporting data is analyzed to support the main data and obtain the facts about Mrs.O s fashion style. It is collected from some official websites about fashion. In this research, as the supporting data, the researcher took some additional information about the related topic, included some techniques and some terms from books, websites, magazines, journals and articles to support the analysis. 3. Population and Sample Population is the whole object to be investigated, Hadi stated that population is the whole things which have the same characteristic (Hadi, 1989, p.75). Based on this statement, population can be meant as the object of the research; the whole things which have the same characteristic as the basic to draw a conclusion. Population of this research are some official websites of Michelle s fashion style. Sample is a part of population which functions to be an example or master which is taken in certain way (certain technique), and should be representative. Arikunto stated that Sampel adalah sebagian atau wakil dari keseluruhan objek yang diteliti. Pengambilan sampel harus dilaksanakan sedemikian rupa sehingga diperoleh sampel yang benar-benar dapat berfungsi sebagai contoh, atau dengan kata lain sampel harus representatif (Arikunto, 1988, p.23). Based on sample explanation above, the researcher took the pictures of Michelle Obama gained from some official websites of Mrs.O s fashion style:

21 digilib.uns.ac.id 9 and as the sample of the research because there are many representative pictures inside. Representative picture itself means the pictures of Mrs.O s fashion style that she wore in several events related to her programs she planned as American First Lady. 4. Method of Data Collection This method of data collection took something or someone to be the data of the research. Hadi (1989, p.66) stated that the technique of data collection is the techniques which are used to collect data in the research. As the method of data collection, the researcher observed the main data and the supporting data, which are mostly from official websites, books, articles, and journals. It is started by observing the pictures of Mrs.O gained from the main data which are collected, then write down some important parts which related to the problem that will be analyzed. 5. Technique of Analyzing data In analyzing the data, the problem statement will be analyzed through these steps: 1. Classification of the data In this step, the data of research are collected and classified based on the problem statement which was conducted. 2. Analyzing the data In this step, several theories and approaches are applied to analyze the data.

22 digilib.uns.ac.id Explaining the data In this step, the results of analysis are explained to get the result of the research. Those steps above function to find the images of Mrs.O which are build by her fashion style to send the messages which lay behind her programs as the American First Lady. G. Theoretical Approach This research is focused on American studies, which means that this research uses American studies as the structure. It becomes the effort to view any given subject of investigation from an interdisciplinary perspective of American experiences, including social, political, historical, and cultural dimensions of the United States. It is also a study about culture; culture itself means a pattern of society life, which becomes knowledge about attitude in our life. The topic of this research is analyzing the images of Mrs.O in Popular Culture. Popular Culture itself is the products of human work and thought that are accepted and approved by a large community or population (Nachbar&Lause, 1992, p.14). What can be mentioned as popular product is not merely the product which is popular in the present time, but also popular in certain time in past. Mrs.O s images embody the Americans beliefs and values; therefore, she belongs to the product of popular culture. Nowadays, Fashion seems impossible to be ignored. Fashion is one of essential components in this global commit popular to culture user where we live. Fashion is well

23 digilib.uns.ac.id 11 known within global popular culture; year by year trend of fashion would alter throughout each generation, but its progress happens in different places around the world, between one country and another has their own fashion style. Trend setter is one of the main aspects of fashion progress, they continuously working to expand fashion. If their attire is popular and able to attract the societies, consequently it leads to them being recognized globally. Fashion can build image, through fashion people can illustrate their identities from what they wore and how they construct their style. In connection to this topic, since the data of the research are mostly in the form of pictures which contain of color system and sign which functions to communicate the ideas by means of message, therefore semiotics theory was needed to analyze and understand every kind of those signs. Semiotic approach is a tool which is used to analyze the data. The term Semiotic comes from Greece language, seme in Semeiotikos which means the interpretation of sign. Sign do many more things than merely refer, we briefly examined a few common situations in which sign are used, and saw that in some of these the referential functions is not even necessarily an important part of what the sign does (Thwaites and Davis, 1994, p.25). In this research, semiotics theory was applied in order to make an understanding about every sign occur in Mrs.O s fashion style so that it could find out the images of Mrs.O as the African- American First Lady and messages which lay behind her fashion style. Socio-Culture is the actions chosen to show people s identity. It could be illustrated by what they wear, how commit they look, to user what toys they have, how well they

24 digilib.uns.ac.id 12 are at sports. These factors belong to culture which show that people could influence others through such simple things. ( accessed on Sunday, August 21, 2011, 08:10 PM). Fashion is one of American culture products which is considered to be an important role to define someone s identity in the society. Fashion and image have close relationship with socioculture approach since the approach mainly explores the way people act based on their environment to build their identity and images to influence others. Socio-cultural approach is also needed in conducting this research since the main topic is about images which function to send messages in the society. Here, fashion and image have great influence toward American society; fashion has shaped the way of thinking about image and its influence to the American society. In this research the socio-cultural approach is applied in order to explore the great influence of the first African-American First Lady s fashion style toward American society related to her strategy in sending messages behind her programs she planned as American First Lady Talking about women and her role in the society, it cannot be separated from gender issue and post-feminism which has given many contributions to the life of women today. Adriaens (a researcher at the Department of Communication Studies at Ghent University) states Post feminism is a new form of empowerment and independence, individual choice, (sexual) pleasure, consumer culture, fashion, hybridism, humor, and the renewed focus on the female body can be considered fundamental for this contemporary feminism (Adriaens as cited in accessed on Monday, August 21, 2011, 09:21 PM).

25 digilib.uns.ac.id 13 So it is clearly seen that nowadays feminism is over; it seems unneeded because women s equality has been achieved. Feminism changed to be post-feminism which can be defined as the freedom of women in selecting their choice which significantly has ability to satisfy themselves. Post-feminism has brought women to be equal to men and independence. Women today have more choice than men, they also have right to choose their own choice without any restrictions from others. In other words, Post-Feminism expects women to be able to define themselves as individuals. Post-feminism theoretical framework will be used to analyze this research since this research talked about female identity as represented in her role as the modern women which focused on individualism, choice and empowerment. This research aims to analyze the role of Mrs.O as First Lady in American culture, how she lives and interact within society. In other words, this research analyzes how Mrs.O places herself in both femininity and masculinity to represent the modern life and conduct her role as American First Lady. Therefore, postfeminism that provides many issues about women today is needed to be the point of view.

26 digilib.uns.ac.id 14 H. Thesis Organization The thesis is organized into four subsequent chapters, outlined as follows Chapter I : Introduction which provides research background, scope of the study, problem statement, objective, research significance, research methodology, theoretical approach, and thesis organization. Chapter II : Literature Review which consists of popular culture; Michelle Obama; American First Lady; Fashion, Image and Women; Semiotics Theory. Chapter III : Analysis which consists of the meaning of sign in Mrs.O s fashion style which lead to her images as American First Lady. The next thing is that the correlation between her constructed images and her role as president s spouse in sending messages to American Society to succeed her own programs. Chapter IV : Conclusion and Recommendation

27 digilib.uns.ac.id 15 CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW A. POPULAR CULTURE 1. The Basic Concept of Popular Culture Popular simply refers to that which is (or has been) accepted or approved of by large numbers of people (Nachbar and Lause, 1992, p.10); while culture can be defined as whole way of life. Williams argued that we need to be able to talk to people, to entertain and be entertained, to enjoy all kinds of diversions and distractions, to work at something we find meaningful, to meet together with other people. In short, culture is the whole way of life (Williams, 1997, in Brummett, 2 nd, p.25). Therefore, popular culture could be meant as the products of human work and thought which are (or have been) accepted and approved of by a large community or population (Nachbar and Lause, 1992, p.14). In other words, popular culture can be defined as the product of culture (anything which comes from human s work and thought) which is popular and accepted by large number of people. Popular culture can provide the reflection necessary to expose and highlight our cultural beliefs and values (ibid, p.9). Popular Culture includes far more than the popular arts; it also encompasses icons, heroes, stereotypes, rituals, and, most importantly, the beliefs and values of the masses (ibid, p.33). The study of popular culture is a quest for meaning, not merely facts or nostalgia or entertainment (ibid, p.6). There are some characteristics of popular culture, they are: 15

28 digilib.uns.ac.id 16 a. Consist of artifacts (object and people) and events (activities surrounding the objects and people). b. Reflects audience s beliefs and values c. Shapes audience beliefs and values d. Is commercial e. Is often imitative (of itself) f. Surround us it forms the fabric of our everyday life. B. ALL ABOUT MICHELLE OBAMA Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the mother of two kids Malia and Sasha, lawyer, or public servant. She was born on January 17, ( accessed on Sunday, October 31, 2010, 2:39 PM). Michelle's family, the Robinsons, lived in a brick bungalow on the South Side of Chicago. Her father was a pump operator for the Chicago Water Department and her mother was a housewife who stayed home to raise Michelle and her brother, Craig, skillfully managing a busy household filled with love, laughter, and important life lessons (ibid). Mrs. Obama is the product of Chicago public schools, she studied sociology and African-American studies at Princeton University. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1988, she joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she later met the man who would become her husband. After a few years, Mrs.Obama decided to work with the people to serve the communities and the neighbors. She served as assistant commissioner of planning and development in Chicago's City Hall before becoming the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares youth for

29 digilib.uns.ac.id 17 public service ( accesed on Saturday, September 4, 2010, 01:10 AM) In 1996, Mrs. Obama joined the University of Chicago with a vision of bringing campus and community together. As Associate Dean of Student Services, she developed the university's first community service program, and under her leadership as Vice President of Community and External Affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Center, volunteerism skyrocketed (ibid). C. AMERICAN FIRST LADY 1. The Basic Concept of American First Lady As the leader of a country, President needs someone to be his official hostess, Anthony (the writer of publication in some newspapers) stated that First Lady is the unofficial title given to the wives of American presidents, or to the female relatives whom single or widowed presidents designated to serve as their hostesses ( accessed on January 13, 2011, 12:31 PM). Traditionally, President will chose his wife to be the right partner to serve as the official hostess in The White House, as what Ingram ( , p.487) stated that throughout American history, every president has needed someone to serve as his official hostess for state functions. In most cases, this person was the president s wife, although unmarried President called upon family members or friends to fill this role ( rnals/capulr27&div=28&id=&page= accessed on Tuesday, November, 16, 2010, 10:18 AM).

30 digilib.uns.ac.id 18 Over the years, the role of First Lady has been supposed as largely symbolic. She is expected to represent an ideal and largely mythical concept of American womanhood (Clinton, 2003, p.119). In conducting her role, First Lady is expected does not only focus on her responsibilities as president s spouse to be The White House hostess but also her family life. Kuptz (2003) stated that most people agree in that First lady should be a supportive and caring wife and mother and serve as a White House hostess ( accessed on accessed on Saturday, September 4, 2010, 1:10 AM). For most of the next half-century, the main role of First Lady was to be the White House hostess not only for private guests, but also for the general public at open house receptions (Anthony in accessed on January 13, 2011, 12:31 PM). As president s spouse, First Lady has responsibilities to manage the White House life and diplomatic events which oblige her to be a good hostess. Nowadays, First Lady seems enlarge her role in the public area, Kenigsberg (the staff writer of America.gov) pointed out that Presidential spouses have traditionally been expected to be the country s social hostess, working to organize White House functions and diplomatic events. In recent years, however, first ladies have taken a more public role in developing policy and pursuing their own initiatives ( accessed on Monday, November 15, 2010, 3:01 PM). Conducting her role as First Lady in The White House, she will have a special and valuable project about soft issues, such as health or art or gardening projects (Healy, 1988, p.xvi). However, nowadays first lady does not only take a role in the White House and her family, commit but also to public user role. As the president s spouse,

31 digilib.uns.ac.id 19 she helps her husband to lead the country by revealing some programs so that the society could get a better life. First Lady is an influential women behind the President, as what Byun (the majority ownership of Mrs-O.org) stated that behind every great man, there's a great woman ( accessed on Friday, August 13, 2010, 9:28 PM). Besides, Bronk (the staff writer of America.gov) stated that the role of first lady is an unelected, unpaid position without constitutional responsibilities. But the first lady, who acts as White House hostess, is also highly influential ( english/2008/july/ xkknorb html accessed on Monday, November 15, 2010, 3:01 PM). It means that being the person closest to the most powerful man in the U.S, First Lady can apply her important influence on her husband. It is almost the same as Anthony stated that the role of the first lady, the U.S. president s spouse, has evolved from fashion trendsetter and hostess of White House dinners to a more substantive position. While there have been diverging views on the roles of women in society, the first lady is still a role model for American women. One of the highest-profile jobs in the U.S. government comes with no official duties, no paycheck, and almost limitless possibilities. The first lady can influence the president and can even exercise a degree of political power over policy and legislation ( accessed on Monday, November 15, 2010, 2:25 PM). The role of First Lady today is not only becomes the White House hostess and fashion trendsetter, but also becomes more multifaceted. Although conducting her role without paycheck and many possibilities, but she has great influence on her husband, The President of U.S. Being First Lady, consequently her fashion style

32 digilib.uns.ac.id 20 lets her to be public attention, Givhan (a fashion writer in Washington Post) stated that in the past century, the first lady always has borne the brunt of the public's clothing fascination (The Washington Post, 1997, p.f05). There is no doubt that being the first family, what they are doing, saying, and wearing will be the public attention (Healy, 1988, p.xv), Moore (Fashion critic) stated that what they have worn on their activities has been chronicled in newspapers and magazines and, later, on TV (Moore in Los Angeles Times as cited in accessed on January 13, 2011, 12:31 PM). The journalists, of course, is just doing what it has to do, which is to tell the public what it wants to know (Healy, 1988, xv). It is clear that as the president s spouse, consequently her life closes to the media. What her family is doing, saying, and wearing will be nice issue to discuss and publish. As well as functions to be The White House hostess, First Lady also becomes a figure for American women, especially fashion figure. Facing the public, First lady should give the impression of being great, especially in her fashion style. Most Americans don't want to look their president and first lady appear like their next door neighbors (Givhan in The Washington Post, 1997, p.f05). Although First Lady has right to decide the way how to construct her fashion, but she should consider about the public respect, Burt states "It sets a tone for herself and for the country and for what the country can expect (ibid). She cannot close her eyes to decide on the way how to dress; the way she interacts, stands, speaks and dresses combine to express the detail of the woman, the administration and the people she represents (ibid). Thus First

33 digilib.uns.ac.id 21 Lady will concern about her fashion, Mayo states "They want to find a balance between fashion and elegance without being gauche in their spending. First ladies are very aware of that possibility of selecting a dress that's too lavish and expensive for a democracy" (ibid). Mallis (the creative inspiration behind New York's Fashion Week) says "most first ladies have always been on a pedestal of expensive, elegant clothing, of couture evening gowns. It's something that people can't really relate to" ( accessed on Friday, December 03, 2010, 9:47 AM). 2. The Most Fashionable First Ladies Period by period, American First Ladies have their own way in constructing their personality through fashion. They have their own style to build their image because it could make them confidence in herself, Willingham (First Lady Style Examiner) stated that, Throughout the centuries, the first ladies have had various different styles and fashion tastes which embodied each woman s personality. one may have favored the trendy styles of bargain retailers, while another preferred the elegant fashions of French designers. Although each first lady had different fashion sense, one color can unify them all and almost even capture the essence of who the first lady is and should aspire to be demure, yet bold in her beliefs and meek, yet self-confident. In whatever she does, it is vital that the first lady be confident in herself and her husband, the president. ( accessed on Monday, February 15, 2010, 12:09 AM). Historically, there were some fashionable White-American First Ladies who were able to build their image to be an attractive First Lady and be popular through their fashion, they are:

34 digilib.uns.ac.id 22 a. Dolley Madison ( ) Dolley Payne Todd Madison was the American First Lady who had an ability to impress the public through her balancing style between queen and commoner. She dressed like royalty and yet was accessible to the people, not at all snobbish. To show off her figure, she prefers to choose low-cut gowns made of delicate fabrics. (Anthony, an author of the two-volume book First Ladies as cited in accessed on Saturday, July 30, 2011, 12:24 PM). b. Mary Lincoln ( ) Mary Todd Lincoln believed that looking elegant was important. Anthony states She often talked about how important it was for her to dress in a way that would transmit the image of the Union s success. Unfortunately, her love in fashion brought her to be more an eye for fashion than a brain for saving money (Anthony as cited in accessed on Saturday, July 30, 2011, 12:24 PM). c. Frances Cleveland ( and ) The lovely Frances Folsom Cleveland became the youngest First Lady ever and woman to get married in the White House when she was 21th. Known as Frank, she was popular because she was brave enough to show off her youth by wearing low-cut and shoulder-bearing gowns. Consequently, Her desire in

35 digilib.uns.ac.id 23 constructing such kind of style resulted in a petition issued by the Women s Christian Temperance Union advice her to wear more modest clothing. d. Florence Harding ( ) Florence Kling Harding was in her 60s when her husband was elected to be the President of U.S, but she avoided any suggestion to be old-fashioned in dressing. She embraced the brave fashions of the day, adding her own chic to every outfit. She dressed herself in flapper style and shiny flecks, and was the first First Lady photographed wearing pants. She was an older woman with gray hair and glasses, but her appearance was kind of eye-popping nevertheless. Wherever she went, people noticed her, Anthony says. She wasn t a young flapper, but in many ways she embodied that vibe. Her trademark accessory was a black velvet neckband with a diamond on it. e. Grace Coolidge ( ) During a moment in history when women were starting to enter professional sports and female athletics were becoming more popular, First Lady Grace Goodhue Coolidge served as a model of sporty modishness. She favored bright colors, especially red and casual clothing such as culottes and riding pants. She maintained a kind of casual elegance in formal wear as well. For her White House portrait, Coolidge chose to wear a slim red sheath dress that showed off her lean arms and her undeniable sense of style.

