Was Janna Ryan’s RNC Dress A Michelle Obama Rip-Off?

by Hilary George-Parkin | 5:12 pm, August 30th, 2012

The pleated neckline, the slim-fit…we thought something looked familiar. And indeed! The forest green Talbots sheath that Janna Ryan wore to last night’s Republican National Convention address looks an awful lot like the one a certain First Lady wore on the cover of Vogue back in March 2009, just months after her husband took office.

While Michelle Obama‘s raspberry silk Jason Wu number came with a four-figure price tag, Ryan’s brushed-wool dress is available on the Talbots website for only $169. But besides color, price, and fabric, the dresses are remarkably similar — both are sleeveless styles with banded, pleated necklines, knee-length hems, and subtle seams at the waist.

But don’t take our word for it, judge for yourself:

Enable JavaScript to check out our fancy slideshow.

1.A full-length view of the Talbots dress.

Janna with Paul and their family

2.A closer look at the neckline.

Michelle and Paul's mother Elizabeth

3.Michelle in the raspberry Jason Wu look.

Vogue March 2009 by Annie Leibovitz

4.The lighting here makes the dress look almost like separates, plus she's added a brooch, but it's definitely the same sheath from the cover.

Michelle with Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg

5.Awfully similar, don't you think?

The dresses side by side

Janna Ryan Jason Wu Michelle Obama Republican National Convention Talbots Vogue

Anonymous

The green one is prettier and less expensive. I like the fact I could actually go out and buy it if I wanted to. Also, lots of dresses look alike, so I think it’s kind of silly to call it a “rip off.”
UXLKMZJXVQ PYRRXEZAFPKB

The
green one is prettier and less expensive. I like the fact I could
actually go out and buy it if I wanted to. Also, lots of dresses look
alike, so I think it’s kind of silly to call it a “rip off.”

http://www.transfac.com/
Not exactly a rip off

I agree – while the necklines are similar, it was (is?) a very popular neckline. I have several dresses from Target with a similar neckline. Additionally, it looks like the Jason Wu dress has two different kinds of fabrics. I think calling this a “rip off” is a stretch…at best. I like that Janna Ryan shops at Talbots for one of the biggest nights (I would guess) of her life. Seems down to earth.

Was Janna Ryan’s RNC Dress A Michelle Obama Rip-Off?

Most Popular Articles

Follow Us

Tips

Style Dish

Login

Style Sheets