Mrs. O

Evolution of Style

Laura Emily — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:45:55 +0000

Like many of you, I have followed Michelle Obama’s public profile since the early days of her husband’s run for the Presidency. Whilst closely following Mrs Obama’s dedication to public policy through initiatives such as Let’s Move and Joining Forces, I’ve also been watching how her fantastic sense of style has evolved since she moved into the White House back in January 2009.

It is clear that the First Lady is dedicated to reworking her wardrobe and re-wearing many of the pieces within it. Nothing is off limits, and Mrs Obama has repeated many of her outfits, regardless of who designed them. It was great to recently see the reappearance of the Thakoon inside-out dress at the Joining Forces hiring initiative on Tuesday 30^th April, especially as we first saw this striking floral piece during the 2008 Presidential campaign. Other recent reappearances include the lovely Jason Wu ivory raw-silk dress with hand embroidered embellishments at the First Lady’s visit to the Department of the Interior, a crimson pleated georgette dress by Michael Kors at the signing ceremony of the Maryland Veterans Full Employment Act, and a Prabal Gurung charcoal brush painted rose silk twill gazar dress and coat to the Easter Service at St John’s Episcopal Church. I love it when I recognize a piece from the First Lady’s wardrobe, the sense of familiarity reminding me it’s okay to repeat and re-wear something that I really love.

Mrs Obama seems to be shifting towards more structured dresses, favoring sheaths by designers such as L’Wren Scott, Jason Wu and Narciso Rodriguez. We particularly saw this trend on the First Lady’s recent Vogue Magazine cover, where she wore a cerulean blue and purple sheath dress by Reed Krakoff. Striking in its unique design, this choice is indicative of Mrs Obama’s passion to be different, picking classic pieces with that little bit of a twist.

We’ve also seen Mrs O embrace powerful pops of color, veering at times towards palettes of neon hues. One of her most recent choices was the bright plum merino knitwear set by J Crew Collection, debuted on a visit with military families at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The First Lady also chose a bright and spring-like yellow Preen pantsuit for the Memphis Soul workshop at the White House in early April. These bold choices remind us that it’s good to be brave, and embrace a daring piece to shake up our personal style.

Mrs Obama continues to use statement accessories to accent her outfits, but we have seen a shift away from the belts that adorned her waist through many of her first term appearances. Big and bold pieces by designers such as Alexis Bittar and Miriam Haskall now make regular appearances, whilst the First Lady continues to introduce fresh jewelry designers such as Catherine Angiel and Kimberly McDonald for many evening events and black tie appearances. Mrs O also continues to wear pins on a frequent basis, steering towards simple and effective floral pieces from designers such as Alexis Bittar and Hattie Carnegie.

We all remember the media circus when the White House tweeted a photograph of Mrs Obama with her new hairstyle. The discussion surrounding her adoption of bangs in January this year proved as monumental as when Hillary Rodham Clinton wore a scrunchie or chose a pantsuit in a new hue. This is perhaps one of the biggest evolutionary style moves, and will be one of the memorable moments that we will all remember when we look back at Mrs Obama’s time as First Lady.

Despite this big (and successful!) change, Mrs Obama continues to display many of her original stylish characteristics that transfixed an industry and made us fall in love with her. It is great to see that Mrs Obama remains steadily loyal to J Crew, encouraging us all to improve our wardrobes with standout pieces from this beloved American store. Newly debuted J Crew pieces include the pink and navy scalloped flats worn for her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel, and a casual floral stripe tee debuted at the White House Easter Egg Roll. Introducing new and fun pieces into her wardrobe inspires us all to continue to evolve our sense of personal style, and I thought of Mrs O as my own style inspiration when I purchased a pair of the leopard Etta pumps at J Crew a few weeks ago.

Michelle Obama is a rare, and utterly authentic public figure. Her confidence is a complete inspiration, and she brilliantly displays her personality through her sartorial choices. In a recent Vogue interview, Mrs Obama maintained, “women should wear whatever makes them feel good about themselves. [If] you’re comfortable in your clothes it’s easy to connect with people and make them feel comfortable as well.” Isn’t this a great mantra that we should all be living by?

