London Flower Power
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 4:28 PM 
Photo by Jeff Moore / Splash News
Media outlets, particularly those overseas, have been abuzz over Mrs. O's most recent ensemble, worn as the first lady left Westminster Abbey in Central London yesterday. Mrs. O wore a sheer tunic, adorned with layers of embroidered floral trim, over a pair of slim black pants and white tank. A polka dot Sonia Rykiel belt cinched the waist, and a layered cardigan in yellow with purple trim (Hanii Y perhaps?) topped the ensemble. Mrs. O's ToyWatch in ultra violet added the final punch of color. Should anyone recognize Mrs. O's tunic, we would love an anonymous tip!
Reviews have been a bit mixed (as they usually are when the first lady makes a bold fashion move). Of the look, New York magazine said, "Michelle Obama Can't Always be Perfect," while the Daily Mail named Mrs. O, "the First Lady of Flamboyance." Our take? We like that Mrs. O has fun with her style. Her ensemble seems to project a playful, bright mood, and who can fault that? (Kat, you inspired the title for this post! Just perfect.)
To see more ensembles from Mrs. O's trip to London this week, click here. We have to say, we've felt a bit conflicted about what to cover and what not to. Technically, Mrs. O and her daugters are on a private vacation. Some of the photos feel very intrusive (peering into car windows, etc.), so we'll only feature those where Mrs. O is making a more formal, public appearance.
Today the first lady (wearing an argyle J.Crew cardigan) and her daughters braved the rain to visit Leavesdon Studios, where the Harry Potter films are made. Hope they had fun!
Sonia Rykiel, ToyWatch
Reader Comments (256)
McKinley, thank you!
Briana, sweetie ignore them! Michelle will never win with some.
It's never been about Mrs O's fashion and style for many of these people - Never has and never will be -
So let's not take the bait.
I'm sure the whole of central London heard me exclaim "OMG". Words fail me, which in this case is not a bad thing because I really don't know where to begin with this look. Mrs. O is on vacation and clearly having fun. I really cannot say any more than that.
The FL’s surprise visit to a London gastro pub made the front pages here. Mrs. O was reported to be “looking her usual glamorous self”. The two waitresses who served the FL and her entourage had this to say:
"We where speechless when they walked in. I couldn't believe it. They were all very friendly. They made us feel calm". It was a joy to read what they said about the girls: "The girls were so sweet and polite. They thanked us every time we brought them something. It was a real honour." (credit: thelondonpaper)
Mrs. O and her family sure leave a lasting impression. ;-)
I hate this to be my first comment, but I am so disappointed with the outfit. I always thought that Mrs. O was very meticulous of what she wore. Was it boredom that led her to wear this hideous outfit? I hope not, because she is a representative of the United States of America even when she is on vacation. I don't think I ever saw a First Lady of the United States of America wear such an awful outfit - and that includes Barbara Bush with her granny outfits.
Ladies, especially the ones criticizing Mrs O, please remember Mrs O suggestion to us all, and I'll paraphrase it, "Do you". In order words wear what makes You happy, comfortable, at peace with yourself. Mrs O, nor anyone who for the most part lives to some degree in the "public eye" will meet everyone's expectations and style; that's way to much pressure and stress for anyone to have to carry. So she does what has always worked for her, even before she became our FLOTUS. She looks adorable, she's on vacation with her girls and wants to mix things up a bit, have some fun with them. Let's see what Mrs O does repeatedly as a good example to all of us - be your own person, create your own style, be adventurous, be different, color outside the lines, get out of the box! And all the while, have FUN! Notice, that when it's time to dress for a specific occassion she knows how to do it. Well, every occassion does not call for a Michael Kors, or Thakoon, or any other "mainstream" designer. The same off the wall comments were made about India.Arie's and Erika Babu's fashions when they first came on the scene in the music industry. But all the negative comments in the world didn't sway those strong women to tow the line of "mainstream" fashion, instead they created their own style and wore and still wear them proud! Good for them!