36 digilib.uns.ac.id 24 f. Mamie Eisenhower ( ) Mamie Doud Eisenhower was this kind of bubbly Midwestern hyper-stylized version of June Cleaver, says Anthony. She was extraordinarily popular. Although often overshadowed by her immediate successor (the inimitable Mrs. Kennedy) and frequently criticized for her unflattering short bangs, Eisenhower made all the best-dressed lists of her day, and got particular attention for her wonderful collection of hats. She never missed an opportunity to don dresses in pink, her favorite color. Some credit her for making pink one of the most popular clothing and paint colors of the 1950s. g. Jackie Kennedy ( ) Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy was the greatest style icon. This fashion doy enne defined an era and influenced the wardrobes of women throughout the world. A gifted drawer, she designed most of her clothing herself. She often worked with Oleg Cassini, and he encouraged her original ideas, Anthony says. Her style was rooted in substance. Some of her designs are based on ideas she got from ancient Egyptian and Greek friezes. She s best known for her clean solid-color suits, arm-bearing shift dresses, and pillbox hats. Designers copied her, stores used mannequins that resembled her, and the world embraced her as the epitome of fresh style and understated glamour. She was nationally and globally respected as American royalty, charming the world during the early 60s as the young, glamorous, dignified (Jacobs in

37 digilib.uns.ac.id 25 magazine.com/fashion/style-icon-jackie-kennedy-onassis.php accessed on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, 1:20 AM). h. Betty Ford ( ) A strong-willed former dancer and model, Betty Bloomer Ford is best known stylistically for her eye-popping scarves. But her true legacy as a First Lady fashionista had to do with what the clothes were covering up. Anthony explains: She had breast cancer and a mastectomy while in the White House, and was one of the first people to openly talk about breast cancer. After the surgery she wore a prosthesis that helped people realize that surgery didn t mean disfigurement. She still looked great. Her narrow, low-cut outfits spoke for themselves. i. Nancy Reagan ( ) Nancy Davis Regan had a long career in Hollywood before she entered the political realm, and the result was a wardrobe that looked a little more Hollywood than Washington. When she moved into the White House, the wraithlike former actress brought with her a sizable collection of suits and gowns by the likes of Oscar de la Renta and Adolpho, an inaugural gown worth over $10,000 and two hairdressers. But her devotion to designer duds got her into trouble: She accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in free clothing from designers despite the fact that the president and his wife are not allowed to take such gifts unless they pay taxes on them. The incident resulted in a kafuffle with the IRS and nationwide talk about the glamorous First Lady who

38 digilib.uns.ac.id 26 insisted on pricey (and fabulous) dresses, despite the fact that the country was in a recession. 3. Michelle Obama as American First Lady The inauguration of Barrack Obama as the 44 th President of the United States on January 20th, 2009 also introduced the nation to its first African American First Lady, Michelle Obama or usually called as Mrs.O. Labeled as American First Lady, Mrs.O should hold her duties to be The White House hostess, fashion trendsetter, mother and American figure. As what Piejus (a publications manager and website manager) stated that, As First Lady in this modern life, Mrs.O is not pleased to live in the shadow of her husband. It means that she wants to be independent, Michelle Obama is a strong role model for all American women and a campaigner who has ability to be an advocate for balancing career with family life, and promotes arts education and healthy eating, particularly among the impoverished ( accessed on Monday, January 17, 2011, 12:11 AM). Living in this modern era in which women have got their right to be equal to men and independence, Mrs.O realize this condition through her right to choose her role in balance: her traditional role as a mother and her non-traditional role as a career woman. Being the fashionable African-American First Lady, she is compared to Jacqueline Kennedy for her style sense. Michelle Obama is one of American fashion icon; since her husband becomes the presidential candidate, she is being considered as someone with an attractive sense of style. It can be seen from the existence of her outfits published in plenty of blogs. ( accessed on

39 digilib.uns.ac.id 27 Tuesday, September 08, 2009, 12:08 PM). Helping her husband in leading the country, Mrs.O reinforced the message behind Barack s slogan "Yes we can," through her fashion style ( Examiner~y2008m11d5-The-style-evolution-of-Michelle-Obama accessed on Friday, July 30, 2010, 11:18 PM). In the sense of fashion, Michelle tends to choose outfit which makes her to be happy, comfortable and beautiful. Being a figure, she actually wants to conveys women to feel good about themselves and have fun with fashion ( accessed on Friday, November 12, 2010, 11:12 PM). Related to her role as first lady, she reveals some programs which close to her heart: supporting military families, helping working women balance career and family, encouraging national service, promoting the arts and arts education, and fostering healthy eating and healthy living for children and families across the country. Even if she takes some roles in the world of politics, but as her priority role she places herself to be a mother. ( accessed on Monday, January 17, 2011, 9:59 PM). Her positions which manage her career and family as a working mother indicates the development of women on the roles of women and men in society today. a. Supporting Military Families Supporting military families is one of priorities for Obama s administration. In this program, Obama and his wife will focus on increasing

40 digilib.uns.ac.id 28 the wealth of military families since there are many soldiers who fight in the battle to defend US. Rhee (deputy national political editor) wrote down the US president s speech that, "I want you to know this: military families are a top priority for Michelle and me, and they will be a top priority for my administration. We ll raise military pay, and continue providing quality child-care, job-training for spouses, and expanded counseling and outreach to families that have known the separation and stress of war. We will also heed the lesson of history-that those who fight in battle can form the backbone of our middle class.. ( e_obama_8.html accessed on Monday, January 17, 2011, 8:31 PM). Basically this program functions to appreciate American soldiers because of their sacrifice in the battle to defend America; it also functions to invite American society to appreciate the military soldier s families. Michelle says Military families have done their duty, and as a grateful nation, American society must do everything in their power to honor military families by supporting them; not just by word but by deed (Michelle in Brown as cited in spot.html accessed on Monday, January 17, 2011, 9:18 PM). b. Helping working women balance career and family Michelle Obama is a role model for many modern women. She tries to show her independence as a woman through her choice in balancing work and family life. Nowadays, there are many people who forced by their economic feature. Millions of women and men are challenged to balance their burden over their jobs and the needs of their families. This condition consequently could make the parents commit have to user no more attention over the children.

41 digilib.uns.ac.id 29 Therefore, this program actually functions to help working women and men so that they do not have to choose between their jobs and meeting the needs of their families. Unfortunately in fact, it is not easy to balance the needs of the families and the jobs. Sapiro states Having a family and a challenging career at the same time in those days was extremely difficult that women should not have to choose between having a career and having a family ( accessed on Monday, January 17, 2011, 9:04 PM) A strong nation is made up of strong families. Every family ought to have the chance to make a better future for themselves and their children. ( accessed on Monday, January 17, 2011, 8:44 PM). Therefore, to encounter this condition, the president established a White House Task Force on Middle Class Working Families which is focused on raising the living standards of middle-class, working families in America (ibid). c. Let s Move! initiative Let s Move! initiative launched by Michelle Obama, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. Mrs.O has seriousness in succeeding this program; therefore she expects American society to lend their hand over this program. There are five purposes of this program, they are: Creating a healthy start for commit children, to empowering user parents and caregivers,

42 digilib.uns.ac.id 30 providing healthy food in schools, improving access to healthy, affordable foods and increasing physical activity ( accessed on Monday, January 17, 2011, 08: 10 PM). Let s Move initiative functions to create an environment where parents, schools and communities are able to provide healthy life for kids and families. Sebelius (Secretary of Health and Human Services) says That means not just changing habits, but empowering consumers to make better food choices and teaching them to understand nutrition information. It's also about taking time out of our busy lives to make sure that kids get the 60 minutes of daily activity they need to stay healthy. (Sebelius in accessed on Monday, January 17, 2011, 7:59 PM). Through the garden activity, Mrs.O began to have discussion with kids about nutrition and the role food plays in living a healthy life. That discussion grew into the Let s Move! Campaign ( accessed on Monday, January 17, 2011, 8:15 PM). D. FASHION, IMAGE, AND WOMEN 1. The Basic Concept of Fashion As a verb, fashion means to make; shape; form; mold; contrive (Nachbar and Lause: 300). Anna (the editor and web designer behind The Chic Fashionista.com) stated that fashion is more of a show, a fantasy, the excitement

43 digilib.uns.ac.id 31 of wearing something that is out of your world because it gives you a break from your life. It's like doing a dress-up ( accessed on Friday, February 04, 2011, AM). Fashion is closely related to style; style is about being and existing. It's creating a statement with your clothing purely based on who you are says Ana (ibid). Fashion can be illustrated by body ornamentations, such as clothes which indeed has some functions: communication, artifactual co-sender, protection, modesty, etc (Ibrahim in Barnard, p.viii). Fashion are ways of being common to a group; ways of dressing, eating or housing. They take on great importance in a society in which superabundance of consumer commodities frees the latter from their primary function (that of protection or nourishment) and allows them to function simply as the sign of social status (Gulraud, 1975, p.94). Barthes stated that according to public opinion, fashion is still located within a mythology of unfettered creativity that enables it to evade both the systematic and the habitual, resting upon a rather romantic of an inexhaustible abundance of spontaneous creativity (Barthes, 2006, p.92). It means that society still has belief that fashion belongs to a myth which always extend its life without having limitation. Fashion is a spontaneous creativity which lets people to realize all ideas in their mind to be existed in the real life without being aware about habit and systematic. a. Fashion as Communication For centuries individuals or groups apply clothes as a method of communication, Eco (1976) stated that clothes is semiotic tool, communication machine (Eco in Barnard, p.xiv). commit Communication to user itself can be defined as social

44 digilib.uns.ac.id 32 interaction through message (Fiske in Barnard, p.41). It means that indirectly clothes belong to the method of communication which portrays that people want to show their image to others, and intuitively fashion and clothes can illustrate that people want to send their message (Barnard, p.42). Thus, fashion and clothes can be defined as a communication tool which is used to send message. Fashion belongs to nonverbal communication, Ibrahim stated that Clothes has communicative function; clothes, costume and ornamentation can be classified in the artifactual communication (communication through clothes and artifact construction, i.e. clothes, adornment, jewelry, button, or furniture and decoration). Since fashion and clothes bring nonverbal messages, thus they are classified into nonverbal communication (Ibrahim in Barnard, p.vi-vii). It is clear that clothes, costume and ornamentation are nonverbal communication because they bring nonverbal message, and they can be classified into artifactual communication (communication which can be done by using clothes, adornment, jewelry, button, or furniture and decoration). 2. Fashion and Image Fashion is not merely as a method to provide women beauty to others, but it is also a method to build image. Barthes stated that we choose our clothes to affirm who we are and how our personality (Barthes in Sukolo, 2009, p.33). Carlyle stated that clothes is emblems of the soul (Carlyle in Barnard, p.vi), so it is clear that fashion which is adhered on the body functions to enlighten personality, provides public mindset to build an image which represent the wearer. Moreover, clothes and fashion are applied to define social role. Clothes and

45 digilib.uns.ac.id 33 fashion are sign for particular person with particular role; thus they are expected to act in particular way (Barnard, p. 89). Images like a language because they have a structure that affects the ways in which people read meanings inside. As with language, images may be then become the sites of struggle over meaning (Brummett, 1951, p.211). It means that image will occur meaning which can be read by others as like language. Thus, image which is occurred by fashion also has meaning. Indeed, there is nobodies assume that what people wear has no meaning (Barnard, p.43). Since the importance of fashion is to gain public image, it forces people to construct their own persona in order the public give them image based on uniqueness which they want to build; as what Barnard stated that fashion and clothes are method used by individual to differ themselves as individual and to show their uniqueness (Barnard, p.85). Since what we wear, how and when we wear clothe could provide identity; Barnard shows that Fashion and clothes as a method to communicate identities of class, gender, sex and social (Barnard, p.xiv). Fashion is closely related to women s life, because women are the fashionable sex (Nachbar and Lause, 1992, p.300). Living in this modern era, women have subject positions that place them in the patriarchal work of domesticity and beautification or, increasingly of being a mother and having career and being able to explore one s individuality and looking attractive (Barker, 2000, p.314). In other words, women do many activities and variant roles in their daily life, consequently commit it places to them user into the patriarchal work which

46 digilib.uns.ac.id 34 expects them to join in the working field. Being women, they could not ignore that they have burden to be attractive because they do tend to make themselves as objects of the male gaze, as what Beger stated that Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only most relations between men and women, but also the relation of women to themselves (Beger in Nachbar and Lause, 1992, p.300). According to Lourdes (an internationally recognized Image Consultant), women can be characterized based on their style personality: Feminine, natural, dramatic, and classic (Lourdes as cited in accessed on Thursday, February 03, 2011, 14:50 PM). a. Feminine Feminine woman is a girlie girl, she is the caring and nurturing woman. She is soft and delicate in personality which then relates to their style. Woman in this type is usually quite soft spoken, she could make people around feel comfortable. In constructing her style, she prefers wearing fabrics which are soft, delicate and simple in design. Feminine woman loves clothing with pretty details, ruffles and bows. Moreover, she loves floral accessories such as a scarf & other accessories such as pearls, brooches ( accessed on Thursday, February 03, 2011, 14:50 PM). In choosing color for her outfit, feminine woman tends to use pastel color or soft dusty such as off white, powder pink, lavender, peach or salmon pink can be lovely impression for a woman (Sukolo, 2009, p.41).

