Lady sees Red

Three ladies in red send the First Lady rushing to change

Tim Reid in
Washington

It is bad enough when you turn up at a party to discover that somebody else is wearing the same exclusive and hideously expensive dress. It is even worse if the formal party is at the White House, and the guests include the President of the United States. But when you are the First Lady and no fewer than three of your guests arrive wearing the same Oscar de la Renta outfit as you, there is only one thing to do: run upstairs and change. The offending black-tie White House reception on Sunday night has already become known as the Ladies in Red party. In a fashion faux pas not seen in Washington since Jimmy Carter persisted in wearing a very unpresidential cardigan in the Oval Office, Laura Bush arrived to host the black-tie reception only to see that three of her guests were wearing exactly the same gown.

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