cindy mccain

New First Lady Jewelry Fashion: The Pearls Vs. The Brooch

Filed under: Jewelry

The Democratic and Republican National Conventions are over and now the real political campaigns begin in earnest. Increased attention has been focused on the fashions of the potential first ladies, Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama. As we recently reported, Vanity Fair tallied up the cost of one of Cindy McCain's outfits finding that it topped $300,000 (helped along by a pair of $280,000 diamond earrings). While current First Lady Laura Bush sometimes wears a single strand of pearls, Cindy McCain upped that look, wearing her glowing four-strand pearl necklace on several key RNC occasions including the speech introducing her husband.

Michelle Obama has also worn pearls at several events but her signature look just may be the creative use of the brooch. She has worn a variety of pins on various occasions such as the flower brooch she wore on her dress strap when she was on The View, the cluster of rose pins she wore on her Thakoon Panichgul dress on the night of her husband's acceptance speech, and, most famously the turquoise and silver brooch she wore for her own speech at the Democratic National Convention. Both the rose pins and the brooch are said to be Erickson Beamon designs. Vanity Fair estimates Cindy McCain's four-strand pearl necklace as costing between $11,000–$25,000.

Tags: cindy mccain, fashion, first lady, michelle obama

Cindy McCain's $300,000 Outfit for the RNC

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Events, Celebrity Shopping

Thanks to the calculator-savvy fashion dept. over at Vanity Fair, we've got an estimated grand total for Cindy McCain's outfit from Tuesday evening's Republican National Convention festivities. The final cha-ching? $300,000. Highlights include her Oscar de la Renta fierce-collared shirtdress, a pair of $280,000 diamond sparklers and Chanel's J12 white ceramic watch. The shoes have yet to be identified -- any guesses readers? (I'm betting Manolo.)

At least in the realm of fashion, Cindy is the elitist in this race. Remember Michelle Obama's pick for her appearance on The View? A $148 number from mass chain White and Black.

[via Vanity Fair]

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Tags: chanel, cindy mccain, CindyMccain, diamonds, elitist, michelle obama, MichelleObama, oscar de la renta, OscarDeLaRenta, repubican national convention, RepubicanNationalConvention, the view, TheView, white and black, WhiteAndBlack

Operation Smile, Charity of the Day

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity of the Day

Recently named non-profit organization of the year by the Direct Marketing Association's Non-Profit Federation, Operation Smile has performed over 115,000 surgeries to repair children's cleft lips and cleft palates. Dr. Bill (a plastic surgeon) and Kathy (a clinical social worker) McGee founded Operation Smile in 1982 and have since organized missions in 26 countries annually, where medical volunteers travel to perform free surgeries on children and young adults with facial deformities. A popular cause among many high-profile socials (Donald Trump, Jr. and his wife recently volunteered in Nicaragua), Operation Smile stands to gain even greater public prominence -- Cindy McCain sits on the board.

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Tags: charity, cindy mccain, CindyMccain, cleft lip, cleft palate, CleftLip, CleftPalate, donald trump jr., DonaldTrumpJr., medical volunteers, MedicalVolunteers, operation smile, OperationSmile

John McCain's Former Home, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's home in Phoenix, Arizona was once the home of John and Cindy McCain. The home, on over two acres, was Cindy McCain's childhood home, where she was raised as a privileged beer distributor's daughter. When the McCains lived there they spent $250,000 remodeling the home back in the 1980s. In 2006, the couple downsized into a condo and put the home on the market. When I first heard about it in 2006, they had a bit of trouble selling the house, listing it for around $3.75 million.

The current owner is going for a bit more. They have listed the home, which has seven bedrooms in the main house and two bedrooms in the guest house, for a hefty $12 million. The home includes a master suite with a Mexican-tiled private patio with a spa and built-in fireplace and seating. The gourmet kitchen has slate floors, granite counters and heavy commercial stainless steel appliances. The guest house also has an attached his/her dressing cabana. More pics at the virtual tour. It seems to have had quite the renovation since the McCains lived there. Check out the pics from 2005 when Architectural Digest visited the McCains. It's virtually unrecognizable except for certain telling details like the fireplace in the master bedroom. I have to say, I prefer Cindy McCain's version of this house.

For more prime properties and lush locations, see Luxury Homes and Mansions.

Gallery: McCain's Phoenix Home