Okay, they just could NOT be better looking.
Here's our new First Lady and President (every time someone says it, I still get a little shiver) on their way to the swearing-in. Michelle Obama is wearing an outfit by Isabel Toledo.
It was a citrus-yellow wool lace sheath with a jeweled collar and jacket, paired with green gloves and green (!!!) Jimmy Choo pumps. Man, I hope those shoes were comfy, because she was in the things aaaaaaaall day, most of it on her feet. The coat was lined, and it seems like there was a matching scarf and maybe even a cardigan tucked or attached in there. I hope the lining of that coat was substantial, because it was freaking FREEZING in D.C. today.
They're a good-looking bunch, aren't they? (Although, Barack, sweetie... You're the leader of the free world now. Surely you can get someone to hem your pants.)
Opinion is sharply divided on this outfit. Some people think the fabric was too upholstery-like, but I love that heavy wool lace. It's a love-it-or-hate-it color, as well. It's certainly not a traditional color for this sort of occasion (Jill Biden went that route, with her gray shift dress and bright red coat -- not that I'm complaining, she looked great, too); but it's a color that looks great on her, and, sorry to buy into the cliché, but yellow is sunny and optimistic and I think that suits the mood of the day.
She wore Narciso Rodriguez on Monday to the event that kicked off the festivities on Monday. This is gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.
Speaking of clichés, Rodriguez's tailoring has become a bit of one, but in the best possible way. There's no arguing about it. His lines are clean, his colors are beautiful, and I don't think I've ever seen a woman wear his clothes and look bad.
This may be my favorite:
This coat makes me NUTS. So fantastic -- I don't know who the designer is, if anyone does I hope they'll let me know. And would you look at the purple gloves? I? Could die. Mrs. Obama is a tall woman with great presence -- this coat might overwhelm someone more petite, with those bell sleeves and that great big collar, but she can pull it off. Really, really good.
And then, the Big Event:
The dress is by Jason Wu, a very young American designer who is for my money the heir apparent to Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera. It's a lovely floaty white cotton with appliqués and beading and quite a lot of skirt. Maybe, honestly, too much skirt. She had a lot of trouble maneuvering it while dancing with her husband, she stepped on it frequently and seemed to catch it on the heel of her shoe, and the shape is not the most flattering I've seen on her. In general I can't recommend a gathered skirt like that on a pear-shaped woman, no matter how tall or elegant she is. Still --the dress itself is fresh and lovely and unexpected, so I'm willing to forgive the skirt.
More soon on Inaugural Day fashion.
Congratulations, America! We look great!!
Photos: newsday.com, huffingtonpost.com, Getty Images
10 comments:
here's info on the fabulous coat:
http://www.mrs-o.org/?p=2964
Mrs. O is my go-to blog for Obama Fashion. They're on top of everything!
I thought your new president and first lady looked fabulous yesterday! But I was surprised to see Mr. Obama in a white tie, without a tail-coat. Or is this a new trend I'm not aware of?
Karen G.
Look, Mrs. Obama has a unique and exciting sense of style. That coat with the purple gloves was to die for! The Narcisco Rodriguez outfit was totally chic! Her campaign wardrobe was tremendous....everything from a Prada-esque skirt and sweater ensemble with flats to that magnificent black belted purple dress.
What the hell happened yesterday?
I was disappointed with her choices because I felt that she could have looked so much more stunning.
The yellow was a great color for her, but the outfit itself was just too matronly. And how could she not be freezing cold?
I love camel. It's flattering on just about everyone. Is that coat double-faced with black on the inside? I bet it's cashmere.
I almost fainted at that bell coat. Perfect color, perfect shape and purple gloves! Can't beat it.
*sigh* I liked what she was going for with the dress, and she pulled off white without looking bridal, but I just can't get behind it. You're right, the skirt just doesn't flatter her as much as it should. And the horizontal stuff on the bodice doesn't either. But what great shoulders!
Also, his shirt collar was turned down. That's not usually done with white-tie, either. Odd.
Karen G.
Judith Thurman may have more accurate info on the Isabel Toledo outfit than Cathy Horyn. She interviewed the Toledos and wrote in a New Yorker blog that an inter-layer of pashmina, not "netting," was added for warmth. Horyn also wrote that Michelle O. wore a jeweled necklace; it was actually part of the dress. http://is.gd/gDu2
I am a huge fan of Isabel and Ruben Toledo and thought the daytime ensemble was exciting and fresh. The white prom-queen ball gown ... not so much. "A" for effort, though.
I liked the color of the gloves or the shoes, but not both in one outfit. I think she should have ditched the cardi and gone with red shoes for the day outfit.
But then I liked the skirt of her ball gown, but not the too much detail on the bodice. I found it distracting.
But on the whole she is lovely, took risks that mostly worked, and is wonderful to watch. Love Mrs. O.
I like her and I like that she's taking risks. Was the Wu gown perhaps a bit too whimsical for such a momentous occasion (I mean there *were* dragonflies and what looked like either very small crabs or spiders on the detail shot I saw)? Probably but good gravy, I'd far rather see that than some boring schlumpy phoned-in thing.
Last night's dress was beautiful, but darlings, she needed a crinoline and some other foundation garments. Without them it made the dress look like granny's bedspread.
Did you see her at this morning's prayer service? Again another dress without the proper foundation garments. It made her look rather dumpy IMO. The flats didn't help.
Not sure but the coat outfit in yellow seems to on my computer to show a greenish yellow. That would make sense of the green gloves etc. Still I wish she had choosen better by choosing lighter clour n gloves/purse shoes. These would be the only changes I could see needed. She may have worn all yellow to be visable ,to all the SS. And CNN said she added the one shoulder strap as to avoid any wardrobe accidents ( which makes sense)...k
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