VISUAL CULTURE AND STYLE OF THE FIRST LADY (PART TWO)

BARBARA BUSH *

Liliana Boyanova

Barbara Bush is wife of George Bush Senior – ex-president of USA and father of the present American president George Bush Junior. She was first lady between 1989 and 1993. She is famous as fervent adherent of the traditions and always supporting the opinion of her husband. The association founded by her for popularization of the literacy – “Barbara Bush Foundation for family literacy” won her supporters and admirers. She is considered as one of the most engaged with different causes first ladies during her mandate. Just she leads fight with the illiteracy in national and world dimension and provokes public debate about the problem. Barbara believed that the illiteracy is in the centre of all social problems and injustices. For this her cause she is working with volunteer organizations and experts of the National program for fight with the illiteracy. In October 1990 Barbara organizes international conference for the problems of the illiteracy, as in addition to this she participates in dozens of initiatives that fight with this problem. The one significant trip abroad that the first lady makes during her mandate is this to Costa Rica, where she represents The United States during the ceremony of entering on duties of the president Rafael Calderon. This was the first diplomatic engagement of the president wife – to join all inhabitants of the country to the triumph of the democratic values with the coming into power of this president. Although Barbara Bush liked the trip after it makes it clear that such kind of things won’t happen often, because she doesn’t want to intervene in the foreign policy. The Barbara Bush’s mandate as first lady characterizes with almost zero political activity although this visit. She affirmed openly that se doesn’t want to occupy with nothing else except with the family and household engagements.

With her not so fine figure and unrefined appearance Barbara Bush – ex-first lady and mother of the present president of the United States – George Bush, doesn’t fit in the refined image of stylish and fashion first lady, created by her predecessor Nancy Reagan. With white hair, fleshy, mockingly she announced that "there are many hat, white-haired, lined ladies ... very happy" to see someone like them in the White house.

Although Mrs. Bush had won popularity for her simple and unostentatious style and doesn’t like especially to talk of fashion and tendencies, she had favorite designers. His name is Arnold Scaasi. For Barbara he says that she doesn’t like to discuss the fashion and clothes, “she just wants to look good” and that’s all. Scaasi himself, born in Canada, is notable figure of the American fashion stage during 25 years. His models especially the evening dresses, long time are narrative for the wardrobe of every woman who wants to look stylish. But since the already ex-first lady chose him for personal designer, after she started to look better than whenever, his career received strong stimulus upstairs at the step of the success. Although Barbara wasn’t interested especially if she will be photographed, wearing sweater and trousers in khaki, the press and the American women were interested. For example, her passion to wear necklaces with three rows artificial pearls as accessory to the clothing, gave back this kind jewel again at fashion and not only this, but this brings to the merchants hundreds thousands dollars earnings. For the wedding of her granddaughter Jenna, Barbara chose model tunic of one of the most popular and loved of the first ladies modeler – Oscar de la Renta. During her mandate, in the wardrobe of the ex-fist lady she had as his models, as clothes, made especially for her by Badgley Mischka and Bill Blas. For the Barbara’s jewels took cares the famous jeweler Kenneth Jane Lain, famous with the fact that he had consulted what accessories to wear Hillary Clinton, as the present first lady Lora Bush.

Although she is a wife of the president and she tries to be fashion, differences of Barbara Bush with the stylish, elite and very refined her predecessor – Nancy Reagan – are obtrusive. To Barbara is missing those interior delicacy and finesse that emanates Nancy Reagan. In contrast to Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush doesn’t distinguish with especially elegant and remembering style of clothing among the fist ladies of USA. Even at the photo, where she and her husband George as new president couple are photographed with their predecessors – Nancy and Ronald Reagan, it is seen clearly the difference in the styles of both families, especially at the ladies. While Nancy is in elegant red dress, combined with red belt to underline her waist, Barbara is wearing bright blue suit of two parts that instead of giving her fresh, stylish detachment, makes her look older and makes her optically larger. The trade mark of Barbara Bush – the necklace with three rows artificial pearls is part of her styling not only of the selected in Appendix 2, but of the almost all the rest her photos. However, instead giving to her aristocratic detachment, at some of the photos it looks as inappropriate supplement to her clothing, for example at the photo from 1991, where the first lady tries to stamp the paw of her pet on card for the holidays. Instead of provoking sympathy, Barbara looks ridicule with her exceptionally ornate appearance – light blue suit, pearly jewels, earrings and hair-style in as if the informal situation.

From the photos makes conspicuous the snow-white hair of the first lady that she refuses to color. This from one side gives to her detachment wisdom, but from other suggest to the thought for insufficient care of the appearance and negligence of the image.

Analysis of Barbara’s photos during the years shows that she dresses in suits of two parts with similar cut that have big brilliant buttons. With similar suit, she is even drawn at her official portrait in the White House. In conclusion, after an analysis of the photo material of Barbara Bush, we can conclude that her appearance is too simple and in most of the cases, it is incompatible with the title first lady. Barbara looks severe and stiff; she emanates sharpness and the lines of her figure rest the feeling of clumsiness and rudeness. To the mother of the present president George Bush are missing in some degree the refinement and the fine elegance that make notable the charisma of the personality and suggest those special feeling of grace and class, characteristic for her predecessor Nancy Reagan.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

* The series ofLiliana Boyanovais a partof hermaster’s thesis „Style and public imageof the first ladyofUSA and her media presence (Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Lora Bush)”, defended in 2008 with excellent markand honorary diplomain theFaculty of journalism and mass communication. Director of studiesProf. Dr.Lubomir Stoykov, reviewerProf. Doctor of Philology SciencesMilko Petrov.

Photos of Barbara Bush in different toilets:

	Barbara 15-years-old, 1940
	Barbara Bush (in the centre) with her family. From her left side we see the present president of the United States – George Bush Junior, the early 60s
	Barbara Bush and her husband – George Bush Senior, together with the former president Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy, ceremony of the awarding of Reagan with the highest degree of state medal „Medal of the freedom” for exceptional merits and contribution to the development of America, 1993
	Barbara with children in the White House and an employee in the tea-room of the president residence. The first lady tries to put stamp of the paw of the president pet Millie at holiday card, 1991
	The fist ladies Nancy Reagan, Lady Bird Johnson, Hillary Clinton, Rozalin Carter, Betty Ford and Barbara Bush (from left to right) sitting at one table during gala evening in honor of the first ladies of the United States, 11th May, 1994
	Barbara Bush at the official portrait in the White House
	Barbara Bush in 1999