It was President Obama’s second inauguration — but it had all the glitz and glamour of a star-studded fashion show.  , always in vogue, surprised many with her designer choice for the outdoor ceremony, wearing a navy coat and dress by New York City-based Thom Browne. She also wore Cathy Waterman pearls and J. Crew “Valentina” pumps.  Competing for fashion plaudits was the gorgeous  , who emerged from the Capitol on Monday morning in a fitted black Emilio Pucci gown with a dapper, scarf-draped Jay-Z at her side.  Her rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” was one of the memorable moments Monday — and it was also a bipartisan one.  Both Vice President Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan, the GOP’s 2012 candidate for veep, were enthralled — and cameras captured Ryan grinning behind the hip-hop power couple.  The crowd for the inuguration ceremony was dotted with fewer bold-faced names than four years ago, and the evening’s program was also toned down: two official inaugural balls were scheduled, down from 10 for Obama’s first go-round.  But buzzed-about gowns, dazzling performances and celebrity sightings still turned out plenty of gossip fodder at the daytime festivities and the evening’s inaugural balls.  Jennifer Hudson sang the romantic Al Green classic “Let’s Stay Together” as the Obamas danced, tenderly holding each other close, at the Commander-in-Chief’s Ball.  Swooning partygoers, moved by the emotional scene, held up their cell phones and filmed the First Couple’s sweet embrace.  They later repeated the same routine, twice, on both floors of the larger Inaugural Ball.  The glamorous day and glitzy night started and ended with the stylish Mrs. O., who added a J. Crew belt and a pair of plum leather gloves for the swearing-in ceremony, swapping her ladylike pumps for black leather Reed Krakoff boots.  The sturdy silk fabric for her dress was modeled on the classic look of a men’s tie, a White House aide dished.  “The First Lady has changed the landscape of American fashion by paving her own way, mixing and matching custom-made clothes with off-the-rack pieces,” J. Crew President Jenna Lyons told the Daily News. “She does so with elegance and a beautiful sense of style.”  First Daughters Sasha and Malia were preppy and pretty in solid bright purple and cobalt, clearly following in their mother’s fashionable footsteps.  Malia, 14, wore head-to-toe J. Crew, layering a blue wool-crepe “Teddy” dress under a feminine “Lady Coat” in purple. Little sis Sasha, 11, wore a lavender Kate Spade coat in a flared cut and a matching Kate Spade dress, working a trendy and age-appropriate look.  Both girls wore sensible ballet flats.  The three Obama ladies famously wore J. Crew to the 2009 inauguration and helped reshape the way Americans viewed the brand.  This time around, Beyoncé nearly stole the First Family’s thunder with her curve-hugging gown, Lorraine Schwartz emerald jewelry, cascading blonde locks — even a tangerine-colored manicure.  “She has an amazing energy and a flawless body to match,” Emilio Pucci creative director Peter Dundas told the Daily News about the custom gown he created for the superstar.  Former President Bill Clinton also set tongues wagging when he was seen “photo-bombing” songstress Kelly Clarkson during her soulful rendition of “My Country, ’Tis of Thee.”  Other celebs in attendance during the day included Eva Longoria, who wore a rose-colored leather Bally trench; a Rodarte-clad Katy Perry with on-again boyfriend John Mayer; country crooner Brad Paisley and singer-songwriter James Taylor.  But the most talked about styles of the celebratory day were saved for the ritzy parties after dark. A-listers attending or performing at the galas included Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson and Marc Anthony.  Grammy-nominated New York City-based band fun. was a crowd favorite, singing their chart-topping single “We Are Young,” along with other hits.  The music was top-shelf, but still the First Lady made the boldest statment, partying in a red Jason Wu custom number — a show-stopping chiffon and velvet halter-neck gown. She paired it with jewelry by Kimberly McDonald and Jimmy Choo shoes.  The belle of the ball showed confidence and sex appeal while showcasing her famous biceps. And her outfit was destined to be remembered — it will end up in the National Archives, the White House said.  Wu was so excited about the choice, he tweeted: “#inshock!!!”  Michelle also wore Jason Wu to the 2009 inaugural ball, turning the little-known New York City fashion darling into a household name who eventually scored his own line in Target stores.  The First Lady gave her hair a shakeup for party time, playing it sleek and straight during the day but opting for flirty flips at night.  “Some may dispute the quality of our President, but nobody disputes the quality of our First Lady,” Obama said in an adorable introduction of his “date” at the evening’s festivities.  called the Jason Wu gown a home run, but wished the First Lady would have given another, lesser-known designer a chance at the big leagues.  “I like this dress much better than the first one — it’s a better choice,” Verdi opined. “It’s not as princess-y as the 2009 dress. It’s a more objectifying dress. It’s sexier for sure.”  But a red dress always gets people talking, and this one was no diffferent.  “I think when you have that much power to tee up an influential American designer — although that’s not her job — it’s nice to spread it around,” Verdi added.  “I wish it were another designer because she’s done such amazing things for our American fashion designers, our very unique talent pool, and now it’s Jason Wu’s night again,” he said.  The President made a statement of his own, wearing a white bow tie. Verdi called the look “younger and cooler” than a conventional black tie.  Keys, clad in a beaded red Michael Kors dress, apparently liked the look. The R&B star with the amazing pipes kicked off the first ball with a new version of her hit song, “Girl on Fire,” which became “Obama is on fire,” in her revision.
The First Family of Fashion kept it simple and chic, effortlessly mixing fast fashion and custom creations in shades of lavender, plum, navy and cobalt at Monday’s inauguration festivities. Michelle Obama surprised in a custom navy Thom Browne coat and dress, a clear nod to Democratic blue.