47 digilib.uns.ac.id 35 b. Natural Lourdes states the natural woman is a woman who is friendly and easy going; they are usually informal and very down to earth. In choosing her outfits she prefer to be comfortable, simple and practical. Natural woman is a kind of girl who tends to choose wearing jeans and T-shirts a lot of the time. They are athletic, and loves the outdoors activities; moreover, they loves freedom life ( accessed on Thursday, February 03, 2011, 14:50 PM). People in this type are active, outdoor and natural (Sukolo, 2009, p.37). Saleem (EzineArticles.com Expert Author) stated that casual style is preferred over the formal style to the easiness and comfort. It makes people feel at home and thus results in mental satisfaction ( accessed on Thursday, February 03, 2011, 13:39 PM). Casual people tends to choose flat shoes rather than high heels, T-shirt chic rather than shirt with ruffles. However, they still can be fashionable by dressing colorful T-shirt (Sukolo, 2009, p.37). A bright colored lightweight tee shirt will keep you comfortable the whole day (Saleem in accessed on Thursday, February 03, 2011, 13:39 PM). c. Dramatic Woman in dramatic style love something that makes a statement. They love attention and tend to be leaders; their confidence makes other often feel a sense of authority commit & to trust user in their leadership.

48 digilib.uns.ac.id 36 ( accessed on Thursday, February 03, 2011, 14:50 PM). People in this type are easy to attract public attention, and usually called as Drama Queen; that is people being public attention due to their whole brave appearance different to others, and they feel confidence with their style (Sukolo, 2009, p.35). d. Classic Classic woman usually seen to have a solid and timeless style, they show authority and wisdom. Lourdes states their clothing sends the message of Authority, creditability, respect and maturity. ( accessed on Thursday, February 03, 2011, 14:50 PM). Classic style is concern about elegant simplicity. Women in this style believe that they have natural attraction, gorgeous, and great. Classic style has eternal characteristic, and it reflects elegant in simplicity (Sukolo, 2009, p.43). Classic people dress more conservative than other fashionistas and their wardrobe consists of a lot of neutrals such as black, gray, navy blue and beige; this is a style many women tend to be drawn to because of the simplicity and chic'ness ( accessed on Monday, February 28, 2011, 09:50 AM). Ninomiya (a writer of ehow website) stated that every classic can be dressed up for weddings, funerals and professional settings. It can also be dressed down for nights on the town or after work occasions. The classic suit is dark and solid. ( accessed on

49 digilib.uns.ac.id 37 Monday, February 28, 2011, 09:03 PM). Then, to construct classic style, urbandill (ehow Member) gives some guidelines: 1. Top: A white, button-down, long-sleeved shirt can form the basis of a classic outfit. The white shirt is versatile and can be paired with a business suit or worn alone with a pencil skirt as part of a business casual outfit. A camisole in a rich color, such as gold, silver, navy, or bronze, can be worn as part of an evening outfit. 2. Bottoms: Choose pants that are black, navy, or gray, classic colors that can be paired with a variety of tops to create different looks. Keep in mind that black pants are a versatile source for evening wear. A pencil skirt, in navy, black, or charcoal, can be a great asset to your work wardrobe. In terms of fabric, consider wool for winter and cotton for summer. 3. Dresses: A little black dress, cut in a classic and form-flattering fit, can carry you through many social occasions. Day dresses, such as the wrap dress, can be found in a variety of materials (such as cottons and linens for summer and heavier knits for winter) and add an easy. 4. Suits: A classic, fitted pantsuit can provide you with the perfect basis for a work wardrobe. Black, navy, and charcoal are classic colors for women's suits. Beige can be worn in summer. A few camisoles, in colors such as ivory, coral, mint, and light blue, add a finishing touch. 5. Coats and Jackets: A fitted trench coat in black or beige and a heavy wool coat can take you from season to season. A smart blazer looks good with pants.

50 digilib.uns.ac.id American Perspective on Women (Post Feminism) Talking about women and their roles in society, it cannot be separated from gender issue. Cullins (vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood Federation of America) described gender as society's expectations about how a person is supposed to think and act based on whether they are a man or woman. It is biological, social, and legal status as women and men. She also stated that gender identity is how people feel about and express their gender and gender roles: clothing, behavior, and personal appearance (Cullins in accessed on Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 03:42 PM). The concepts of gender role is related to gender stereotype. When people relate a pattern how women or men should behave, they may neglect that actually women and men are different. People come to believe that the behavior is certainly associated with one gender but not the other. Therefore, gender roles provide the material for gender stereotypes. Whereas gender roles are defined by behaviors, gender stereotypes are defined by beliefs and attitudes about masculinity and femininity which is associated with the characteristics and personalities appropriate to men and women (Newsweek, 2000 as cited in accessed on Monday, August 14, 2011, 06:45 PM). Cullins defined four basic kinds of gender stereotypes (Cullins in accessed on Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 03:42 commit PM), to they user are:

51 digilib.uns.ac.id 39 a. Personality traits women are often expected to be passive and submissive, while men are usually expected to be self-confident and aggressive. b. Domestic behaviors caring for children is often considered best done by women, while household repairs are often considered best done by men. c. Occupations - until very recently most nurses and secretaries were usually women, and most doctors and construction workers were usually men. d. Physical appearance - women are expected to be small and graceful, while men are expected to be tall and broad-shouldered. Men s behavior differ to women s behavior because genetically they are different. Actually men want a woman should be more feminine and women want a man should be more masculine. Cullins defined feminine traits as the ways of behaving that culture usually associates with being a girl or woman: dependent, emotional, passive, sensitive, quiet, graceful, innocent, weak, flirtatious, nurturing, self-critical, soft, sexually submissive, and accepting. Then masculine traits as the ways of behaving that culture usually associates with being a boy or man: independent, non-emotional, aggressive, tough-skinned, competitive, clumsy, experienced, strong, active, self-confident, hard, sexually aggressive, and rebellious (ibid). In other words, it can be meant that women were often described negatively as weak, coward, uncommunicative, and limited in doing activities. They are only dealing with household, giving birth, taking care of children and husband, and having limited right as a human being; then, men were often described more dominant and powerful. Meehan (1983) analyzed the stereotypes

52 digilib.uns.ac.id 40 into which women are commonly cast on US television (Meehan in Barker, p.307). She identifies the following as common stereotype of women: a. The imp: rebellious, asexual, tomboy b. The good wife : domestic, attractive, home-centered c. The harpy: aggressive, single d. The bitch: sneak, cheat, manipulative e. The victim: passive, suffers violence or accidents f. The decoy: apparently helpless, actually strong g. The siren: sexually lures men to a bad end h. The courtesan: inhabits saloons, cabarets, prostitution i. The witch: extra power, but subordinated to men j. The matriarch: authority of family role, older, desexed. Beside those women stereotypes, there are the simple set of images effectively conveys some basics of sexism and racism as they are intertwined with the larger cultural stereotyping of beauty (Nachbar and Lause, 1992, p ) : a. Women are the pretty sex Whereas women s sexual attraction is centrally located in their physical, men s chief allure emanates from their work, achievement, wealth, and social station, essentially from their power. The stereotype of feminine beauty designates women as sex objects, not only in the eyes of men who behold them, but also in their own eyes. Fashion thus becomes a social master and the female body. b. Submission is beautiful and feminine beauty is submissive. it is only when a woman surrenders her life to her husband, reveres and worships him, and is willing to serve him, that she becomes really beautiful to him (Morgan 96). c. The image of the beautiful woman functions as an icon or symbol for the beliefs and values of the core culture.

53 digilib.uns.ac.id 41 The present gender stereotypes, especially those about women, reflect beliefs that appeared during the 19th century, the Victorian era (Lewin, 1984c as cited in Newsweek, 2000). Before the 19th century, most people lived and worked on farms where men and women worked together. The Industrial Revolution changed the lives of a majority of people in Europe and North America by moving men outside the home to earn money and leaving women at home to manage households and children. This separation was extraordinary in history, forcing men and women to adapt to different environments and roles. As men coped with the cruel business and industrial world, women were left in the relatively the same and protected environments of their homes (Newsweek, 2000 as cited in accessed on Saturday, August 13, 2011, 04:40 PM). In the end of the 20 th century and the beginning of the 21 st century, it belongs to an era when the imbalance between masculine and feminine change to be balance. Nowadays, feminism seems unneeded, and it has changed to be postfeminism. Post-feminism proves that equality between women and men is achieved yet, and it can be defined as the freedom of women in choosing how they experience their life without any restrictions from others so that they feel satisfied of their choice. McRobbie (an author of books and many articles on young women, popular culture, and feminism) pointed out that individuals must now choose the kind of life they want to live. They must become more spontaneous in observing every aspect of their lives, from making the right choice in marriage, to taking responsibility for their own working lives and not being

54 digilib.uns.ac.id 42 dependent on a job for life (McRobbie in - postfeminism.pdf accessed on Monday, August 8, 2011, 03:50 PM). It could be meant that people today could be more spontaneous to choose their own choice in drawing their life because they have freedom to do it. Woman today can choose to have a family, a career, or both; they have roles which are supposed to be conducted in balance, they are: feminine and masculine. Appropriate characteristics for people in the home were the ones traditionally regarded as feminine while appropriate characteristics for people at work were those traditionally regarded as masculine (Poole and Tapley, 1988 in Sapiro, 2 nd, p.145). Nowadays, actually society s perspective on what is masculine and feminine are unworkable. Masculine and feminine is no longer be captured as how people truly feel, how they behave, or how they define themselves because men today could conduct feminine traits, and women also could conduct masculine traits. E. SEMIOTICS THEORY Semiology refers to science of sign (Barnard, p.115), it also of what is now more usually referred to as semiotics. Semiology shows that people communicate indirectly, it seems like a telepathic (Barnard, p.115). Semiotic reveals how meaning which becomes sign product are constructed and understood. Barthes declared that semiology aims to take in any system of signs, whatever their substance and limits; images, gestures, musical sounds, objects, and the complex associations of commit all of these, to user which form the content of ritual,

55 digilib.uns.ac.id 43 convention or public entertainment: these constitute, if not languages, at least systems of signification' (Barthes, 1967, p.9 as cited in Chandler, p.8). If we are going to think about the ways in which the things and events that we encounter in everyday experience influence us, then we need to start by thinking about how those things and events come to have meaning. That is because influence occurs through the management of meaning (Brummett 2 nd, p.8). Most signs do mean in more than one way; in fact, most signs have very rich meanings (ibid, p.13). Sign refers to anything which produces meaning (Thwaites, et al, 1994, p.7). Meaning is the product of sign and social practice. We cannot distinguish between them (Barker, 2000, p.37). Meaning described in terms of the communication of a message between two points, something like this: Sender Message Reciever (Thwaites, et al, 1994, p. 2) It shows the process of communication in which the sender sends message to the receiver. The sender itself means its actual source, while the receiver is its actual destination. a. Sign Everything is a sign. That s because a sign is something that induces you to think about something other than itself and everything has that potential (Peirce in Brummett, 1951, p.8). Every sight and sound, every touch, smell, and taste you experience, all prompt you to think about things other than, or in addition to, themselves. Therefore, everything is a sign of something else (ibid).

56 digilib.uns.ac.id 44 Signs take the form of words, images, sounds, odors, flavors, acts or objects, but such things have no intrinsic meaning and become signs only when we invest them with meaning. 'Nothing is a sign unless it is interpreted as a sign' (Peirce , in Chandler). We might also say that everything is a signifier, that everything signifies something else, or that everything has signification (Peirce in Brummett, 1951, p.9). The relation between signifier and signified, the way in which a sound impression points to or invokes an abstract concepts is called signification. In fact, all signification whatsoever has something behind it, some other reality or significance beyond just itself (Brummett, 1951, p.166). Anything can be a sign as long as someone interprets it as 'signifying' something - referring to or standing for something other than itself (Chandler, 16). The term sign refers to the countless meaningful items, images, and so on that surround us (Brummett,2 nd, p.4). A subset of particularly powerful signs, known as cultural artifacts (ibid, p.14). An artifact is: a. An action, event, or object perceived as a unified whole. b. Having widely shared meaning, and c. Manifesting group identifications to us. It is also important to notice that the artifact must be some action, event, or object that is perceived as a unified whole. In other words, perceptions of a whole thing or happening that has some identity or character in itself make an artifact (ibid, p.15). Popular artifacts are of two types: popular objects are termed

57 digilib.uns.ac.id 45 icons and popular people are labeled heroes or celebrities (Nachbar and Lause, Eds., 1992, p. 24). Dress in fact nothing more than the signifier of a single main signified, which is the manner or the degree of the wearer s participation (whether a group or individual) (Barthes, 2006, p.13). Appropriately, clothes, collection and image can be considered and analyzed as a sign because they are significant or represent something else (Barnard, p.116), and sign functions to communicate idea by means of message. Beyond its 'literal' meaning (its denotation), a particular word may have connotations (Chandler, p.89). Barthes argues that we can talk of two systems of signification which are often described in terms of levels of representation or levels of meaning. Roland Barthes adopted from Louis Hjelmslev the notion that there are different orders of signification (Barthes, 1957; Hjelmslev 1961, 114ff as cited in Chandler, p.92), they are: 1. Denotation Meaning Denotation is the first order of signification. It means literal meaning of words or images, which make sense. Moreover it can be defined as an actual meaning (Fiske, 1990 in Barnard, p.119). In the case of linguistic signs, the denotative meaning is what the dictionary attempts to provide (Chandler, p.89). Barthes defines Denotation as the description and literal level of meaning shared by virtually all members of culture. For example pig denotes the concept of a useful pink farm animal with a snout and curly tail, etc (Barthes in Barker, 2000, p.92).

58 digilib.uns.ac.id Connotation Meaning Connotation is a second-order of signification. It can be defined as words or images which expect people to think and feel something (Barnard, p.121). The term 'connotation' is used to refer to the socio-cultural and 'personal' associations (ideological, emotional etc.) of the sign (Chandler, p.89). Barthes stated that connotation involves meaning that are generated by connecting signifiers to wider cultural concerns. Here, meaning involves the association of signs with other cultural codes of meaning. Thus, pig may connote nasty police officer or male chauvinist according to the sub-codes or lexicons at work (Barthes in Barker, 2000, p.92). Connotation concerns meanings that multiply up from a given sign. Thus a single sign becomes loaded with many meanings (ibid). In semiotics, denotation and connotation are terms describing the relationship between the signifier and its signified, and an analytic distinction is made between two types of signifieds: a denotative signified and a connotative signified. Meaning includes both denotation and connotation (Chandler, p.89). Connotation and denotation are often described in terms of levels of representation or levels of meaning (ibid, p.92). Signifier Signified Sign Signifier Signified SIGN Diagram 2: The Orders of signification (Chandler, 92).

59 digilib.uns.ac.id 47 Roland Barthes as cited in Chandler (92) adopted from Louis Hjelmslev the notion that there are different orders of signification. The first order of signification is that of denotation: at this level there is a sign consisting of a signifier and a signified. The second-order of signification is connotation; it uses the denotative sign (signifier and signified) as its signifier and attaches to it an additional signified. In this framework connotation is a sign which derives from the signifier of a denotative sign (so denotation leads to a chain of connotations). He argues this tends to suggest that denotation is an underlying and primary meaning - a notion which many other commentators have challenged. Barthes himself later gave priority to connotation, and in 1971 noted that it was no longer easy to separate the signifier from the signified, the ideological from the 'literal'. In passing, we may note that this formulation underlines the point that 'what is a signifier or a signified depends entirely on the level at which the analysis operates: a signified on one level can become a signifier on another level' (Willemen, 1994, p.105). This is the mechanism by which signs may seem to signify one thing but are loaded with multiple meanings (Chandler, p.92) We learned earlier that signs mean in one or more of three ways, Peirce defines sign into three forms which are listed here in decreasing order of conventionality. Symbolic signs such as language are (at least) highly conventional; iconic signs always involve some degree of conventionality; indexical signs 'direct the attention to their objects by blind compulsion' (Peirce , in Chandler, p.27).

