Parsing the Pink at the Presidential Debates Oh, how embarrassing! In the annals of rich-lady problems, showing up to the party in the same dress as another guest is likely to result in a tormenting night of uncomfortable stares and tittering. Showing up in the same color? Well, that's usually just being trendy, but when the guests are Michelle Obama and Ann Romney, both of whom wore pink outfits to the presidential debate on Tuesday, people are going to talk. They were still talking on Wednesday morning, as it happened, at a press conference in the garment district, where designers could not but help gabbing about pinkgate. "It was kind of cringe-worthy," said Yeohlee Teng. "What can you do?" asked Nanette Lepore. I guess be as gracious as possible. But I got a tweet saying Ann Romney was wearing blue nail polish! You don't say. "It didn't even register to me," said Stan Herman, one of those people who are becoming so anxious over this election that he spent the night running upstairs and downstairs in his apartment to avoid actually watching the debate. As other people are wont to do in these sorts of situations, they assumed the best. It is a good bet that Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Romney, who are well aware that their outfits will be parsed in these situations, made the association of the color pink with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is October. Since there is no color to represent the cause of women's reproductive rights, pink seemed a safe bet to telegraph the message that they are in favor of women. Still, it was odd that the wives chose the same shade of Pepto (Schiaparelli Pink, if we're being fancy). Mrs. Obama wore a dress and jacket by Michael Kors, which the designer described as a "neon bouclé crepe seamed princess sheath and jacket." Mrs. Romney wore a textured pink dress, and a shawl that was derided in online commentary as looking like a rug. It took some digging, but a spokeswoman for Ms. Romney later said they were both by Oscar de la Renta. From a fashion-meets-politics perspective, neither outfit was really standout. They were noteworthy only for their mutual color. In the interest of gender equality, it should be noted that their husbands wore suits and ties. But can you imagine if the candidates had been so bold as to wear pink?