( CNN ) -- As Inauguration Day approaches , the question on everyone 's lips is : What will the first lady be wearing ? Glitz , gowns and government bigwigs will all be on display at Monday 's parade of inaugural pomp and circumstance . President Barack Obama will be ceremonially sworn into his second term in office by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts around midday . After the daytime events , which will include the inaugural address and parade , the president and first lady Michelle Obama will end their night by taking to the dance floor at two inaugural balls . While the formal events bring out their fair share of celebrities , media mavens , and the just-darn-lucky citizens who scored tickets online , there will be only one belle of the ball : The first lady . Lessons in style from Michelle Obama . Behold one of the most prized traditions of the inaugural season : the wait for the dress . The hype around the inaugural ball gown is the closest thing this side of the pond to a royal wedding gown , and it 's approached with the same gusto . `` There has always been an interest in what the first lady is wearing . Photographs and descriptions of the inaugural gown and who designed it have been news for decades , '' said Lisa Kathleen Graddy , the curator of The Smithsonian 's First Ladies Collection at the National Museum of American History . `` Sometimes sketches and descriptions of the dress and even formal photographs of the incoming first lady wearing the dress were released in advance to newspapers , '' she said . After all , it is typically the country 's collective first impression of the first lady . Mr. President , who are you wearing ? Monday evening , the president and first lady will attend the Commander in Chief 's Ball , which honors service members and their families , a tradition started by former President George W. Bush ; and at the Inaugural Ball , the president and first lady will celebrate with people around the country who bought tickets to attend . At the 2009 inaugural balls , Michelle Obama donned a white chiffon , one-shoulder dress created by Jason Wu , a then up-and-coming , 26-year-old Taiwanese-born designer . She did n't reveal who or what she would be wearing until she stepped out that night . Wu 's name is now mentioned in the same breath as heavy-hitting designers like Oscar de la Renta , Carolina Hererra , Marc Jacobs and Diane Von Furstenberg . That now-iconic gown is part of `` A First Lady 's Debut , '' a collection on display at The Smithsonian . Included in the display are the gowns worn by the 11 most recent first ladies , beginning with Mamie Eisenhower . The museum also houses The First Ladies Collection , which displays clothing worn by earlier White House residents . `` When we look at the gown that Jackie Kennedy wore 50 years ago , or the one that Mary Todd Lincoln wore more than a hundred years before that , it really takes us beyond the history books and the photographs , and it helps us understand that history is really made by real live people , '' said the current first lady at the unveiling of her gown in March 2010 . She continued : `` The detail of each gown -- the fabric , the cut , the color -- tells us something much more about each single first lady . It 's a visual reminder that we each come from such different backgrounds , from different generations , and from different walks of life . '' Graddy said Mamie Eisenhower , Jacqueline Kennedy and Nancy Reagan in particular captured the look and feel of their eras -- the early '50s , '60s and '80s , respectively . Mamie Eisenhower 's iconic inaugural ball gown was designed by Jewish-American fashion designer Nettie Rosenstein , who championed ready-to-wear fashion and is credited by many with popularizing the `` little black dress . '' It was a sparkling pink creation , made with 2,000 rhinestones . `` First Lady Pink '' soon became a popular color choice for ladies of the decade . While Eisenhower was quintessential 1950s , Jacqueline Kennedy went signature '60s with a gown by Ethel Frankau of Bergdorf Custom Salon . Frankau , who based the gown on descriptions and consultations with Mrs. Kennedy , created a slim , straight silhouette . A chiffon overlay covered an encrusted , off-white strapless bodice ( wearing strapless couture without some sort of covering was considered risquÃ© at the time ) . Meanwhile , Nancy Reagan 's hand-beaded gown by American couturier James Galanos cost $ 22,500 and oozed the Hollywood glamour that she and her actor-turned-politician husband brought to the White House . It 's a given that no matter how handsome President Obama might look in his tuxedo at the galas , all eyes will be on his companion . `` The first lady is both an American celebrity and one of the most visible representatives of the nation . She 's 'our ' first lady and our pride and interest , and curiosity , extends to what she wears , '' Graddy said . See the past 100 years ' worth of inaugural outfits in the gallery above . Follow CNN Living on Facebook and writer Sarah LeTrent on Twitter .
News is buzzing over what the first lady will wear to the inaugural ball . Michelle says : A gown choice ` ` tells us something much more about each single first . '' Six of the 11 most recent first ladies are on display at the Smithsonian .