60 digilib.uns.ac.id 48 1) Indexical meaning Some things get you to think about something else because the thing (sign) and the something else (meaning) are linked by way of cause or association (Peirce in Brummett 2 nd, p.9). One thing is always or often found with another thing, and so one gets you to think of the other. This kind of meaning is indexical; we say that the sign is an index, or that it is functioning indexically (ibid). An index 'indicates' something: for example, 'a sundial or clock indicates the time of day' (Peirce in Chandler, p.28). He refers to a 'genuine relation' between the 'sign' and the object which does not depend purely on 'the interpreting mind' (ibid). Another example to show Indexical meaning is: Smoke is an index of fire; if you see smoke, it cause you think of fire because you know that one thing is associated with (caused by, in this case) the other (ibid.). A mode in which the signifier is not arbitrary but is directly connected in some way (physically or causally) to the signified - this link can be observed or inferred: e.g. 'natural signs' (smoke, thunder, footprints, echoes, nonsynthetic odours and flavours), medical symptoms (pain, a rash, pulse-rate), measuring instruments (weathercock, thermometer, clock, spirit-level), 'signals' (a knock on a door, a phone ringing), pointers (a pointing 'index' finger, a directional signpost), recordings (a photograph, a film, video or television shot, an audio-recorded voice), personal 'trademarks' (handwriting, catchphrase) and indexical words ('that', 'this', 'here', 'there') (Chandler, p.27). Whilst a photograph is also perceived as resembling that which it depicts, Peirce noted

61 digilib.uns.ac.id 49 that a photograph is not only iconic but also indexical: 'photographs, especially instantaneous photographs, are very instructive, because we know that in certain respects they are exactly like the objects they represent (Chandler, p.28). 2) Iconic meaning If a sign makes you think of something else because the sign resembles that thing, then the sign has iconic meaning. We would also say that the sign is an icon, or that it means iconically (Peirce in Brummett, 2 nd, p.10). An iconic sign represents its object 'mainly by its similarity' (Peirce , Chandler, p.28). A sign is an icon 'insofar as it is like that thing and used as a sign of it' (ibid., 2.247) Icon is one of the products of popular culture; Icons are three dimensional objects, (or two-dimensional images of those objects) which are visible, concrete embodiments of myths, beliefs, and values which form a culture s mindset (Nachbar&Lause, 1992, p ). Popular Icons are meaningful objects which unite those who believe in the icon, express the important elements of the group s beliefs and values, and impart magical power to the iconic group (ibid, p.171). A mode in which the signifier is perceived as resembling or imitating the signified (recognizably looking, sounding, feeling, tasting or smelling like it) - being similar in possessing some of its qualities: e.g. a portrait, a cartoon, a scale-model, onomatopoeia, metaphors, 'realistic' sounds in 'programme music', sound effects in radio drama, a dubbed film soundtrack, imitative gesture (Chandler, p.27). As an example to show Iconic

62 digilib.uns.ac.id 50 meaning is: your picture of Aunt Griselda may cause only you to think of her if nobody knows her. For others, the iconic meaning of the photo may be something more general such as an elderly female, because that is what the photo resembles for them (Brummett, 2 nd, p.11). 3) Symbolic meaning Signs can get you to think about something else purely because of agreement or convention, because people are in the habit of connecting a particular sign with a particular meaning. When that happens, a sign is a symbol, or has symbolic meaning, or is functioning symbolically (Peirce in Brummett, 2 nd, p.11). Symbolic meaning comes about purely by way of what people agree to do (ibid). a symbol is 'a sign which refers to the object that it denotes by virtue of a law, usually an association of general ideas, which operates to cause the symbol to be interpreted as referring to that object' (Peirce , in Chandler, p.28). We interpret symbols according to 'a rule' or 'a habitual connection' (ibid). It means that a symbol is 'a conventional sign, or one depending upon habit (ibid) Symbolic meaning is in some ways the most difficult kind of meaning to learn, because it is not natural and because symbolic meanings vary from one group to another (Brummett, 2 nd, p.11). Symbol/symbolic is a mode in which the signifier does not resemble the signified but which is fundamentally arbitrary or purely conventional - so that the relationship must be learnt: e.g. language in general (plus specific languages, alphabetical letters, punctuation marks, words, phrases and sentences), numbers, morse code, traffic lights,

63 digilib.uns.ac.id 51 national flags (Chandler, p.27). Moreover, Smoke has indexical meaning as fire, but it can also has symbolical meaning. Cigarette smoke goes through sycles of meaning in which sometimes it symbolically means coolness, sometimes it is low low class sometimes it means toughness, and so forth (Brummett, 2 nd, p.11). It is easy to slip into referring to Peirce's three forms as 'types of signs', but they are not necessarily mutually exclusive: a sign can be an icon, a symbol and an index, or any combination (Chandler, p.30). Signs cannot be classified in terms of the three modes without reference to the purposes of their users within particular contexts. A sign may consequently be treated as symbolic by one person, as iconic by another and as indexical by a third. As Kent Grayson puts it, 'When we speak of an icon, an index or a symbol, we are not referring to objective qualities of the sign itself, but to a viewer's experience of the sign' (Grayson 1998, 35 in Chandler, p.30). Whether a sign is symbolic, iconic or indexical depends primarily on the way in which the sign is used (Chandler, p.30). b. Image We are living in an increasingly visual culture and, more and more of the management of important public decisions is carried out using images (Brummett,2 nd, p.161). Images are in need of interpretation, and they draw attribution of motives just as does language (ibid, p.163). Images are the further step in the study of signs, especially semiotic. For images, like language, have a structure they appear in contexts commit and to they user must be interpreted so as to extract

64 digilib.uns.ac.id 52 meaning from them (ibid, p.162). Photography 'seems to found in nature the signs of culture... masking the constructed meaning under the appearance of the given meaning' (Barthes 1977, 45-6 in Chandler, p.134). Reading a photograph also depends closely on the reader's culture, knowledge of the world, and ethical and ideological stances (ibid., 29 in Chandler, p.134). Barthes adds that 'the viewer receives at one and the same time the perceptual message and the cultural message' (ibid., 36 in Chandler, p.134). In the analyzing image, color plays important role in giving certain meaning toward the image. Colors are breaks in the light spectrum that we classify with sign (Barker, 2000, p.90). Color from ever since has been used to shape and define our lives, our habits, our values, and our feelings ( accessed on Saturday, October 02, 2010, 12:18 AM). Here are some of color meanings: a) Red Red represents excitement, energy, passion, desire, movement, speed, strength, health, good fortune, vigor, power, heat, love, all things intense and passionate ( accessed on Saturday, October 02, 2010, 12:18 AM). Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Use it as an accent color to stimulate people to make quick decisions. Red is widely used to indicate danger (high voltage signs, traffic lights). This color is also

65 digilib.uns.ac.id 53 commonly associated with energy, so you can use it when promoting energy drinks, games, cars, items related to sports and high physical activity ( accessed on Friday, October 01, 2010, 10:10 PM). a. Light red represents joy, sexuality, passion, sensitivity, and love. b. Pink signifies romance, love, and friendship. It denotes feminine qualities and passiveness. c. Dark red is associated with vigor, willpower, rage, anger, leadership, courage, longing, malice, and wrath. d. Brown suggests stability and denotes masculine qualities. e. Reddish-brown is associated with harvest and fall ( accessed on Friday, October 01, 2010, 10:10 PM). b) Orange Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation. To the human eye, orange is a very hot color, so it gives the sensation of heat. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive as red. Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity. It is highly accepted among young people. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite. Orange is the color of fall and harvest. In heraldry, orange is

66 digilib.uns.ac.id 54 symbolic of strength and endurance. Orange has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of your design ( accessed on Friday, October 01, 2010, 10:10 PM) a. Dark orange can mean deceit and distrust. b. Gold evokes the feeling of prestige. The meaning of gold is illumination, wisdom, and wealth. Gold often symbolizes high quality. ( accessed on Friday, October 01, 2010, 10:10 PM). Orange also represent balance, encouragement, warmth, enthusiasm, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of attention, steadfastness, courage, confidence, friendliness, cheerfulness, warmth, excitement, energy fun times, plenty, kindness, adaptability, stimulation, attraction, happy energetic days and ambition, while Gold represents The sun, male energy, wealth, financial wisdom, security, understanding, luck, conscious mind, attracting happiness, activity, intelligence ( accessed on Saturday, October 02, 2010, 12:18 AM). c) Yellow Yellow is associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. It produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy. In heraldry, yellow indicates honor and loyalty. Later the meaning of yellow was connected with cowardice. Use yellow to evoke

67 digilib.uns.ac.id 55 pleasant, cheerful feelings. Yellow is very effective for attracting attention, so use it to highlight the most important elements of your design. Men usually perceive yellow as a very lighthearted, 'childish' color. Yellow is an unstable and spontaneous color, so avoid using yellow if you want to suggest stability and safety. Light yellow tends to disappear into white, so it usually needs a dark color to highlight it. Shades of yellow are visually unappealing because they lose cheerfulness and become dingy. a. Dull (dingy) yellow represents caution, decay, sickness, and jealousy. b. Light yellow is associated with intellect, freshness, and joy. ( accessed on Friday, October 01, 2010, 10:10 PM). d) Green Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money. Green has great healing power. It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance. In heraldry, green indicates growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red, means safety. Use green to indicate safety when advertising drugs and medical products. Dull, darker green is commonly associated with money, the financial world, banking, and Wall Street. a. Dark green is associated with ambition, greed, and jealousy. b. Yellow-green can indicate sickness, cowardice, discord, and jealousy. c. Aqua is associated with emotional healing and protection.

68 digilib.uns.ac.id 56 d. Olive green is the traditional color of peace. ( accessed on Friday, October 01, 2010, 10:10 PM). e) Blue It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness. In heraldry, blue is used to symbolize piety and sincerity. As opposed to emotionally warm colors like red, orange, and yellow; blue is linked to consciousness and intellect. Use blue to suggest precision when promoting high-tech products. Blue is a masculine color; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability; it is a preferred color for corporate America. When used together with warm colors like yellow or red, blue can create high-impact, vibrant designs; for example, blue-yellow-red is a perfect color scheme for a superhero ( accessed on Friday, October 01, 2010, 10:10 PM). All shades of blue will help to make easy communication, whether it is with yourself or others ( accessed on Friday, October 01, 2010, 10:10 PM). a. Light blue is associated with health, healing, tranquility, understanding, and softness. b. Dark blue represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness.

69 digilib.uns.ac.id 57 ( accessed on Friday, October 01, 2010, 10:10 PM). c. Navy Blue conveys importance, confidence, power, and authority as well as intelligence, stability, unity, and conservatism. Like black, it carries a sense of elegance, sophistication. It's associated with police and military ( Navy.htm accessed on Friday, October 01, 2010, 10:10 PM). f) Purple Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic. Purple is a very rare color in nature; some people consider it to be artificial. Light purple is a good choice for a feminine design. You can use bright purple when promoting children's products. a. Light purple evokes romantic and nostalgic feelings. b. Dark purple evokes gloom and sad feelings. It can cause frustration. ( accessed on Friday, October 01, 2010, 10:10 PM). c. Lilac is a cool and warm color with its mix of blue and red. Lilac carries the purple symbolism associated with the lighter shades of purple. It's a feminine color with a bit of a maternal feeling. Like lavender, lilac can be a bit nostalgic. It goes well with black and dark green. For a lovely lilac

70 digilib.uns.ac.id 58 mix combine shades of lilac with some greens, plums, and mauve. Lilac is similar to lavender or pink or violet ( Lilac.htm accessed on Sunday, March 7, 2011, 4:35 PM). g) White White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the color of perfection. White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent a successful beginning. In heraldry, white depicts faith and purity. In advertising, white is associated with coolness and cleanliness because it's the color of snow. You can use white to suggest simplicity in high-tech products. White is an appropriate color for charitable organizations; angels are usually imagined wearing white clothes. ( accessed on Friday, October 01, 2010, 10:10 PM). h) Black Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery. Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown (black holes). Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color. In heraldry, black is the symbol of grief. Black gives the feeling of perspective and depth, but a black background diminishes readability. A black suit or dress can make you look thinner. When designing for a gallery of art or photography, you can use a black or gray

71 digilib.uns.ac.id 59 background to make the other colors stand out. Black contrasts well with bright colors. Combined with red or orange other very powerful colors black gives a very aggressive color scheme ( accessed on Friday, October 01, 2010, 10:10 PM). i) Gray Gray is a neutral, balanced color. It is a cool, conservative color that seldom evokes strong emotion although it can be seen as a cloudy or moody color. Along with blue suits, gray suits are part of the uniform of the corporate world. Dark, charcoal gray carries with it some of the strength and mystery of black. It is a sophisticated color without much of the negative attributes of black. Use lighter grays in place of white and darker gray in place of black. Light grays with pastel shades of pink, blue, lavender, and green have a feminine quality. Darken those colors for a more masculine feel. Gray with hot pink can be a little retro. Cool a warm palette by adding gray ( accessed on Monday, February 28, 2011, PM).