I want the necklace, see below for a closer look:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39362905@N08/3613477847/
Okay, I will agree that a different color and cut of pants would have pulled it together. Like a nice flow-y linen pants with no crease, wide leg in white or well, any color that she has on. But I do like the tunic.
I SO agree with you, Nonpasserat! Mrs. O. looks as if she got dressed in the dark. Like it or not, she is an American icon, and as such she needs to dress like the grown, intelligent, respected woman that she is and not some teenager having "fun" with her outfit.
Plus que le printemps, c'est l'été qui s'annonce avec cette tunique inattendue !
Comme à son habitude Mrs. 0. est éclatante et souriante !
I've been to London and I've been inside Wesminster Abbey. You see all sorts of people from around the world. Mrs. O would not have been out of place. I think the ensemble is perhaps just too "young" for her to pull off. There are lots of bright splashes of colors on Londoners in spring and summer but they are sensible people. It rains a lot and darker colors are more practical. We got caught in a sudden downpour right outside Buckingham Palace (in the middle of August) and looked like we fell into the Thames within the space of five minutes! I have to say, I favored dark colors just in London just from a practical point of view.
Mrs. O did make a concession to the sacred nature of the Abbey that many seem to have missed: Just as if she were in France or Italy, she covered her arms.
The tunic outfit is too wedding-cakey, but the watch is on the money. The men in the photo do not seem amused.
I'm so overjoyed to finally be able to post on this exciting website!! Thanks Mrs. T.
I live in Japan and I've been visiting the site since last year. The Obamas are well loved here to the extent that school kids have adopted the "Yes we can" chant.
Back to Lady Michelle's outit, I can totally see how her fashion spirit rhymes with that of her favorite TV show "Sex and the City". Plus she's on vacation with a small delegation including young people, so her fun side shines through. Its always good to see her look so happy.
OH YEEES! BEAUTIFULL , FRESH, FANTASY , ORIGINAL tunic.
I wish i can afford one like this... and i will wear it with a white pant, one cartigan( purple). Probably i will not add a belt , but why not, it would depend on my mood and the tunic fabric.
Mrs O is confident, she assume her choice and that is the most important thing.
OH YEEES! BEAUTIFULL , FRESH, FANTASY , ORIGINAL tunic.
I wish i can afford one like this... and i will wear it with a white pant, one cartigan( purple). Probably i will not add a belt , but why not, it would depend on my mood and the tunic fabric.
Mrs O is confident, she assume her choice and that is the most important thing.
LOL @ RH. I am Christian and we generally believe a church is more than just a building, it's the PEOPLE who come to worship. Anyway, from what I read, she was there for a tour of the church premises rather than a church service. I really don't see the offense she committed in the sense you are referring to.
Another view http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article6470675.ece
Mrs. O is the mother of 11 and 8 year old daughters and on vacation. HAVE FUN!!! LOOK JAZZY!!!
Just my two cents. It is a very busy tunic but it would be beautiful when worn right
1. It is too lightweight for spring day wear, summer maybe. But I'm in London and that day was not warm enough for that outfit.
2. Worn with white linen pants, that outfit would have been knockout to wear to lunch in summer or for a stroll by the beach in the evening.
3. Accessories should be kept to a minimum when wearing a busy tunic such as this so the belt shold have gone altogether or should have been white.
4. The double cardi's are very innovative but I'm not quite feeling it.
All in all, I love Michelle but I'm not bowled over by this look.
Chill out, she is on vacation with her daughters who are both under 12.
True, and if this outfit were on one of those under-12 girls, it might be OK--although even then I would say it didn't fit the occasion or the weather. I really cannot imagine any of the accomplished women I know even thinking of wearing this outfit, except, as I said in a previous message, that the tunic might work as a swimsuit cover-up or. as others have said, as a loose-fitting top over cotton pants in white or a color that picks up the colors in the tunic. And that would be w/o the belt and the cardigans.
