Before Laura Bush settled on a dress, she sent designer Michael Faircloth to the Smithsonian to see what colors hadn’t yet been worn by other First Ladies. He came back recommending ruby red, a shade that became her signature as much as literacy activism. The form-fitting gown, with long sleeves and a scoop neck, is crystal-embroidered Chantilly lace over silk georgette. But while many admired Bush’s gown, the man who designed her mother-in-law’s inaugural outfit was left unimpressed. Arnold Scaasi went so far as to call the scoop neck “strange” in his memoir. In the fashion industry, those have got to be fightin’ words.