72 digilib.uns.ac.id 60 CHAPTER III ANALYSIS A. MRS.O S CONSTRUCTED IMAGES THROUGH HER FASHION STYLE Mrs.O, the same as the former American First Lady, needs certain images to make her accepted by American society. Women s existence is always attributed to physical appearance such as dress and accessories, and it is also applied to First Lady. Labeled as American First Lady, Mrs.O s fashion style was initially being public attention. Givhan (a fashion writer in Washington Post) stated that in the past century, the first lady always has borne the brunt of the public's clothing fascination. It can be meant that as American First Lady, Mrs.O s fashion style would consequently bring her to be American outlook. Related to her duty as American First Lady, Mrs.O has responsibility in revealing her programs to American Society. As stated in the previous chapter, fashion has communicative function; by using fashion, people could send their message or show their identities to the public. Thus, it can be meant that through her images which are constructed by her fashion style, Mrs.O s could represent herself as an attractive First Lady and send the messages which lay behind her programs to American Society. In this chapter, the researcher strives to give brief explanation in answering the research question. Then, to see how Mrs.O would be constructed as American First Lady through her fashion style, it can be seen from her pictures in some official websites: and 60

73 digilib.uns.ac.id Cheerful and Comfy Mrs.O is illustrated more in her fashion style because she is able to dress herself up based on what looks good on her, and comfortable. Spending her daily activities, Mrs.O mostly prefers to choose bright casual clothe which implicitly signifies the importance of cheerful and comfy association. Casual itself signifies that the wearer feels comfort and natural, as what stated in the literature review, casual style is preferred over the formal style to the easiness and comfort; then, bright colored lightweight tee shirt will keep people comfortable the whole day. So, it can clearly be seen that in creating cheerful and comfy impressions, Mrs.O tends to be illustrated in the combination of casual style and bright color. Related to her image as an attractive American First Lady; as the comparison in constructing her attractiveness through bright and casual style, historically it can be seen from the former First Lady, Grace Coolidge ( ). Live in the period of 1920s in which women started to liberate themselves from the constricting clothes and from being modest, and started to be more comfortable and fun with their fashion style, Grace s represents it by being more fashionable in flapper style; flapper itself means a time of cutting loose and having fun. The flapper was an independent woman that knew how to have fun and look good doing it (Phizackerley as cited in accessed on Monday, August 08, 2011, 11:51 PM). Through this style, Grace is able to attract public attention because her fashion style represents the life surrounding; she is able to represent the lifestyle of American women who started to be a modern woman. The condition of 1920s, actually relates to the condition

74 digilib.uns.ac.id 62 after the great depression of The World War I. It is a colorful and liberating time for women, and also for women's clothing fashions (Robert as cited in accessed on Monday, August 8, 2011, 12:10 PM). Colorful time above could be signified as the hope of American society for the bright future after the World War I. Respecting this period, Grace is also able to adjust her style with the situation around; it can be seen by her trend in choosing bright color over her outfit. Ferrell (professor of history at Indiana University) pointed out that Grace quickly became one of the most popular and stylish of first ladies. Among the best-dressed women of her time (famously in red), she became the nation s fashion leader ( accessed on Monday, August 8, 2011, 10:27 AM). So, it is clearly seen that Grace is able to build her attractiveness as American First Lady through her flapper style because she is able to represent the life of women in that time which implies independence, optimism and fun. Constructing her attractiveness as the African-American First Lady, Mrs.O seems to follow how the fashionable White-American First Lady, Grace Coolidge constructs her fashion style. She tries to alter Grace s attractiveness of flapper style into attractiveness of casual style. Both Grace s flapper style and Mrs.O s casual style imply the same atmosphere that is being fun and looking good. As the same as the meaning of bright color in the 1920s, bright color in this modern period could also be signified as optimism and bright future. Through her bright color outfits, Mrs.O tries to represent her optimistic in bringing American society to the better life under her husband commit leadership. to user Besides, she also wants to invite

75 digilib.uns.ac.id 63 American women to be more comfortable and fun with fashion. So, it is clearly seen that in constructing her attractiveness as American First Lady through her casual style, Mrs.O seems to follow how the former White American First Lady, Grace Coolidge construct her style; it actually functions to prove the public that she is able to be attractive as the former First Lady without missing the messages she wants to send. To see how Mrs.O constructs her cheerful and comfy impression through her casual style, it can be seen from the picture below: Pic1. Mrs.O s fashion style for her visit to Bancroft Elementary School on Friday In the picture above, Mrs.O s casual style is delivered through her yellow cardigan over a floral button down shirt with pale blue cropped pants. The use of cardigan itself strengthens the implication that the wearer feels comfort. Cardigan sweaters for women are usually very comfortable and easy to pack, making them a great option for traveling or to keep in the office ( accessed on Tuesday, February 22, 2011). The placement of cardigan over her shirt above functions to drag the mood of the target audiences to the feel of her casual style first before moving to the other mood. It gives strong implication that Mrs.O wants to create comfortable atmosphere as her first impression. Moreover,

76 digilib.uns.ac.id 64 the color choice over her cardigan (bright yellow color) above gives implication that Mrs.O wants to create cheerful atmosphere through her fashion style. It is because the importance of yellow color itself gives dramatic feeling to the picture, which is cheerful impression. As stated in the literature review that yellow means joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. Cheerful impression could also be strengthened by the use of floral pattern over her button down shirt. Through floral pattern which is comprised by many colors, her fashion style looks colorful; colorful pattern itself is associated with cheerful impression. Moreover, to strengthen the implication that Mrs.O tends to use casual style in building her cheerful and comfy impression, it could be seen from the use of blue cropped pants. These pants are neither too tight nor too body fitted, and ideal in case of casual wear ( accessed in Monday, March 7, 2011). It is clearly be seen that in constructing her cheerful and comfy impression, Mrs.O tends to choose casual style which lets her to be comfortable; then to attach cheerful impression, she combines her casual style with bright color and floral pattern. Thus, through her constructed style above Mrs,O looks perfect in creating cheerful and comfy impression through her fashion style. Related to her programs as American First Lady which commits American children, through her fashion style above Mrs.O tries to build the children world. It means that as an approach to succeed her programs, Mrs.O tries

77 digilib.uns.ac.id 65 to build colorful atmosphere which relates to the children interest through the joyful atmosphere to grab the children attention easily. Besides, through her casual style, Mrs.O wants to produce comfortable feeling for the children. Thus, from her constructed style above, It can be meant that Mrs.O tries to adjust children s world, then apply it as an approach to send the messages of her programs so that her programs could run well. As First Lady, Mrs.O would work daily on the issues closest to her heart, such as fostering healthy eating and healthy living for children. Through her fashion style, as the picture below, it indicates that she wants to invite American children to be active in moving to keep their health as what her programs tends to be. Pic2. Mrs.O s fashion style at Brock Elementary School in Slidell to launch a new phase of "Let's Move The comfy impression of the picture above can be seen from Mrs.O s casual or sporty outfit which is illustrated by the use of suit as the top, athletic pants and shoes. As stated in the literature review that sporty people tends to be comfy; they are active, outdoor and natural. In constructing their style, they tends to choose flat shoes rather than high heels, T-shirt chic rather than shirt with

78 digilib.uns.ac.id 66 ruffles. So, it can clearly be seen that Mrs.O constructed sporty style above is strong enough to create her comfy impression which represents her interest in outdoor activity such as doing exercise. Related to her programs as American First Lady, the importance of dark blue color over her outfit above implies that Mrs.O has seriousness in succeeding her focus. As stated in the literature review, the dark blue represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness. So, it means that Mrs.O s constructed style above functions to convey American Society that she has seriousness and ability in succeeding her programs; thus, she needs participation from American society to help her in succeeding those programs. Basically the offer of Mrs.O s fashion style above aims to grab strongly the message behind it. In conducting her role as First Lady, one of her focuses is supporting American children in fighting obesity. Through her constructed style, Mrs.O tries to represent the activeness side which lay behind her dark blue outfit to the children. Through her sporty style, Mrs.O tries to invite American children to follow her to be more active in moving. In other words, her sporty style above implies that she invites American children to be more physically active and healthy by doing outdoor activity, such as exercise to reduce the risk of obesity. It is clearly shown that Mrs.O s sporty style above has strong purpose to represent the content of her Let s move initiative programs. Considering that she commits American Children; her choice of dark blue color also implies that she knows how to have a good communication among the children. It could be seen

79 digilib.uns.ac.id 67 by the use of blue color which implies that she wants to create easy communication. As stated in the literature review that all shades of blue will help to make easy communication. Thus, through an easy communication, Mrs.O could make it as a good approach to send the message so that it could help her in succeeding the program. The picture below is Mrs.O s constructed style which is also associated with cheerful and comfy impression: Pic3. Mrs.O s fashion style when she hosted children of White House employees Mrs.O s fashion style which is constructed by pink top and floral cardigan above implies that she wants to build her relationship toward children. As stated in the literature review that pink color signifies love and friendship. Having a discussion with children, Mrs.O tries to do her best in creating good atmosphere through her appearance. In the picture above, it is clearly seen that Mrs.O s constructed style gives strong impression that she is a kind of a friendly woman. Her pink top is strong enough to signifies that she tries to prove her love and her friendship to American Children.

80 digilib.uns.ac.id 68 Related to her program which commits American children, Mrs.O should have a good approach to reveal her programs. Her constructed style above which is constructed by the combination of pink top with cardigan implies that Mrs.O wants to build a good relation with the children. Through her casual style, Mrs.O wants to assimilate the children world by being their mother and their friend. She tries to create comfortable atmosphere so that the children could enjoy the moment with her. Thus, Mrs.O could make it as a good approach to be closer with American children so that she could deliver the messages to them easily. Besides, the spreading of floral print over her cardigan itself gives cheerful impression; once again that floral pattern is colorful and it is eyecatching. So, it can be meant that the combination of her pink top with her floral cardigan above illustrates that Mrs.O is able to create a good situation for the children; she brings the children into their world which are colorful and pally. Thus, through her constructed style above, it is clearly seen that the importance of Mrs.O s fashion style above is to grab children s attention and make a quality time among them so that the children could understand what the messages behind her program easily. Mrs.O is great in her fashion style, she could dress herself up based on the event. In the picture above, considering that her target audience is children, Mrs.O is constructed to represent the children s character, that is purity. It can be illustrated by the choosing color of her cardigan, as stated in the literature review that white is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It

81 digilib.uns.ac.id 69 can be meant that in creating the children world, Mrs.O tries to represent their character. She knows that she is among the children; thus she tries to communicate to them as their mother to make them feel comfortable. Thus, in the constructed style above, the color combination over her attire won t be over in color, but it is strong enough to represent the target audiences and the messages. impression: The picture below is also associated with cheerful and comfy Pic4. Mrs. O s fashion style when harvest the vegetable garden The picture of Mrs.O s fashion style above also becomes her constructed image which creates cheerful and comfy impression. In this style, Mrs.O is illustrated to be a youth breezy mother. It can be seen by her bright pink floral cardigan paired with a striped camisole and bright pink pants. The use of floral pattern wearing by Mrs.O has the same association as the previous picture, that is cheerful; and the use of striped pattern itself could make the wearer looks great and youthful, as what Nellis (women s fashion guide) stated that The beauty of a stripe is that it looks great on any age (it's actually a very youthful print, BTW) ( accessed commit on Tuesday, to user July 19, 2011).

82 digilib.uns.ac.id 70 The combination between bright colors and floral pattern are good enough to create inviting and pleasant atmosphere for kids; Stoner (CEO of fashion site edressme.com) states "Bright colors and floral prints bring a change from drab. It is clearly seen that Mrs.O s constructed style above is strong enough to build the cheerful impression. Committing American Children, Mrs.O s constructed style above is constructed to represent her warmness as a mother. Through her fashion style above, Mrs.O is able to embody the myth of American culture, that is the American virtue and happiness are to be found by living close to the nature on a farm or in small town. Therefore, acting as their mother, Mrs.O teaches the children about the importance of gardening which gives a lesson that comes from watching this beautiful cycle of life; and related to the messages of her program, Mrs.O tries to educate the children to keep their health by producing healthy food, such as by planting their own healthy vegetables in their own garden. So, it can be meant that through her constructed style above Mrs.O tries to make the children feel comfortable as like they are with their own mother in having time together. Hopefully through her constructed style above, the children could accept and execute what messages which are delivered easily. Mrs.O has good sense in fashion; she could adjust her outfit with place and situation. In the picture above it can be seen from her choice of floral pattern for gardening and striped pattern for creating youthful feeling. Floral pattern is usually associated with gardening activity because it represents the environment around. A floral print dress will look great in the spring and summer, especially if

83 digilib.uns.ac.id 71 people re attending an outdoor event ( accessed on Monday, March 7, 2011). Thus, it is clearly seen that the importance of cheerful impression which is created by Mrs.O s bright floral pattern above is to raise the children s mood to be joyful and comfortable so that they enjoy having time with Mrs.O in running some outdoor activities, such as gardening. This constructed style also can be signified as an approach to raise children s will to follow Mrs.O in planting healthy vegetables which still becomes one of her focus in developing healthy lifestyle for American Children. From all of the pictures above, it can be seen that the impression which is constructed by Mrs.O s casual style is cheerful and comfy. Related to her strategy in sending her messages, her constructed style above functions to build her image to be a good mother for the American society. It can be seen by her strategy in creating good atmosphere to make the people around feel comfort and happy, for example when she have discussion with American children, she tries to create the children world which full of love and happiness so that the children could feel enjoy to be with her in spending time. 2. Feminine Following a tradition as First Lady, Mrs.O should accessorize the position of her husband through her appearance and her behavior. Furthermore, Mrs.O is a mother who has responsibilities toward her family. From this image, Mrs.O tries to show the public that in conducting her role as American First Lady in this modern era, she prefers to commit choose to user be an independent woman who could

84 digilib.uns.ac.id 72 balance her non-traditional role as a career woman and her traditional role as a mother. In the twentieth century, feminism brings the image of the new women: self-reliance and involvement with the world. The involvement of first lady in such social institutions is seen in their roles either traditional or non traditional roles; their traditional roles are as a housewife and mother for her family, and the White House Hostess, then their non traditional roles can be seen in their political activities, such as having career in other social institution. In conducting her role, Mrs.O tries to represent this images by showing her independence as woman who has freedom in choosing her role without any restrictions from other people. Here, she is constructed to be graceful woman without being too rough because she tries to conduct her traditional role and non-traditional role in balance. To see how Mrs.O constructs her feminine image in this modern era, it can be seen from the picture below: Pic5. Mrs.O s fashion style for a weekend with her family As First Lady who typically has particular dress code and looks more formal. In her style above, Mrs.O s feminine side is constructed by her casual style. Mrs.O is actually constructed to be a mother who cares and loves her family

85 digilib.uns.ac.id 73 through her natural way; natural way itself could represent her instinct as a mother, while in fashion it is associated with casual style which tends to make the wearer feels at home. Her casual style is delivered through her metallic flats, a breezy skirt and a cardigan; and her feminine side is delivered through her color choice in bright pink. As stated in the Literature Review, pink is associated with romantic and love. So, it means that Mrs.O s casual style above gives natural image which implies that she is family-oriented. In the picture above, Mrs.O is constructed in easy style without many details over her attire, and it looks informal. Her fashion style shows that she wants to make her family feels at home without being American concern. It means that Mrs.O wants to separate her private life to her life as the First Family. Having time with her family, Mrs.O tries to show her love to her family and create home feeling for them. It can be represented by the combination of her casual style and the use of bright pink cardigan which signifies her love, her warmness and her joy. As a mother, Mrs.O wants to show American people that she could conduct her responsibility as a mother while conduct her role as American First Lady. Considering her responsibility as First Lady, her constructed style above implies message that conducting women s role in the twentieth century in which they have freedom to choose their own choice: to have a family, a career, or both, women especially mothers are expected to be able to keep their roles in balance. In the turn of the century, there are many women have entered the labor force and usually they stayed at work longer. As a working class, they seem to be more

86 digilib.uns.ac.id 74 concern to put food in their mouth, a roof over their heads and clothes on their backs than keep their family life. Consequently it has an impact that they less attention in educating the children. Respecting this condition, Mrs.O s constructed style above could be a strategy in inviting American society, especially mothers to be concern over their traditional role as a mother in nurturing their family as well as their career. Therefore, her constructed style above could be an evidence that Mrs.O is proper to be a figure for American women in conducting her roles as an independent woman who is able to balance her family life with her career life. Then, to see how Mrs.O proves her role as a mother to the public, it can be seen from her fashion style below which shows her feminine qualities: Pic6. Mrs.O s fashion style for the annual Easter Egg Roll In the style above, Mrs.O s feminine side is delivered through her fashion style which represents her responsibilities as a mother, that is protecting the children. It can be seen by the combination of navy coat and an interesting olive sweater with a tie-front. As stated in the literature review, navy blue conveys importance, confidence, power, and it's associated with police and military. Then, Olive green itself is the traditional commit color of to peace. user

87 digilib.uns.ac.id 75 Through her constructed style above, Mrs.O proves American society that she cares about her children. It can be seen by her choice of navy blue color which implies that her family is important for her life, and she has power to protect them so that they feel secure to be with their mother. Then, little yellow color which stick on her outfit also implies that she has energy to make her children happy as what they should be. Besides, the color choice of light blue over her pants signifies her feminine characters, that is softness. So, it can be meant that Mrs.O s combination style above implies that Mrs.O wants to be a good mother for her children by caring them through her softness so that they feel pleasant and comfortable in spending time with their mother. Moreover, she proves her power through her ability in protecting her children while conducting her role as First Lady. Conducting her role as a mother apart from her role as First Lady, Mrs.O still could be focus on her traditional responsibilities as a mother. It is clearly seen that the importance of Mrs.O s constructed images above is to show American society that the strength of woman findable in their ability in keeping their family and balancing the life inside. As what the belief and value of American culture about nuclear family that family values are the most valuable American values, Mrs.O s constructed image through her bright casual style above is able to embody it. Having burden to be an American figure, especially American women, Mrs.O reminds American career women that there is no need to choose between career and family because actually the most important role of being mother is to care their family life, especially the children.

