The fashion world appears to have a new darling. Immediately after Michelle Obama mentioned on "The View" yesterday that she bought her striking sundress at White House/Black Market, women started pouring into the retail chain's stores, clamoring for the $148 dress.

"Women literally were snatching it up," says Jessica Wells, a spokeswoman for the company, which has 322 stores across the country. White House/Black Market did not have sales numbers on the cotton-blend dress, which was only available in stores, but did say that it sold out at some locations.

While the country is waiting to see what long-term political impact Democratic candidate Barack Obama will have, the verdict already appears to be in on the influence his wife will have on style.

Tall, poised and elegant, Ms. Obama is emerging as a new high-profile clotheshorse upon which designers and retailers are pinning their hopes. While the word "Camelot" has been bandied about when discussing the sartorial projections of Ms. Obama fueled in part by the 1950s flip hairdo that she sometimes favors her style sensibility is expected to have broad appeal.

"I'd put her in an Oprah sphere" in terms of influence, says Tom Julian, president of the Tom Julian Group, a New York City-based brand consultancy, who predicts this is just the beginning of Mrs. Obama's ability to drive sales because of her broad appeal. "She's modern a boomer, woman of color with a real shape and a real mind. This potential First Wife can forge ahead with a Midwest sense coupled with a dynamic personality."
Indeed, the 44-year-old Princeton- and Harvard-educated lawyer represents and has much of what many women admire: her own impressive resume, confidence, and, perhaps just as important, a real woman's body (unlike recent celebrity style icons such as the lithe Sarah Jessica Parker). Her clothes seem carefully chosen to show that she is in shape without projecting an inaccessible skinniness.

Just witness Ms. Obama's penchant for sleeveless dresses. On the night her husband accepted the Democratic nomination for president, she emerged in a vibrant, purple sheath and large Jackie-O pearls. The black-and-white frock she chose for her coming out at "The View" flaunted her slender arms. The look exudes a casual comfort with her body.

Retailers are paying attention. After "The View" yesterday, White House/Black Market released a statement announcing that Mrs. Obama had worn their "tank leaf print dress," noting that she had said, "It's fun to look pretty." This morning, the retailer was rushing to get more of the dresses into stores.