Michelle's favorite TV show might be SATC, but she is neither Carrie Bradshaw nor Sarah Jessica Parker.
This outfit has staying power. The more you look at it, the more interesting it gets. In close-up, the top appears to be a thin, sheer fabric (silk organza?) -- not at all a weather-appropriate choice for London in early June, when there's a chill in the air. When you think about when and how one might normally wear it — in mid-July, for an evening barbecue on the patio, with white capris and sandals or even flip-flops, and kept loose for air to circulate — the decision to bring it on this trip, when it needed to be worn with a sweater or a jacket and warmer pants, is fascinating.
I find it the first outfit that's made me think about MO's clothing and her decision-making in an analytic way. It seems a departure and more deliberate than anything she's worn before. And the addition of the dissonant belt really makes it work. This London trip feels like a transition of some sort and makes me wonder how far she'll go.
An aside, as I don't usually speak about blog comments. . . . but I'm feeling the two extremes roused by these London outfits, both of contemptuous dismissal and of earnest adulation, have been reductive of Mrs. O's humanity and her talent in different ways. I know others may not feel the same, but if Mrs. O were perfect she wouldn't interest me. The day after the previous European trip, when she wore the three garments most criticized by the media — the Watanabe cardigan, the big-bow blouse, AND the Alaia studded belt — combined into a SINGLE outfit, was the day I loved her most. It showed just how alive and aware she is.
I see the negatives are out in force today! Nancy, JRG, Mara - if you ever find anything lovely and appropriate for any occasion I will be completely shellshocked. I see the other day that Mara managed to like a watch. Well hooee.
I'm not a fan of all elements of this look. Overall though, Mrs O looks happy, cute, fun and very confident. I suspect it looked much better in real life than it did in photo's. If there's a video, I'd be interested to see it.
I like the layering of the two cardigans - I wouldn't have done it with those two colours on myself but I do get that the top does have those colours in it. The tunic is adorable. I would have worn it with a camisole not a vest (straight across neckline, not scooped), worn a white shrug or cardigan and neutral or yellow wide leg trousers. I wouldn't have belted it. But I do love that belt. And I think that Mrs O isn't fond of leaving a top undefined, so the belt gives her a waist, I do get that.
Somehow though, it's OK. The texture on that top is phenomenal. Maybe without the yellow cardigan, it would have photographed a lot better.
Alsace - I agree with your point about evolution. As I said, everyone's style evolves and develops and that's cool. I still hope that nothing that is said anywhere about Mrs O's style causes her to stop wearing stuff like this. It's her wardrobe. I want her to continue being madly innovative and individual and out there. I remember a few comments people made about my clothes for the office and I was always totally mystified by that attitude. I was good at my JOB! End of conversation.
I said above that I don't like this outfit. But I don't have a problem with her wearing it, and I don't think that it's wildly inappropriate for Westminster Abbey; it's basically a top, a sweater, and pants. Unless one is trying to say that you can't wear certain colors in a church...? Her arms were covered. She wasn't showing a lot of skin.
I also don't think that not liking an outfit means that anyone is trying to have an "aneurysm" or something over the issue...don't try to read too much into it, either good or bad. It's one outfit on one day.
Getting to the outfit though, I do think it might have looked better with different pants. But mostly, Mrs. O has a way sometimes of wearing several knockout pieces together, and for me, it jumbles the look. The belt alone is a statement piece. The tunic, definitely a statement. The cardi (it's just one, right, yellow with a purple trim?) is strong enough to stand on its own. Together it's a lot. But this is definitely her style, as we can see going back through the archives.
Till now I never comment I just read in silence. I am just wondering American fashion,(assuming bloggers are Americans) while almost everyone has negative comments about this ensemble, here in Europe a 100% YES. Just positive effect . Makes me smile when I stare this ensemble, gladdens my heart. Comparable to getting a hug from Michelle Obama. Cheer up people those negative comments make you sound straitlaced (is that the word?)