88 digilib.uns.ac.id 76 Being First Lady in this modern era, Mrs.O expands the feminine qualities into the public. It means that, she tries to conduct her role to be a mother for American society by caring them through her warmness. Since her life closes to the public; therefore she should be able to construct her fashion style to be attractive. To see how Mrs.O constructs her fashion style to represent this condition, it can be seen from the picture below: Pic7. Mrs.O s fashion style for launching the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition In the picture above, Mrs.O is constructed to be a fashionable loving woman. Since Mrs.O alters her fashion to be the strategy in sending message of her programs; therefore she should be able to look good in her fashion so that she could grab public attention to succeed her programs. In conducting her role as the president s spouse, Mrs.O is not only required to be excellent in her appearance but should also be excellent in her behavior because she is a representation of the president and American society. In the style above she is illustrated as a smart woman who is able to choose proper style based on the occasion. It means that she knows how to construct her fashion style to represent her role as First Lady so that she gets positive image from the public; it can be illustrated by her pink bow top

89 digilib.uns.ac.id 77 which implies that Mrs.O wants to bring her good attitude as First Lady to the public, Johny (EzineArticles.com Expert Author) stated that wearing pink bow ties requires an attitude to carry it well. Living in this modern era in which women have got their right to choose their own choice. In the style above, Mrs.O realize it through her constructed style in both feminine and fashionable. Her additional accessory, such as white belt proves that she knows how to look fashionable and attractive, Wacey (a personal stylist) stated that the waist belt is such a great way on defining your waist and showing off how sexy your figure is. So, it means that in conducting her role as president s spouse who should face the public, Mrs.O is aware toward her appearance; she knows how to explore her style to grab public attention. Facing the public, Mrs.O is not only required to conduct her feminine qualities to her family, but also American society. Thus, in the style above, Mrs.O strengthen her feminine side through her pastel pink top which signifies that she wants to spread her tenderness as a mother to the society. Relating to her programs which commit the children, through her warmness, Mrs.O tries to act like a mother for the children so that they feel like having a time with their own mother. Constructing her attractiveness as the same as the White-American First Lady through feminine image; in comparison to the former First Ladies, Mrs.O could be compared with Jackie Kennedy ( ). Both Mrs.O and Jackie are popular in their fashion because of their chic style, which means that they have

90 digilib.uns.ac.id 78 good sense in fashion. In other words, Jackie and Mrs,O are able to dress up based on what looks good on their body so that they look stylish. As American First Lady who lives in the modern period, Mrs.O tends to be independent; she tends to construct her image as feminine yet strong and professional. It is unlike Jackie who tends to be entirely feminine and glamour. Conducting her role as First Lady, Jackie prefers to dedicate her role as a traditional woman. Jackie is still influenced by the life of women in the past who should be modest and maternal, and her actions as a housewife and a mother in her own family, and as The White House hostess who accompanying the president official visit and redecorating the White House are strong enough to represent her traditional role. She never took a part in conducting her non-traditional role. Therefore, her feminine image is purely represent her domestic life, that is nurturing and maternal. Living in the modern era in which women s tendency for nurturance and housekeeping would be useful in the public world, Mrs.O tries to bring her feminine qualities into the public life not only domestic life as what Jackie did. Related to her role as American First Lady in revealing some programs which also commits American children, Mrs.O tries to apply her feminine qualities for nurturing them by acting like their mother. So, it is clearly seen that Mrs.O expands her role as a mother to the public life. To see how they construct their feminine style, it can be seen from the pictures below:

91 digilib.uns.ac.id 79 Pic8. Jackie s fashion style Pic9. Mrs.O s fashion style when gave an address to students at Universidad Iberoamericana Jackie s soft dress in pale peach color above (see pic.8) could represent her feminine image. Pastels, soft and light colors such as peach belongs to color which could be associated more with women than men; peach is a warm color that is used in many women's fashions and accessories ( accessed on Wednesday, August 10, 2011, 05:16 AM). In her period, through this kind of image, Jackie is able to give achievement as the fashionable and attractive American First Lady. Therefore, in constructing her attractiveness as the African- American First Lady, Mrs.O seems to get her inspiration from Jackie s wardrobe. She constructs her feminine image by applying feminine colors as what Jackie did; it actually functions to prove the public that as African American First Lady, Mrs.O is able to be attractive as the former white American First Lady, such as Jackie Kennedy. To see how Mrs.O constructs her feminine image as what Jackie did, the picture (see pic.9) above gives illustration commit to about user how Mrs.O dress herself up when

92 digilib.uns.ac.id 80 she stands to be the president s spouse in facing the public. Mrs.O is smart in choosing her fashion; she is illustrated as a woman who is able to dress up based on what looks good on her, and comfortable. In the picture above her feminine side is shown by her pink top which is combined with floral skirt, Consentini (style expert at Marshalls and T.J.Maxx) states floral are universal when the sun really starts to strike. "It's a fun, flirty, feminine print that is versatile and a perfect look for the warmer months, and as what stated in the literature review pink denotes feminine qualities and passiveness. Therefore, it is clearly seen that through her combination style which illustrates her feminine side Mrs.O wants to show her warmness as the president s spouse to American society and grab public attention through her attractiveness in feminine style. America has an image as a powerful country; consequently it would also bring the U.S. President s image to be powerful. Therefore, through her existence as American First Lady, Mrs.O should balance her husband power through her warmness which can be represented by her attire. From the picture above, it is clearly seen that Mrs.O wants to prove American People that she is able to be an attractive African-American First Lady as the same as the White-American-First Lady. Moreover, through her constructed style above, Mrs.O could run her responsibility as the president s spouse in facing American people as a warm woman, while her husband is spotlighted for his power achievement as the leader, she spreads her warmness as a mother. Feminine side of Mrs.O does not only appeared when she faces American Society, but also in the media. Feminine image itself typically

93 digilib.uns.ac.id 81 associated with pink color, and according to Farley (an author of web design), magazine covers are a great place to see pink palettes in action ( accessed on Monday, March 7, 2011). So, it means that the feminine image of Mrs.O as American First Lady which is signified by her pink attire can be strengthened in an action occurred in the cover of magazine. Historically, woman in the media is regarded as the ideal women when she has the ideal body. This measurement is absolutely based on male s perspective. Moreover, ideal women itself can also be associated with women who have feminine qualities, such as nurturing and maternal. Woman should be able to explore their individuality and looks attractive. Following Peirce s theory, photograph is a kind of indexical meaning; then, to see how an attractive woman is applied in the photograph to show the indexical meaning, the picture below could be the example: Pic10. Mrs.O s fashion style in the cover Of People Magazine The picture above is the example of an indexical meaning which belongs to recording model which is occurred as a photograph. The placement of the

94 digilib.uns.ac.id 82 picture which becomes the People Magazine Cover comprises the importance of the picture itself. Basically, the use of cover functions to deliver the main image and impression toward the audiences. So, it means that the placement of the picture above is important to represent the message which is brought by Mrs.O in conducting her role as American First Lady. People Magazine is a weekly American magazine of celebrity and human-interest stories; it is a valuable source to find out what's happening in Hollywood and cultural trends affecting Americans today. In the cover above, Mrs.O is constructed to be family-oriented. It can be illustrated by her lovely pink sleeveless dress which signifies feminine qualities, such as nurturing and maternal. So, it is clearly that in this magazine cover, Mrs.O is associated with her interest in her family life. This impression also can be strengthened by the Our Life in The White House text on the right side of the cover which represents the life of the first family in which it clearly associates with Mrs.O s role as a mother in conducting her responsibility toward her family. Living in the twentieth century, women have their freedom to choose their choice without any restriction from others. Here, Mrs.O represents this condition by placing her position in both masculine and feminine traits: the feminine side, in general, is more about nurturing, communicating, and listening, whereas the masculine has more of a focus on point-of-view, more aggressive and paternal. As stated in the literature review, women have subject positions constructed for them that place them in the patriarchal work of being a mother and having career. Thus, in the magazine cover above, the media tries construct Mrs.O

95 digilib.uns.ac.id 83 neither too rough nor too feminine. Through her constructed style above, Mrs.O is constructed to be able to focus on her family life while she conducts her function as First Lady. As a career woman, she is not categorized having feminine qualities; while as a mother, she is categorized having feminine qualities. The media tries to shape Mrs.O to be a tough woman with feminine qualities. It can be illustrated by her sleeveless dress which clearly point her bicep arms out; her pink dress represents her feminine qualities, then her bicep arms represent her strength. While her feminine side represents her qualities as a mother, her strength represents her ability in balancing her traditional role as a mother with her career. Thus, Mrs.O s constructed style on the People Magazine Cover above implies that she wants to remind American women, especially the mothers that even having career, the most important responsibility being a woman is keeping their family life. Considering that as American First Lady she is going to be public attention and a figure, through her feminine qualities which are represented by her fashion style above, and related to her role as a mother Mrs.O tries to be a good figure for American Women. Moreover, from her constructed style above, the media tries to prove American People that even Mrs.O is a career woman, but she is able to conduct her traditional role as a mother. It means that Mrs.O s constructed style above represents her ability in balancing her role as a First Lady with her role as a mother.

96 digilib.uns.ac.id 84 The same feminine impression of Mrs.O which is occurred in the magazine cover also can be seen from the picture below: Pic11. Mrs.O s fashion style in the cover Of Vogue Magazine Vogue Magazine is a fashion and lifestyle magazine, and the cover above has strong mood of Mrs.O s femininity which can be illustrated by her magenta sleeveless dress. It is universally known that dress is only worn by women who have a will to show their feminine side. Moreover, magenta color according to Labedzky (EzineArticles.com Expert Author) means volatile, optimistic, and affectionate, creating a feeling of satisfaction & self-respect. It is the color of 'new age,' which symbolizes divinity, love, learning, & nurturing ( Age&id= accessed on Wednesday, February 23, 2011). So, it means that in the Vogue Magazine Cover above, Mrs.O is constructed to be a representation of new age; new age here means a new period in which America is lead by black people. Moreover, the media also implies the hope that comes with the Obama leadership.

97 digilib.uns.ac.id 85 The existence of Mrs.O as American First Lady belongs to historical moment because she is the first African-American First Lady. From this situation, this period can be called as the new era. The Vogue is one of American fashion magazines, and here Mrs.O s appearance is constructed to be the representation of this new age. The media tries to show that Mrs.O is able to break the American beauty paradigm and blackness stereotypes. The picture above implies her ability in constructing her fashion style as a black woman so that it could be accepted by American Society. The importance of the magazine cover above specially functions to construct her to be a figure for American black women in creating their fashion style. In other words, through her fashion style, Mrs.O is constructed to convince black women that even they do not belong to American beauty paradigm, but they still could explore their fashion style so that they could be attractive women like her. As a black woman, Mrs.O proves American Society, especially American black women that she could be gorgeous woman through her fashion style as like white woman tends to be. So it is clear that in conducting her role as American First Lady, the importance meaning which is represented by her magenta pink dress above is her ability in being a figure for American black woman in showing her attractiveness through her fashion style. The important of feminine image which is occurred in the magazine cover as a part of indexical meaning also can be seen from the picture below:

98 digilib.uns.ac.id 86 Pic12. Mrs.O s fashion style in the cover of Conde Nast Traveler Magazine The media also makes a shot on Mrs.O s feminine appearance as the cover of Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. In the picture above, Mrs.O s feminine side is still constructed by a pink dress which represents friendship and love. Once again, as stated in the literature review that pink color signifies romance, love, and friendship association. Thus, her constructed style above is strong enough to create feminine impression. Related to love impression; through Mrs.O s fashion style above, the media tries to let American Society see that Mrs.O loves her country, and further she wants to make a good relation with American People, then assumes them as her friends. The media illustrates Mrs.O in such kind of way because Mrs.O wants to invite American Society to love their country and travel around. In other words, her constructed style above implies that Mrs.O wants American Society to love their country, and here the media tries to construct Mrs.O to be a figure who could attract American Society to increase their nationalism toward America. Moreover, the media also illustrates Mrs.O to be a friendly woman. Related to her activity as hostess, Mrs.O is supposed to welcome every guest of

99 digilib.uns.ac.id 87 The White House friendly. Here, the media constructs Mrs.O to be a good White House Hostess by inviting American People to visit the White House, and make it to be their own home. It can be strengthened by the text of The White House is Yours on the left side of the cover. So, it can be meant that through her friendship impression hidden in her fashion style which is occurred in the magazine cover above, Mrs.O could send her message to invite American People to be a part of The White House. Feminine side of Mrs.O is not only illustrated by her bright pink costume which occur in some magazine covers, but it also can be seen from the picture below: Pic13. Mrs.O s fashion style when attended a meeting with representatives from Corporate Voices for Working Families In her constructed style above, Mrs.O looks feminine and formal. Her combination of floral blouse over a lilac camisole and waist belt are strong enough to construct her feminine impression. As stated in the literature review, Lilac carries the purple symbolism associated with the lighter shades of purple, and light purple is a good choice for a feminine design. Besides, the use of floral

100 digilib.uns.ac.id 88 print itself is a good choice in creating feminine style; there s nothing more feminine than a good floral print ( accessed on Tuesday, March 08, 2011, 5:03 PM). So, it can clearly be seen that Mrs.O is perfectly constructed to be feminine through her fashion style. Nowadays many modern women trying to join labor force because they want to make a better future for their family. This condition allows them to focus on their career only without inadvertently ignoring their family life. Thus, to reduce that possibility, President Obama tries to increase the living standards of middle-class, working families across America. Strong families can be a foundation of a strong nation, and related to the issue of improving the lives of working families, Mrs.O has responsibility to help her husband in succeeding this program. Through her fashion style above, Mrs.O tries to represent the balancing of being a mother and a career woman. Through the use of camisole in lilac color with its mix blue and red color; it is strong enough to represent trust and good fortune. It can clearly be seen that Mrs.O fashion style above functions to convey American People to believe in her husband ability in rising the standards of working family. Besides, through her constructed style above Mrs.O tries to remind American women that they should apply their feminine qualities. Joining the labor force doesn t mean that they ignore their family life. Thus, her constructed style above can be meant that Mrs.O tries to convey American Women, especially they who come from working class that there is no need for them to choose between their family life or their career.

