Did Michelle Obama wear a Donna Ricco dress on the View

women feel about a potential first lady who wears an inexpensive, off-the-rack dress to co-host "The View?"

Pretty darn enthusiastic.

After Michelle Obama mentioned on "The View" on Wednesday that she bought her B sundress at a store called White House/Black Market, women started pouring into the retail chain's stores, clamoring for the $148 dress designed by Donna Ricco.

"Women literally were snatching (that dress) Cocktailjurken 2013 up," Jessica Wells, a spokeswoman for the White House/Black Market, which has 322 stores across the country, told the Wall Eenvoudige Trouwjurken Street Journal.

Turns out it may not only be time for a political change, it may also be time for a change of clothes when it comes to first ladies.

"I'd put her in an Oprah sphere in terms of influence," Tom Julian, prez of the Tom Julian Group, a New York City-based brand consultancy, told the WSJ.

Later, speaking to the Dish Rag, Julian predicted that Obama will change the face of political fashion in that she could be the first first lady to wear both high and low-end fashion.

"She will bring affordable American sportswear to the forefront, and this is very appealing to the Middle American woman voter. I can also see her as a Vanessa Williams, Halle Berry, Angela Bassett-style dresser. She's modern -- a boomer, a woman of color with a real shape. It will be interesting what she picks as a signature piece, and I predict that it will be in the sportswear realm."

He also says he would not be surprised to see her embrace some black designers such as Kevan Hall and Tracy Reese, to tell a modern American fashion story during the upcoming election.

Speaking solely for myself, how incredibly refreshing to see an intelligent, articulate woman who shops for herself, doesn't use a stylist and doesn't think a designer name means she's better dressed than someone else. Michelle just likes to look pretty and comfortable. How novel.

I far prefer this woman's fashion sense to that other one, you know, the waifish blond beer heiress who goes with Secret Service agents to Oscar de la Renta's swanky Manhattan showroom to check out his designer wares.

Speaking as someone who has worn a $129 dress from Urban Outfitters to the Oscars (more than once) and gotten compliments on it from total strangers, Michelle, I salute you!

She wore a $148 Donna Ricco dress purchased from the store White House Black Market. Ricoo is a New York designer, and who has now been deluged with requests for her designs since the first lady wore one on The View!

"Michelle Obama's TV appearance in a black-and-white dress has turned into lots of green for one lucky New York City designer.

When the First Lady contender announced on "The View" Wednesday that she had purchased the leaf-print number from White House Black Market, callers deluged the shop with requests for the $148 frock.

Some Internet shoppers discovered the garment on the Trouwjurk 2012 Web site of its original designer, Donna Ricco.

Some Internet shoppers discovered the garment on the Web site of its original designer, Donna Ricco.

"All of a sudden our phones were ringing off the hooks," Ricco said from her Seventh Ave. showroom. "Everyone wanted this dress."

The fortysomething New Yorker has been crafting pieces for stores like White House Black Market, Macy's and Nordstrom for 20 years. As soon as customers made the connection, requests started pouring in directly to her.

Within hours, Ricco's entire stock of 78 dresses was exhausted. And now she is working frantically to get 3,000 more Obama dresses into White House Black Market by September.

At the Fifth Ave. store yesterday, more than a dozen shoppers stopped in specifically for the frock.

"I saw the dress before, liked it, just never got around to going in. And then I saw Michelle Obama wearing it and she looked so amazing in it and I thought, 'Okay, if it can do that for her, I'll go try it on,'" said Susan Ricci, 49, a Manhattan nonprofit administrator, who will wear hers to a garden party.

Judy Pruet, 54, of Alabama, who was in town visiting her daughter, also picked up the empire-waisted dress.

"I saw it on 'The View' but didn't make the connection until I saw it in the store window as we were walking down Fifth Ave.," she said. "It fits me perfectly. Michelle Obama has great taste."