2012 fashion and style on the world stage
When American swimmer and fashion lover Ryan Lochte won his first gold medal, he stepped up to the podium and gave a big grin -- revealing a custom made jewel-encrusted American flag dental grill. The United States looked on, embarrassed. Lochte bared more than that when he was photographed on Vogue’s June cover running arm in arm on a beach with fellow Olympians Serena Williams and Hope Solo, all clad in tasteful bathing suits. (June, July) (Hannibal Hanschke / EPA)
Fashion and style on the world stage, at the Olympic Games, during the presidential election and beyond.
The queen’s Diamond Jubilee was a chance to look back at 60 years of colorful suits and hats. And everyone seemed more than eager to hop aboard the royal train, including Pantone, which color-coded her highness’ most iconic outfits, and Taschen, which published a coffee table book chronicling the royal family. (February) (Andy Rain / EPA)
The frenzy surrounding the historic landing of NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity was nearly eclipsed by the instant Internet celebrity of Bobak Ferdowsi (far right), the mohawk-haired flight director at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. (August) (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
When Mitt Romney formally introduced Paul Ryan as his running mate, many fashion pundits were distracted by Ryan’s wardrobe for the occasion: an ill-fitting coat, pants that hung baggy at the ankles and no tie. We compared the ensemble to David Byrne’s absurdly oversized suit from “Stop Making Sense.” The RNC must have hired Ryan a stylist after the event, because later in the campaign Ryan began to look more like a potential candidate for the second- highest office in the land and less like a 14-year-old wearing his dad’s clothes. (August) (Saul Loeb / AFP Getty Images)
First Lady Michelle Obama has been praised for her chic sense of style, and now her daughters are receiving similar acclaim. First Daughters Sasha (wearing Chris Benz) and Malia Obama (in Gregory Parkinson) garnered particular attention for choosing colorful, full short skirts to celebrate their father’s reelection. Meanwhile, HMX, the parent company of President Obama’s go-to suit label Hart Schaffner Marx, filed for bankruptcy just a month before the election. By the end of the year, Authentic Brands Group -- the company that owns the licensing rights to Marilyn Monroe’s likeness -- had snapped it up for a reported $72.3 million. (October, November, December) (Chris Carlson / AP)