101 digilib.uns.ac.id 89 The symbolic process of all pictures which are emphasized in detail above is the love and friendship of Mrs.O in conducting her role as American First Lady. As stated in the literature review, love and friendship denotes feminine qualities. So, it is clearly that Mrs.O s love and friendship over the pictures above give strong impression toward Mrs.O s feminine image which evoke motherhood feelings which is associated with motherhood figure; motherhood itself could be mean that the struggle between two worlds (the private and public). Therefore, feminine image which is represented by Mrs.O s constructed fashion style above could be a symbolic meaning of motherhood. 3. Classic and Elegant Elegant here means attractive and simple; then classic, as stated in the literature review, it has eternal characteristic, and it reflects elegant in simplicity. The pictures below are the examples of Mrs.O s classic and elegant style in conducting her role as American First Lady: Pic14. Mrs.O's fashion style for Inaugural Ball

102 digilib.uns.ac.id 90 The picture above shows Mrs.O s fashion style for her first appearance as the American First Lady; and here she looks elegant in her white dress. Through her fashion style above, Mrs.O is constructed to be an attractive woman which functions to impress American Society. Her classic dress above offers her first impression of being the recent American First Lady. Thus, she is constructed to be perfect in classic style. As stated in the literature review, white is considered to be the color of perfection; white depicts faith and purity. So it means that her white dress above implies that Mrs.O wants to construct her perfect appearance to convey American Society to keep in trust over her husband leadership. Moreover, white color itself can be perfect color to represent first appearance because it signifies purity which becomes the symbol of something new. Considering that she is a black woman, and this occasion belongs to an important moment; her white dress above also implies that Mrs.O wants to be attractive in natural way to construct her image. She wants to show American People that she is a simple woman who believes that she could be attractive without should be over in her fashion. However when people actually want to make a declaration about how exactly assured they are in their natural beauty, wear white; Whitened has got the eager ability to showcase your best features, mainly simply because it goes with almost any color or skin tone. ( accessed on Saturday, May 21, 2011, 12:55 AM). Through her fashion style above, Mrs.O could prove the public that she could be attractive even just through her natural appearance which is implied by her white dress; as

103 digilib.uns.ac.id 91 what stated in the literature review, women in classic style believe that they have natural attraction, gorgeous, and great. Thus, it can clearly be seen that her constructed style above is strong enough to construct elegant feeling which occurs attractive impression. Mrs.O s white dress above is good enough to construct her image for her debut as American First Lady. The simplicity of white color implies that she is able to be a figure for American Society in facing American Problem; she knows how to react global crisis which surges almost country in the world, included America. Her white dress implies that she could be simple in her style without being too glamour to represent the condition of America. Thus, through her style above, Mrs.O wants to inform and convey American society that she is going to be modest in conducting her role as American First Lady. Mrs.O could be categorized as a working woman because she takes some roles in the world of politics to help her husband in leading the country. Therefore, she should be able to construct her style to represent her role as a career woman. Nellis (a fashion journalist) pointed out that if people are concerned about their career, they will be more concerned with looking professional than looking cute or trendy ( accessed on Friday, February 25, 2011, PM). Professional itself more tends to be an image rather than style of fashion, it makes people feel powerful, authoritative, creative and successful (Hilliard, 1987, p.66). In constructing her image as a professional career woman, Mrs.O is illustrated through her classic and elegant style. As stated

104 digilib.uns.ac.id 92 in the literature review, classic people dress more conservative than other fashionistas and their wardrobe consists of a lot of neutrals such as black, gray, navy blue and beige; and black itself is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery. So, it is clearly seen that through her classic and elegant style, Mrs.O could strengthen her professional image as a career woman. To see how Mrs.O constructs her professional image through her classic and elegant style, it can be seen from the picture below: Pic15. Mrs.O s fashion style when she spoke to the Environmental Protection Agency The Classic and elegant images of Mrs.O can be clearly seen from her wardrobe which combines career traditional colors, blue and gray. The picture above implies that Mrs.O shows her professional style in carrying her responsibilities as American First Lady in formal situation. Her constructed style above is a part of sign which is associated with Chic impression which denotes the classical and elegance of Mrs.O as First Lady. As stated in the literature review that classic s wardrobe is a style many women tend to be drawn to because of the simplicity and chic'ness.

105 digilib.uns.ac.id 93 In conducting her non-traditional role, Mrs.O has responsibilities in revealing and succeeding her programs she planned. Facing the public, she is expected to be able to create a good communication, as what stated in the literature review, all shades of blue will help to make easy communication. So, it is clearly seen that Mrs.O s fashion style above could represent it. The use of navy blue velvet blazer as her top is strong enough to represent that Mrs.O wants to create an easy communication when she spoke in front of American society so that they could catch what the discussion about easily. Facing the public in the official forum, Mrs.O is constructed being formal through her classic style. In the picture above, her formal outlook can be seen from her outfit which combines grey pants and blue blazer, as what stated in the literature review, the combination of blazer and pants indicates a good choice for formal business attire. Whereas Mrs.O s formal outlook is represented by the combination of her outfits, her classic style is represented by the combination of color choice: gray and blue. So, it can clearly be seen that in representing her role as a career woman, Mrs.O is perfectly constructed in formal outlook through her classic style. Classic style impressed to be boring style, then to reduce the possibility in creating this tendency Mrs.O tries to spice her look up by adding some accessories over her style. It can be seen from the combination of her wisely belted and layered charm necklace, as what stated in the literature review, the additional accessories such as belt and necklace give a professional touch and can turn any boring day at work into a super stylish affair. The same impression of

106 digilib.uns.ac.id 94 classic and elegant style occurred in the business attire, can also be seen in the picture below: Pic16. Mrs.O s fashion style at the Department of Housing and Urban Development The picture above also illustrates the business attire of Mrs.O which has strong mood of classic and elegant. In this style, Mrs.O is constructed in both classic and feminine. It can be illustrated by her combination of grey skirt suit, a 3/4 sleeve cropped jacket and a purple silk wrap top. Her color choice which combines light grays with purple is strong enough to construct her classic style, as what stated in the literature review, grey belongs to classic color then purple belongs to feminine color with a bit of a maternal feeling. Mrs.O is constructed in classic style because she is a kind of woman who believes that they could become attractive because they have natural attraction. It means that by providing selfconfidence over her style, furthermore her attractiveness will occur naturally. Related to her activity which commits the public, Mrs.O is perfectly constructed to be classic in her business attire without being apart from her feminine impression. considering her role as the president s spouse, in her style above Mrs.O is still constructed in feminine way because her warmness always needed to balance her husband s power.

107 digilib.uns.ac.id 95 In constructing professional image through her classic and elegant style, Mrs.O s fashion style is usually constructed in simple way as what classic style tends to be. Her classic style over her business clothe can also be strengthened by the use of skirt; moreover, it would be perfect classic style if it is combined with traditional color, such as gray color. Thus, it can clearly be seen that in conducting her formal responsibilities as American First Lady, Mrs.O is perfectly constructed in simple way as a career woman which tends to be classic and elegant. Being American First Lady in this period, everything about Mrs.O represents the life of modern women; she is clever, independent, and attractive. Her modern life can be seen from her choice in taking her non-traditional role as a career woman. As the president s spouse, Mrs.O takes some roles in the world of politics by revealing some programs to American society. Since these programs needs her seriousness; therefore Mrs.O should be able to construct her powerful image to represent her role as a professional career woman so that she could convince American society to help her in succeeding the programs. As the comparison in constructing her professional outlook through classic and elegant style, it can be seen from the former White-American First Lady, Hillary Clinton. Hillary is a successful working woman, she is easily the most politically active First Lady in American history. In constructing her style, she more often wears fitted pants suits than a suit with a skirt to build her professional outlook (see pic.17). In the work place, intelligence is more important to support the ability in doing the job rather than appearance. Since Hillary is more active in political world when she conducts her role as American First Lady, she constructs

108 digilib.uns.ac.id 96 her fashion style more in professional outlook; it functions to strengthen her image as a career woman. To show how Mrs.O constructs her classic and elegant style as the same as Hillary in constructing her professional outlook, it can be seen in the pictures below: Pic17. Hillary s professional style pic.18 Mrs.O s fashion style when visited military families In this modern era, as a figure of an independent woman who prefers to chooses to balance her traditional role and non-traditional role, Mrs.O tries to prove the public that actually even she concerns in conducting her traditional role as a mother, but she could also achieve her success in conducting her role as a career woman. Therefore, through classic and elegant style Mrs.O tries to build her strong image as a career woman as the same as Hillary who becomes the most politically active First Lady. In the picture of Mrs.O s fashion style above (see pic.18), she is constructed to be perfect in her classic and elegant style. It can be seen from the combination of the white button down with black cardigan which brings classic

109 digilib.uns.ac.id 97 traditional color and elegance feeling. As what stated in the literature review, a white button-down can form the basis of a classic outfit; and black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery. Therefore, it can clearly be seen that Mrs.O s constructed style above can be a perfect way to create her professional classic style because it combines a top which becomes the basic of classic style with neutral color, black which implies power. Related to her own program in supporting military families, Mrs.O s classic and elegant style above is used to attend an occasion to honor military families. Through her classic style which is constructed by black color, Mrs.O wants to represent the power of American Military Soldiers. As stated in the literature review, black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color. Mrs.O wants to show American people that they have strong military soldiers who brave enough to fight in the battle to defend their country, America. Here, through her constructed style, Mrs.O tries to invite American People to appreciate their military soldiers because of their sacrifice in defending America. Moreover, as American First Lady, she conveys American People that they live in strong country with strong military soldiers. Thus, they should be proud of their country and also their military soldiers. As grateful nation, American Society should repay the sacrifice of the military soldiers through their deed by caring the soldier s family. America is a strong and an influential country. Through her classic style above, Mrs.O also wants to represent the strength of America. Her constructed classic style above actually functions commit to remind to user American Society that they should

110 digilib.uns.ac.id 98 honor military families to appreciate the American Soldiers merit. In realizing this program, Mrs.O invites the American Society to do national service for military families. As her commitment in her debut in being American First Lady, that is she is going to be modest. In her classic style above Mrs.O is constructed in what traditional career women tend to be. It means that without being apart from fashionable aspect, Mrs.O is able to do mix and match attire in professional style as what traditionally career women, just simple and classic. Classic style is not only constructed by simple dress and simple top which is paired with pants or skirts, but it can also be constructed by coats combined with skirt. The picture below shows how Mrs.O constructs her classic style in different kind of attire: Pic19. Mrs.O s fashion style when visited military families In the picture above, Mrs.O is constructed to be classic in coat. Her combination style between beige coat, beige skirt and black top is strong enough to construct her to be classic woman. As stated in the literature review, you dress more conservative than other fashionistas and your wardrobe consists of a lot of

111 digilib.uns.ac.id 99 neutrals such as black, gray, navy blue and beige; a fitted trench coat in black or beige and a heavy wool coat can take you from season to season. So, it means that Mrs.O s constructed style above is good enough to create classic style because it carries out the standard of what classic style tends to be; it is conservative, and it has neutral color which reflects elegant in simplicity. Mrs.O s classic style above implies that as an American First Lady, Mrs.O tries to represent the life of American women in the recent days. Nowadays, mothers who typically hold domestic jobs such as nurturing and housecleaners have joined the working field. Thus, through her classic style which is constructed by the combination of neutral color over her wardrobe, such as her beige coat paired with black top, Mrs.O represents the freedom of American women in joining the working field. In other words, Mrs.O tries to build her image as an independent woman to represent the modern women life.. This fashion style which is constructed by coat paired with knee skirt in the same color (beige) is well-known in the era 50 in which many women found their roles, opportunities, and responsibilities expanded. While their husbands went to war or went to work in factories in other parts of the country, wives had to pick up their husband s responsibilities. So, it clearly can be seen that Mrs.O s classic style above is strong enough to represent American Women in the recent days in which their role expanded into economical aspect. In other words, Mrs.O s constructed style above functions to make her could be accepted by American People because she is able to represent the freedom of American Women.

112 digilib.uns.ac.id 100 Related to the occasion above, that is supporting military families; this kind of style can be signified that Mrs.O is representing the condition when the role of American Women expanded, that is in the era World War II in which this style is common to be their uniform. Thus, it clearly can be seen that through her classic style above, Mrs.O tries to represent the life of American Military Families, especially military soldier s wife in the recent days in which they should be independence while their husband have to go to the war to defend their country, America. Since Mrs.O belongs to a fashionable woman, in constructing her classic style above she also tries to be fashionable in classic, Mrs.O adds simple accessory such as gloves which also becomes accessory for uniform in the era 50. Thus, from all constructed style above, it is strong enough to be classic in style, and strong enough to prove that she is able to conduct her role as American first lady because she is able to represent American Women in the recent days. Besides, to see how Mrs.O constructs her fashion in classic and elegant style, it can be seen from the picture below: Pic20. Mrs.O s fashion style when held an event in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Pic21. Mrs.O met Queen Silvia of Sweden in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House that same day

113 digilib.uns.ac.id 101 From those pictures above, it can be seen that Mrs.O is constructed to be elegant in the similar items. In the first picture, Mrs.O is constructed to be semiformal in attending an outdoor event, it can be seen by the combination of gray tee-shirt with floral skirt which looks more relax than the second picture. Then, to see how she is constructed in the similar items but looks more formal, it can be seen in the second picture which is constructed by the additional item of floral blazer over her gray tee-shirt. Actually the elegant feeling which is occurred in the both of Mrs.O s fashion style above more tends to the use of similar items in the different occasion Elegant here has tendency refers to how Mrs.O takes advantage of her same items in the same day rather than the meaning itself that is attractive. The strategy of creating both of her fashion style above implies that in conducting her role as First Lady Mrs.O is aware that she has rush agenda which force her to be punctual and be simple as what elegant women tend to be; elegant women know how to be simple in conducting their rush time. She understands that she has to keep her collection of clothes in a tight quantity in order for her to remain well-dressed within a reasonable amount of time and enables her to be punctual ( accessed on Friday, February , pm). It means that elegant woman recognizes that they have no much time to be well-dressed while she has many agendas in the same day which bent them to be punctual. Thus, it can clearly be seen that the use of similar items itself actually functions to help Mrs.O to be well dressed and punctual in attending some

114 digilib.uns.ac.id 102 agendas in the same day. As what elegant tends to be, that is simple; this kind of strategy belongs to a simple way to be well-dressed without waste much time. In creating new style with the same items, Mrs.O is able to keep her simplicity but still looks fashionable to make her to be punctual in attending some agendas in the same day. In other words, in conducting her role as First Lady who has many agendas in the same day, Mrs.O is constructed to be simple in elegant style which functions to make her to be punctual in attending those agendas. Her combination of tee-shirt and floral skirt in the first picture above is strong enough to represent her as an elegant and fashionable woman. If you want to look simple yet fashionable with your floral skirt then you can always wear those tee shirts ( accessed on Friday, February , pm). Moreover, gray color over her tee-shirt above belongs to neutral color which is traditionally used in constructing classic and elegant style; as what stated in the literature review, gray is a neutral, balanced color. It is a cool, conservative color that seldom evokes strong emotion although it can be seen as a cloudy or moody color. So, it means that her choice of gray color over her attire above which is paired with floral skirt above is actually strong enough to show her simplicity in dressing as what classic and elegant style tend to be. As what her commitment in her debut as American First lady that is being modest, in her constructed style above Mrs.O is able to prove it. She has good enough quality clothes that enable her to be well-dressed without wasting much time just for choosing a proper style to attend some agendas. Moreover, as First lady, Mrs.O is aware that she should be look attractive; thus, here she is also

115 digilib.uns.ac.id 103 constructed to be fashionable woman who is able to dress according to the occasion with proper style. Furthermore, elegant style also creates attractive impression, to see how the media constructs Mrs.O to be an attractive woman; it can be seen from the picture below: Pic22. Mrs.O s fashion style in the cover of O Magazine The picture above also becomes the indexical meaning which is occurred as a photograph. Related with elegant impression, the O magazine tries to show the attractiveness of Mrs.O in being the first African-American First Lady. Through her constructed style of coral dress, a soft yellow cardigan and waist belt above Mrs.O is able to prove American People that she could show her attractiveness even if she is a black woman which does not belong to American beauty paradigm. Konstantin (EzineArticles.com Expert Author) states bright, daring colors such as coral are very "in" right now, and look fabulous on almost any skin tone. These fun shades are for the adventurous, and sure to put you in the spotlight. It means that black woman also could be attractive over the use of bright color as like white women, and it can be represented by the magazine cover above

