Michelle Obama's inaugural gown ... what will it be?

Before a First Lady had even been "elected," Project Runway alumni were challenged to design an inaugural gown. My girl Leann Marshall, self-described fashion assassin and winner of Season 5, stepped up her game to create a fetching frock out of potato sacks. Unfortunately, it was better suited to Cindy McCain. Really. She would have rocked it. Maybe she could wear something like it when her husband is presented the Mr. Incongeniality Award.

Thankfully, it will be Michelle O. twirling 'round the dance floor on Inauguration Night. With the notable exception of the very Halloweeny dress she selected for Election Night, Mrs. Obama is impeccable in her taste. I wonder how she'd look in red velvet or silk. One blogger has suggested a turquoise satin gown with a sweetheart neckline. I'm open to that. She was pretty in periwinkle on the cover of Newsweek. Very flattering color. Wow, this is not inaugurally appropriate but, wow.

I have only one request of her: Please don't choose a gown with pockets. I'm so sick of seeing celebrities and socialites slouching about in evening gowns with their hands shoved into their pockets. No woman is supposed to look that comfortable in a formal dress. I fully expect them to start mopily kicking a can that fell out of their skirt.

What do you think Mrs. O should wear?

Waaaaaaaaaa. Life isn't fair, whines McCain

John McComplain said Thursday that Barack Obama’s poll numbers are rising as the economy seems to sink "because life isn’t fair.” It's hard to say who's more annoying, McComplain or Project Runway's sniveling rude-ster Kenley. I think they are soul mates.

Welcome back, Project Runway!

Picture a big stack of plastic cups. Now, imagine what would happen if you cut them into pieces, ironed them and molded them into a dress. Daniel, one of the contestants in the new season of Project Runway, did precisely that, producing the polymerific, bluetacular sensation pictured here. (I can make up words too, Mr. President.)

Project Runway competitors design and create outfits each week in keeping with an assigned theme—with a limited amount of time and a shoestring budget. (Think Soapbox Derby, but with needle and thread.) Last week, contestants were herded into a grocery store and told to grab items (such as blue plastic cups) with which they would design and create a dress. Many of the contestants chose to work with, ho hum, tablecloths. But the more innovative went all out, filling their carts with lawn chairs, flyswatters, pasta, diapers, coffee filters, vacuum cleaner bags, mops, oven mitts, kale and tomatoes.

Jerry was the first contestant to get kicked off the show, after sending his model down the runway wearing a shower curtain and yellow dishwashing gloves. The judges' critique of the outfit? "It looks like something you'd wear if you were killing someone." Indeed.

P.S. I miss you Chris. Love, Henry.

Fur is dead. Long live hair!

(If Wednesday night's episode of Project Runway is still parked on your TiVo, this is your official spoiler alert.)

Chris, a man after my own heart, showed tremendous humaneness in his use of HUMAN HAIR as the trim for his would-be, now-won't-be, Fashion Week designs. I think this one in particular was fabulous. But at least one person in this household worries that the skirt, fetching though it is, could conceivably be mistaken for an unkempt lady garden.

I only wish Chris had revealed the source of his raw material. I worry that Cher, Elvira and Ozzy Osbourne may have been herded up, thrown in the clink and shaved against their will.