Laura-Emily Dunn is the founder and editor of Political Style. Follow her on Twitter, here.

Prabal Print and a Prince

Mrs. T — Fri, 10 May 2013 00:42:44 +0000

The White House had a sepcial guest today: HRH Prince Harry! Prince Harry joined the First Lady for a White House event to honor military mothers.

On the fashion front, Mrs. O wore a Prabal Gurung Resort 2013 dress, previously seen here.

Roksanda Repeat

Mrs. T — Thu, 09 May 2013 01:11:00 +0000

The First Lady presented the 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service to 10 institutions from across the country in a ceremony held in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday. For the event, Mrs. O wore a purple Roksanda Illincic dress, previously seen here and here in 2011.

American Grown

Mrs. T — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:16:00 +0000

The First Lady signed copies of her book "American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America," during a signing event at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. For the event, Mrs. O wore a blue and gold pleated skirt paired with an embellished navy floral top.

For a detail view:

Update: Reader lisam has spotted Mrs. O's top, the Marygrace Sweater by Tory Burch, available here. The bracelets are from Alexis Bittar, part of the designer's Elements Collection.

Pretty in Preen

Mrs. T — Sun, 05 May 2013 23:51:30 +0000

Mrs. O spoke at the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. on Friday. For the appearance, Mrs. O wore a colorblock Preen Pre-Fall 2012 dress, previously seen here in 2012.

Thakoon Revisited

Mrs. T — Fri, 03 May 2013 00:44:53 +0000

The First Lady spoke about the Joining Forces hiring initiative for military veterans and spouses in an event held in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday.

For the event, Mrs. O wore a Thakoon inside-out dress from the designer's Fall 2008 collection, first seen at a 2008 presidential debate here. Red pointed toe pumps completed the look.

Suit and a Statement Earring

Mrs. T — Fri, 03 May 2013 00:42:37 +0000

The First Lady spoke at the White House Forum on Military Credentialing and Licensing in Washington, DC on Monday. For the speaking engagement, Mrs. O wore a grey pinstripe suit paired with a purple blouse. The accessory star: Miriam Haskell oxidized silver plated brass earrings with agate crystals and glass.

White House Correspondents' Dinner

Mrs. T — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 02:26:30 +0000

Tonight marks the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel, hosted by Conan O'Brian. For the formal event, dubbed the "nerd prom" by the media set, Mrs. O chose a black beaded, draped chiffon goddess gown with high neckline in Chantilly lace by designer Monique Lhuillier.

More to follow and happy weekend!

Update: Mrs. O wore earrings from New York-based jewelry designer Catherine Angiel, confirmed by the designer on Twitter here.

Jet Set

Mrs. T — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:07:41 +0000

The President and First Lady flew to Dallas, Texas today, where they will join former presidents in inaugurating the presidential library and museum of George W. Bush. Arriving at Dallas Love Field Airport, Mrs. O wore a pink draped neck dress (a new frock, perhaps?) paired with a black belt and cropped cardigan. Silver heels completed the look.

Update: At the dedication of the presidential center, Mrs. O re-wore a powder blue Zac Posen suit, previously seen here for the official welcome ceremony for British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha Cameron at the White House in March 2012.

While in Texas, the Obamas also attended a memorial for victims of the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas held at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

An Old Jason Wu is New Again

Mrs. T — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:07:16 +0000

Mrs. O visited the Department of the Interior yesterday wearing a Jason Wu dress that dates back almost five years, first seen here during a November 2008 interview with Barbara Walters. The dress hails from the designer's Spring 2009 collection, made of ivory raw-silk dress with hand-embroidered rosettes. Several years later, the dress is on-trend with this season's black and white palette. The First Lady embraced other old favorites yesterday, pairing the dress with her famed Alaia belt and a cropped black cardigan.