Michelle Obama & Ann Romney's Debate Outfits: FLOTUS In Blue, Mrs. Romney In White (PHOTOS)

While their spouses duked it out over healthcare, the tax code and unemployment in the first 2012 presidential debate , Michelle Obama and Ann Romney perched proudly in the front row at the University of Denver for the big night.

Let's look at style, shall we? FLOTUS wore a dress and a blue jacket from Preen's fall 2011 collection , and it was a thrifty choice: she'd worn it twice before , our favorite Mrs. O blog notes.

Mrs. Romney, on the other hand, opted for an all-white look plucked from a well-chosen neutral color palette. (Real talk: she's had some recent disasters with black and bright colors .) And... did she cut her hair? We'll explore that more on Thursday.

Though jabs flew onstage, FLOTUS and Mrs. Romney -- recent cookie recipe foes -- greeted each other warmly, even pausing for a hug.

See pics below! Who do you like better, style-wise?

PHOTOS:

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