116 digilib.uns.ac.id 104 in which the media tries to prove American People that Mrs.O could become attractive by her combination of coral dress with yellow cardigan. In the media, the image of Mrs.O as First Lady is not only constructed as a feminine woman, but she is also constructed as an intellectual attractive woman. Since she is one of American outlooks, she is supposed to be an attractive woman. Thus, as what occurred in the O Magazine Cover above, the media tries to illustrate Mrs.O s attractiveness through her coral dress which is strengthened by the additional color of soft yellow cardigan. As stated in the literature review, yellow is very effective for attracting attention; yellow is associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. As well in constructing Mrs.O to be an attractive woman, the media also constructs Mrs.O to be an intellectual woman. As stated in the literature review, behind every great man, there's a great woman. Indirectly, in the cover above the media tries to show American People that behind a great man as Barrack Obama, there is a great woman as Mrs.O. In other words, the media wants American People know that they have a great woman as their First Lady who could support her husband in leading this country. Here the use of cardigan itself also represent how Mrs.O typically creates atmosphere inside the society, once again that the cardigan strengthens the implication that the wearer feels comfort. So, it means that the media wants to show American People that as American First Lady, Mrs.O feels comfort to be with them in any occasions and try to make them to be as well as her. Considering she is a fashionable woman; in the O Magazine Cover above, the media tries to keep that image by adding her common additional accessory, such as waist belt

117 digilib.uns.ac.id 105 over her coral dress, Konstantin (EzineArticles.com Expert Author) states a belt is optional with the coral dress. It is clearly can be seen that the media tries to construct the first African-American First Lady to be a representation of fashionable black woman. Through her constructed style in the magazine cover above, Mrs.O is supposed to be able to convey American black people to be more confidence; moreover she is supposed to convey black people to follow her way in creating attractive appearance without aware about the American beauty paradigm. Here, the media perfectly constructs Mrs.O to be an attractive black woman, both attractive in style and attractive in behavior. 4. Smart and Influential Previous impressions have proved that Mrs.O is portrayed most on her physical appearance, especially on her fashion style. Further in these impressions, her fashion style still becomes the main part in constructing her image. Considering that Mrs.O is a well-educated woman, and has been graduated from distinguished university; then in constructing theses kind of impressions she is constructed to be intelligent woman who represent her country over people in the world. These kinds of image can be seen from the picture below:

118 digilib.uns.ac.id 106 Pic23. Mrs.O s fashion style when celebrated her historic evening in being American First Lady The picture above shows Mrs.O s fashion style for her appearance when her husband was elected as the US President; and here she looks attractive over her red dress. Her constructed style for her debut as the president s spouse above implies that Mrs.O wants to show American Society that while her husband honored as the US president, consequently she would also belong to be one of American influential women in the present day. This kind of impression can be seen from her combination of red and black color over her dress above. As what stated in the literature review, red represents excitement, energy, passion, desire, movement, speed, strength, health, good fortune, vigor, power, heat, love, all things intense and passionate; Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery. Thus, the combination of color above is strong enough to represent the strengthen of leadership. From the picture above, it clearly can be seen that in her debut as the American First Lady, Mrs.O tries to represent her power as the influential woman behind a great man. Considering one of her roles as First Lady is balancing her husband s power through her feminine commit qualities; to user her red dress above also signifies

119 digilib.uns.ac.id 107 that she tries to spread her love for America Society as a mother. Moreover, related to Obama s slogan that is In change we believe, red color over her dress above signifies that Mrs.O wants to invite American Society to move together in uniting their power to make America to be better under her husband leadership. She tries to convey American Society that they have power to make the dreams come true because they can always do better than this. Since this occasion belongs to her debut in celebrating her husband s triumph; through the energy which is produced by red color itself Mrs.O wants to fire the spirit of American society to be happy in enjoying the moment. So, it clearly can be seen that in starting her role as American First Lady, Mrs.O is able to send her messages from the use of red color over her dress above. Besides, to strengthen the impression of leadership s power, black color over her dress above also implies that in her debut moment in being American First Lady, Mrs.O wants to be looking great as an elegant woman but powerful inside. It also implies that she wants to strengthen her image in front of American Society so that she could convey them about her husband power. Through this impression, Mrs.O wants to convey them that her husband has strength to bring America into the better live. Since this moment belongs to occasion which conveying power, thus the combination of red and black color over her dress above is strong enough to represent it. To see how Mrs.O constructs her smart and influential impression also could be seen from the picture below:

120 digilib.uns.ac.id 108 Pic24. Mrs.O s fashion style when welcomed members of the US Winter Olympics Team to the White House The picture above is Mrs.O s fashion style when she is conducting her role as the White House Hostess. Being the First Lady, she is supposed to be attractive; and related to her role as the White House Hostess, she should be able to welcome and make the guesses of The White House feel comfortable in their visit. Thus, to make her accepted by American Society, she should be able to represent herself and conduct her role as American First Lady. In the picture above, through her orange dress Mrs.O is constructed to be smart woman. Smart here could be meant that she knows how to construct her fashion style based on the occasion and smart as a well-educated woman. Smart people knows how to synchronize their appearance with the occasion and how to conduct their responsibilities. Then, to see how she is constructed to be smart woman, her orange dress above is strong enough to represent it. As First Lady who is supposed to be attractive, her orange dress above implies that Mrs.O tries to be an attractive woman as what First Lady should be; as what stated in the literature review, orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and

121 digilib.uns.ac.id 109 stimulation. Related to her role as The White House Hostess, through this kind of attractiveness, Mrs.O wants to show the guesses about how interesting to be in The White House, and tries to invite them to have visit for the second time. Moreover, through her orange dress above, Mrs.O wants to produce cheerful atmosphere to make the guesses feel pleasant to be in The White House. In conducting her role as the president s spouse, through her orange dress above Mrs.O also wants to represent herself as a well-educated woman. Since she has been graduated from a good university, Mrs.O wants to show it to American Society so that there is no wonder about her capability in helping her husband to bring America and it s society into the better life. So, it clearly can be seen that through her orange dress above Mrs.O could prove American Society that she is smart in fashion because she could balance her appearance with her role as American First Lady. She knows how to be looking great as First Lady in front of American Society. Moreover, she is able to represent herself as a well-educated woman who is able to conduct her role as American First Lady and convey American Society to keep belief in her ability to help her husband in leading America. The picture below also has the same impression:

122 digilib.uns.ac.id 110 Pic25. Mrs.O s fashion style when attended the opening ceremony of the 121st IOC Session at the Copenhagen Opera House As American First Lady, Mrs.O would consequently be a representation of her country. In conducting her role outer surface of America, the importance of her fashion style above aims to represent America over people in the world and inform them about America. Thus, Mrs.O is supposed to be smart in choosing her wardrobe so that it could make a good vision about America. The picture above shows clearly the importance of the smart and influential impressions which should be brought when Mrs.O conducts her role as First Lady. Her fashion style above has purpose to drag the mood of the public to the feel of gold attire first before moving to feel the other mood. It means that the offer of Mrs.O s appearance above becomes the first impression of her constructed image. Thus, through her fashion style Mrs.O should represent her personality as a well-educated woman. Her gold dress above is the important aspect in showing what kind of atmosphere which is wanted to be emphasized by Mrs.O through her fashion style. In having conference which commits the other country representation, these kind of impressions are really needed commit to to balance user the atmosphere because there is

123 digilib.uns.ac.id 111 no doubt that there will be many educated people inside. As stated in the literature review, gold represents the sun, male energy, wealth, financial wisdom, security, understanding, luck, conscious mind, attracting happiness, activity, intelligence. Thus, it clearly can be seen that through the importance meaning behind her gold dress above, Mrs.O could represent her personality as a well educated woman in front of the other representations, further it strengthens her image as a smart woman. In attending the world event such kind of the event above, through her gold dress Mrs.O also wants people consider deeply the message behind it. Her gold dress indicates that Mrs.O wants to show the positive side of America to all people over the world. In other words, related to her role as a representation of her country, through her fashion style above Mrs.O tries to prove the people that America is a welfare and influential country. This kind of impression also can be found in her style below: Pic26. Mrs. O when arrived at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City for her three-day visit to Mexico In the picture above Mrs.O looks beautiful over her fabulous blue floral dress. As American First Lady, one of her agendas is visiting another country to

124 digilib.uns.ac.id 112 tighten the relationship between America with them, and how Mrs.O constructs her fashion style for this agenda can be seen from the picture of her visit to Mexico above. Mrs.O is smart in choosing fashion style which is proper to her, and it can be seen from the picture above which shows her stunning style over her blue floral dress. As First Lady, she is aware that she is going to be the public attention and a representation of her country. Thus, through her style above, Mrs.O tries to create her first impression as American First Lady to be great. As First Lady, through her constructed style above, Mrs.O tries to show her feminine side in being president s spouse to the public. In other words, conducting her role as the president s spouse who should balances her husband s power, Mrs.O tries to build her calmness as First Lady to constructs her first impression, and it can be seen through the use of her blue dress. As stated in the literature review, blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness; and once again that dress is only worn by women who have a will to show their feminine side. Thus, her constructed style above is good enough to build her first impression as First Lady. Considering that a visit functions to make a good relation with another country; thus, her calmness which is represented by her blue dress is really important to start it. Once again that as stated in the literature review, behind every great man, there's a great woman; blue is linked to consciousness and intellect. So it means that through her constructed style above, Mrs.O wants to prove the public that she is an influential woman behind the president.

125 digilib.uns.ac.id 113 As a representation of America, Mrs.O is supposed to be able to represent some aspects of her country, especially represent her husband as the president. Through her fashion style above which is dominated by blue color, it can be indicated that Mrs.O wants to show the public that she is representing an influential country. It can be seen by the combination of blue dress with red ballet flats, as stated in the literature review, when used together with warm colors like yellow or red, blue can create high-impact, vibrant designs. Thus, her constructed style above can be connoted that Mrs.O is a symbol of an influential country which has high-impact, that is America. So, it means that in her visit to Mexico, Mrs.O wants to build her impression through her fashion style to be an influential woman because she is a representation of an influential country. Besides, as a wife of the US president who comes from Democratic Political Party, Mrs.O tries to show the public about what political party her husband affiliated with. Since election night 2000 the color blue has become the identified color of the Democratic Party ( accessed on Tuesday, May 17, 2011). Thus, her blue dress above is strong enough to represent that her husband, Barack Obama is from US Democratic Political Party. picture below: The other impression of smart and influential could be also seen from the

126 digilib.uns.ac.id 114 Pic27. Mrs.O s fashion style when visited the Department of Justice, discussing upholding equality and fairness The picture above is Mrs.O s fashion style when she is conducting her role as the president s spouse in revealing her own program. Here, Mrs.O is constructed through her purple top combined with black skirt in constructing her smart and influential image. Related to her role as First Lady, in this style Mrs.O is constructed to represent what message she wants to send to the public, that is equality and fairness. As stated in the literature review, purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Then, through the stability of blue color inside her purple top above, Mrs.O tries to represent the occasion she attended, that is discussing upholding equality and fairness. Moreover, through the energy of red color, it implies that Mrs.O has energy and ambition in keeping this discussion so that it could run well. As American First Lady, she also wants to show American society that even in conducting her role as First Lady she is supposed to be feminine, but she also has power to be a leader. It can be illustrated by the use of black pencil skirt for her attire in attending the discussion commit event; to user her skirt itself is strong enough to

127 digilib.uns.ac.id 115 show her feminine side, while black color over her skirt represents her power in handling this discussion. Thus, her combination style above is strong enough to build her as an influential woman. As the indexical meaning of these kinds of impressions, it can be seen from the picture below: Pic28. Mrs.O s fashion style in the cover of Newsweek Magazine The media also makes a shot on Mrs.O s smart image which represents her as a well educated woman in the Newsweek Magazine cover. Clearly, the image of her smart and influential appearance has any correlations to her political action as First Lady. As the president s spouse, Mrs.O has role to represent her husband. Here, Newsweek Magazine, the news magazine which covering current events and politics in America, tries to shows the public that Mrs.O is a smart and influential woman who has capability in handling her role as American First Lady since she has been graduated from a good university. Yet, this image does give big impact in conveying America people to believe that America could be better under the leadership of Barrack Obama which has slogan Yes we can.

128 digilib.uns.ac.id 116 The picture above has an important meaning because of the placement of the picture itself. The picture is placed in the magazine cover which means having a function to be the opening gate of the impression. Through her constructed style over the Newsweek Magazine cover above, the media tries to help Mrs.O in creating American s trust toward her husband leadership. As the former president who comes from black people, there is no wonder that there should be more efforts to convey American society to believe over his capability. Thus, Mrs.O s fashion style in the opening gate of Newsweek Magazine above could be an approach to strengthen the public trust over her husband debut as The US President. Moreover, the media constructs her in a representative attire; related to her Let's Move Initiative program which concerns about the children health in struggling obesity, through her constructed style above which implies the seriousness of blue color, the media tries to represent it. Here, through her fashion style which is dominated by dark blue dress, the media wants to inform American People that Mrs.O really concerns about her programs, such as fighting children obesity. Thus, she needs to build her influential image to convey American Society so that they could move together to succeed it. Her constructed style above implies that Mrs.O wants to remind the parents to be responsive toward their children health, and feed them with good nutrition food, such as healthy vegetables and fruits. As stated in the literature review, blue is linked to consciousness and intellect; while dark blue represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness. So it means that her dark blue dress

129 digilib.uns.ac.id 117 is an important aspect which not only could represent Mrs.O s personality as welleducated woman, but it also could represent her focus on children health. The influential impression of Mrs.O as American First Lady could be seen in the picture below: Pic.29. Mrs.O is in New York, visiting the U.N. headquarters for the United Nations General Assembly Different from the previous picture which signify smart impression, in her constructed style above Mrs.O wants to strengthen her influential image which is dominated by red color over her wardrobe. As stated in the literature review, red represents strength, health, good fortune, vigor, power, heat, love; you can use it when promoting energy drinks, games, cars, items related to sports and high physical activity. Thus, her constructed style above implies that in conducting her role as American First Lady, Mrs.O could be a good representation of her country because she tries to represent the power which consequently brings America to be influential country with good fortune inside. Moreover, she wants to show the public that she has power in conducting her responsibilities as First Lady, and she has influence role behind

130 digilib.uns.ac.id 118 her husband leadership. Related to her purpose in succeeding her programs such as Let s Move initiative, her red dress can be associated to sports and high physical activity. So, it means that the influential image of Mrs.O which is triggered from her constructed style above is the important message which is delivered to American Society. The indexical meaning of the image above which is emphasized in detail can be seen in the Glamour Magazine cover. It is the same as the function of the previous meaning- the red wardrobe which is worn by Mrs.O. As stated in the literature review, red which is also being a part of connotative meaning is often used to evoke health and power feelings. Here the picture of Mrs.O in the Glamour Magazine Cover which offers her influential impression: Pic30. Mrs.O s fashion style in the cover of Glamour Magazine The picture above is another example of indexical meaning which delivers the image of Mrs.O as the first African-American First Lady. Related to her skin color which does not belong to American beauty paradigm which is dominated by straight skin women, it is difficult for Mrs.O to construct her appearance to be accepted as beautiful woman by American People. Thus, from