World watches Obama, Sarkozy — forget the husbands

It's been billed as one of the major face-offs of the NATO summit, and it had nothing to do with troops in Afghanistan or relations with Russia.

No, it was the breathlessly anticipated moment on Friday when two of the most scrutinized women on the planet — Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy — finally met, in the grandeur of an 18th-century palace in Strasbourg, France.

Only a day earlier, the airwaves had been filled with dissections of Mrs. Obama's meeting in London with Queen Elizabeth II — how the two had bonded, despite what some in Britain implied was a mild faux pas on the first lady's part of draping her arm briefly around the monarch.

All due respect to the queen. But suddenly on Friday that story seemed so, well ... yesterday.

"Fashion Face-off," wrote Britain's Guardian newspaper of the meeting between Mrs. Obama and Bruni-Sarkozy, wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Others called it a "Style Summit" between "the First Ladies who Lunch." Women's Wear Daily wrote in an online update that the "much drumrolled First Lady fashion showdown" had confirmed that both women were "sticklers for their pet designers."

Even the Hollywood entertainment site E! Online posted an item on "European summit fashion" — undoubtedly a first. (It added: "Yeah, we never thought we'd say that.")

The meeting began with a friendly "Bonjour!" from Mrs. Obama as the couples approached each other, then a French-style double-cheek kiss between the women.

Then it was time for the presidents to greet the opposing spouse. While Sarkozy and Mrs. Obama kissed, the other pair did not, leading to a vigorous debate in the blogosphere: Did Bruni-Sarkozy suddenly turn shy and avoid a customary kiss from the U.S. president?

Or was it Obama who hesitated? Or, more likely, did Bruni-Sarkozy anticipate that Obama MIGHT hesitate, and thus hesitate herself? Or did Obama ... well, never mind.

Because the focus was really on fashion. And for the record, the women did not look exceedingly different. Each wore a stylish but proper coat with a bow at the neck — for Mrs. Obama a black silk number flecked with fuschia flowers by Thakoon, one of her favorite designers, whose ivory tweed coat she wore to board Air Force One in Washington.