Someone mentioned above that the First Lady looked like a burst of sunshine. Let me add that she looks like a burst of sunlight and a lemon drop combined into one. Her bright illumination even radiates onto TBG who seems a little less intense than usual standing next to FLOTUS. The First Lady’s outfit does come across as playful, but remember she is on vacation—in Paris!. She has a right to let her hair down, if she so pleases. (Watch out, Mr. President—when the cat’s away, the mouse will play . . . LOL).
I do not like this ensemble at all....as an ordinary person on vacation and especially as a First Lady on a vacation. It is not casual elegant enough for a First Lady. The slacks and flats were fine, but a matching upscale sweater set with a great necklace would have been nicer. I am so over the belts, too. The all ride up too high on her. Time to get the kids looking a little nicer...don't you think?
No, I "don't think" there's anything un-nice about the children, passagio. Criticizing kids is not going to be a point of view that'll be widely accepted here, at all.
I doubt that this outfit is a "100 percent yes" in Europe, no one outfit is going to be 100 percent loved by everybody. It's definitely not a 100 percent no, either. I like elements of it.
In case anyone has been wondering who I'm talking about when I refer to "TBG," he's in this picture.
Without bothering to find the exact poster on this thread who made the comment, I must say that I find it offensive that Mrs. O would be chastised for not dressing her girls up better, or however the poster phrased the remark.
The girls look fine, they are on vacation, they are exploring the city, they are climbing stairs, running around, and doing kid things. Leave their mother and them alone about the kids' clothes. Really.
Oh, it was Passaggio who referred to the children's dressing. Shameful remark.
As for TBG - this might be the best photo yet. How could I ever think that was TBG in the previous posting?!!!?
Hi,
sorry...I normally really love this woman but...please...there's no excuse for this outfit. It is just plainly terrible.
Usually, I really enjoy Mrs. Obama's outfits but this was a miss, especially for Westminister Abbey. It looks beachy to me. Also, her hair slicked straight back does nothing for her. I am sure it's easier but just not a good look for such a public person.
This outfit if not flattering to Mrs. Obama.
Even if she is on vacation, as others have mentioned they paid for the trip, she is still representing the United States. She is the most photographed woman in the world right now and this is definitely not one of the best that I have seen of her. She looks happy, as someone mentioned, that is great but it still does not dismiss this outfit. This outfit is a little bit of this and a little bit of that. If any of my girlfriends had worn this outfit, I would have commented. The tunic, pants and a short trench would have worked wonderful as London is probably very chilly.
If most of us are honest, her fashion has evolved for the better (even though I thought she dressed much better on the campaign trail). One casusal outfit that comes to mind was a dress (or tunic) over leggings that she looked great in.
I was not a fan of Maria Pinto, but I am begging her to come back. Ikram is not getting the job done and seems to be only promoting her shop.
I am not saying that Mrs. Obama has to dress like an older lady (I am a few years older and I don't dress old either). I also don't wear things that teen-agers would find appealing. There is a common ground between the two. I also don't like to see young children dressing too grown up either.
I understand that she has her own fashion style, which is fine, she just needs to tweak it a bit more.
I don't agree that she needs a stylist (which could make matters worse), she just needs to find a look that works for her particualr body type.
This is just an awful outfit. I can't imagine what she was thinking when she piled the pieces on, along with that belt. A more unflattering look for her figure (or on almost anyone over the age of 21) would be hard to find. And wearing it to Westminster Abbey? Personal time or not, this lady needs a stylist, and badly.
But, I have to finish by saying I greatly admire Michelle Obama's integrity, warmth and compassion, and I think she is the perfect First Lady in these times.
I love that our First Lady is having fun with her look and her family on her vacation. Good for her!
Diane T, why come on this blog to parrot hateful conservative talking points? I am sick of people like you being allowed into the public discourse. Your venom and distortions of reality poison the public discourse and you and your ilk should be ostracized.
I agree that Diane is out of line here. This is about fashion (whether we like what is worn or not) and not about political diatribe.
Oh Diane really. You make me want to ... yawn.
I'm incredibly bored by the number of people who know how Mrs O "should" dress. Post after post after post of negative opinions. I am guessing that this must be the largest collection of stylists, models, fashion editors, designers and fashion industry professionals in the world!!! Right? Cuz, like, you all work in the industry and SO have the right to comment, yes?! Yes I thought so.
It's not a "terrible" top. It's not an "awful" outfit. It's just an outfit that you don't like. Get over yourselves! It doesn't mean anything and oh, passagio the children look beautiful. Always do.
I love the colors but I would'nt have the cajones to wear it. This is HER vacation and HER free time, she can wear whatever she likes.
As for Americans, AMERICANS witchin over what a tourist wears...OMG!!! The fact that she does'nt have a fanny pack and a parka makes her HEAD over HEELS better than any AMERICAN tourist witchin about her clothing. I'm American and we need to sit down before we talk about what is appropriate...yes I'm talking to you fanny pack, flip flop, white socks wearing tourists.
Diane T -
Go away.
Mrs. T, is there some way we can still report comments that are offensive and venomous like Diane T.'s? This blog is a welcome respite from comments like hers, and people like her.
It's funny, the harsher the criticism leveled at this outfit, the more I'm starting to be okay with it. I'm so fickle! I guess I just don't see it as a diminishment of the American nation, or an affront to sacred spaces, or anything like that.
There's an interesting echo effect with the skirt of the Tracy Feith lei dress. Similar colors, similar pattern shifts.
That Other Mimi, I'm so sorry but I just screeched with laughter at your comment. 23 YEARS I've been watching THOSE American tourists trolley round my home town. And people have the nerve to crit Mrs O??!?!?!?!? I tell you I could wallop something, really, I could. I got itchy palms.
LOL!
I just caught this bit of BBC footage while I was searching of some video of this outfit. It's quite nice, although I absolutely hate the presenters style.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8017712.stm
That Other Mimi - I had a lovely American boss about fifteen years ago. We were on the Tube going to a meeting one day and as we went to our seats, her eyes went wide and she looked at me and shook her head. I looked over - nearly fell off my own two feet. Two tourists. Each in a matching red shell suit. Each trouser leg slightly too short. White socks. Matching home knitted sweaters. Matching trainers. Matching fanny packs. Smiling the broad smile of the truly bewildered. Each wearing (I kid you not) a large rolodex card clipped to the zip with a bulldog clip. In bright red marker pen we read:
"HI! MY NAME IS JEAN! NICE TO MEET YOU! I AM FROM THE USA!"
"HI! MY NAME IS DON! NICE TO MEET YOU! I AM FROM THE USA!"
I nearly DIED from the effort of not laughing. My boss nearly died of fervent hope that I wouldn't make her talk to me while they were within earshot. She was terrified they would be all over her because she was tangibly a New Yorker.
No offence to US citizens in general - I have family and many friends in your beautiful country and I love visiting. But some of your tourists need ... help.
I agree with the poster who said used the analogy of the emperor who had no clothes but no one wanted to appear uninformed, out of the loop, or politically incorrect by pointing out the obvious. I think that's quite an accurate analogy.
I'm always confounded by those who defend such an over-the-top look by saying that it's better than outfits that are dark, dreary, and boring--as if those were the only two options. In logic, that's called the black/white or either/or fallacy. There are SOOOOO many ways to be quirky, edgy, daring, and individual that do not look like this. The tunic with other neutral pieces would have been quirky and daring. This makes me question the taste and judgment of the wearer. And if Sasha picked this out, as some have suggested, Sasha should have worn it. It would have looked adorable! On her, it looks like a teenager trying for shock value or the person serving your meatloaf and hot apple pie at the local diner.
Like it or not, MO--for the next 4 to 8 years--is not her own person. She holds an office (albeit an unelected office) the dignity of which she needs to respect. She has Camp David and her girls' nights at the White House when she is free from photographers. If she wants to look like this, she could do it during those times.
Sorry, I know this is more negative than I usually try to be; I'm just disappointed. If I didn't admire MO so much, I wouldn't give a second thought to how she presents herself; but since I do deeply admire her, I just want better for her than this.
Love the new format!
Ms.G, I do think you make a strong point about the black/white fallacy. You're absolutely right that it's not like the choices were "this tunic" or "nun's habit."
But, I really don't think you have to feel too disappointed. Maybe it's worth being disappointed if this had been worn to the inauguration, or to a big event where there were truly a lot of eyes on her. She was seen, but she didn't wear this outfit to be seen, if that makes any sense? Though I can understand the argument that she's not her own woman now, I think that it's worth making *some* distinction between private and public moments.
I guess I would reserve true disappointment for a nip slip, a mini skirt cut up to her heinie, or something similar. Not an outfit that's merely not to my taste. That's just me, though...I do understand where you are coming from.
Ms.G, I do think you make a strong point about the black/white fallacy. You're absolutely right that it's not like the choices were "this tunic" or "nun's habit."
But, I really don't think you have to feel too disappointed. Maybe it's worth being disappointed if this had been worn to the inauguration, or to a big event where there were truly a lot of eyes on her. She was seen, but she didn't wear this outfit to be seen, if that makes any sense? Though I can understand the argument that she's not her own woman now, I think that it's worth making *some* distinction between private and public moments.
I guess I would reserve true disappointment for a nip slip, a mini skirt cut up to her heinie, or something similar. Not an outfit that's merely not to my taste. That's just me, though...I do understand where you are coming from.
Maybe I'm young and come from another generation but it's fashion, I'm dissapointed over behavior or rudeness but never clothing especially vacation clothing. I bet the British are just happy to see any American without a fanny pack. If we are so upset over vacation clothing what are we going to say when she wears a swimsuit we don't approve of. Where does it end? I
I think the fashion and style of Mrs. O. over the next 4 to 8 years will cause an evolution for women and girls all over the world. The more I read others sincere posts the more I feel that for some America's cultural definition of "cookie cutter" fashion for certain body types, age groups and social norms requires the evolution. I reiterate a point I made earlier, this average American woman is FASCINATING the world by simply being herself. Whether you are 6' 6" or 4' 2", size 2 or size 22, apple shaped or pear shaped be self confident not self conscious.
Too often I have seen many competent accomplished women, great mothers, devoted wives, sacrificing daughters and fabulous friends robbing themselves of joy by being so critically focused on this or that body part instead of appreciating their own individual beauty and enlightened fashion choices.
So many rules, too busy, too cluttered, too hippy, not suitable, not elegant, not appropriate, not representative of America, too many colors, too casual, too summery. I stand here today calling for a personal style evolution. It is time for a change.
Free yourself from being an average woman projecting a "cookie cutter" figment of some time worn WASP's male imagination. Ask yourself as you observe First Lady Obama living HER life; are you a fascinating woman?
SI, SE PUEDE!!!
I love how the belt is a contrasting match to the whole outfit by tying in the charcoal slacks and causing the purple to pop.
This is probably the worst that I've seen her look. Starting from the top with the hair - I don't even know what to say about the rest except .....ugh!
I love her, but I can't belive she put a "hot mess" outfit like this for our British friends. They must really be talking.
It takes me back to "Victory Day" when she wore that horrrible red and black Narcisso dress. This may even be worse.
I need a "Tums", I 'm so upset
sorry to be so negative
The Washington Post has a small feature about Ms.O wearing or not fur clothes with a mention at the end about the Abbey outfit.
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/11/green-and-glover-undercover-86626247/
The NYMag has a beautiful slide slow - The MO Look Book - worth a visit
http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2009/04/michelle_obama_slideshow.html#