Sunday
Sep272009
A Feathery Frock
Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 10:34 AM 
Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images
The President and First Lady Mrs. O are back from the Pittsburgh Summit, attending the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner in Washington, DC last evening. Mrs. O debuted a new black cocktail dress for the occasion.
Update: As several people suggested in the comments, we've confirmed that the First Lady's dress is in fact a Jason Wu design. Fabulous!
tagged Jason Wu
Jason Wu
Reader Comments (63)
How Mrs. O manages to always look fabulous (even in pictures from horrible angles for any lady!) is beyond moi! In this case, the dress is flirty, fun and just plain cute. I could do with a more daring shoe, though.
Absolutely stunning
Beautiful.
Gorgeous! That feathery accent on the dress is a cool, modern touch to an LBD. I love how she's always recycling her Loree Rodkin jewelry, especially those diamond bangles. So versatile. Maybe I should get some like that and wear them for my b-day dinner this week. Lovely!
Loving the Dress. The Shoes are adorable. I need to know who designed the dress and who made the shoes. The heel is white. Therer are more pictures on democraticunderground.com. Mrs. O hit the ball out of the park this week. I can only imagine what her closet looks like.
Perfect! Love the trimming.
Yes, I think the diamond bangles are now officially a Michelle signature! I know everyone says it's the pearls, but I don't think so. Michelle's signatures are bright colors, sheath dresses, belts, and now,bangles.
They are a beautiful couple. Love the dress...and President Obama is ooooohhhhh so dashing in his dinner jacket.
Beautiful. One of the greatest looks I've seen on her.
I don't know why I like this shot so much, but I do. She's lovingly looking over her man...http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/91183803/Getty-Images-News
I forgot to comment on her dress. Very sexy and a nice twist on the little black dress. I like how she remains consistent with the Congressional Hispanic and Black Caucus events they attended. Same bangles, same little black dress. Very diplomatic of her.
I love, love love her swept bang look. It is sexy. Her makeup is phenomenal, as usual.
A+
I normally don't comment on President Obama but he is looking rather dashing! Men wear the same old suit so who cares but he really looks good and as always compliments Michelle. I love that Michelle takes the standard black dress but not just any old black dress..one with feathers!! I LOVE IT! it's why she is so much fun to watch.
She is a KNOCK-OUT!! I am so taken with our first lady. The little tufts of fabric on this dress remind me of her inauguation gown.
I do believe that by the time the 4-year term is done she will have single-handedly transformed the fashion consciousness of this country. Especially for those of us over 40 or 50. I look back at Laura Bush--she has a nice figure, and think of what she could done with just a few tips from Michelle (or a stylist) on how to use designers, color, and accessories, etc. in putting together an outfit.
Thumbs down on the feathery dress. Her last dress was cute, but i'm not feeling this bird-like look. Well, at least I like the bangles, her hair and her makeup.
What a beautiful couple! I haven't seen any other pictures of the dress, but this full frontal look very elegant.
Y'know, I think her husband gave her those bangles. Don't know why I think that . . . maybe because she typically wears them when she's with him. :o)
Not bad.
Hey, sorry to go off topic, but i need some help finding a link that was posted here. The link was to some really cool black boots (flat heels). I think it was around the time of the pres election, cause that's when i discovered this site. The link was posted under a poster's response. I think it was her site, not sure.
Thanks
I love love love her in this dress, its not to much feather. Sometimes I would love to see her in other shoes, but I know she probably wears the kitten heels because she is already tall. Her arms are so toned. Her make-up and hair is FAB!
lol Mara, I guess we all have different taste....
I think this is one of her best look yet and I can't wait for Mrs T to let us know who the designer is, hoping it'll be affordable because I want this dress.
flotus looks lovely as always.Nora and Strong furu, sorry to single you out,but there is absolutely nothing wrong with looking bottom-heavy.you two act as if it is a sin.she isn't that self-conscious about her body and it will be nice if you two could stop being that for her.she loves her curves and i hope that if there is anything we can learn from the way she dresses, it is to be more bold and daring in our clothes choices.
greetings from dresden,germany.
I really love this dress. Mrs. O's varied choices surely keep us entertained. This one has a flapper quality, for me, and the term "razzle-dazzle" comes to mind. I haven't seen a video of her, but I can imagine the light playing off those feathers as she moves. I notice that in some pictures, her shoes seem to have some sparkle, too.
Sparkle in shoes
I wonder if this isn't Jason Wu, since there's a quality similar to the inaugural gown.
I agree with Audrey from the previous thread. I like Mrs. O's hair best with a bang flowing over one side of her forehead.
SCORE!!!!! I am in the "over 50 but look 40" club and it is great to see someone "my age" looking so amazing! Just today someone almost fell out when I told them how old I am. I have no wrinkles and still dress like I care about how I look (because I do!)
Ladies, take care of yourselves and stay out of the sun. When you're my age you will be glad you did. I doubt Mrs. O is a sunworshipper, not with her perfect skin!
Yes, let's give the POTUS his props. What a gorgeous couple!
A stunning dress. They both look magnificant, and do make us Americans proud! They both have excellent taste.
Sometimes I wonder why the First Lady of the USA has to wear such expensive clothes, though. It seems that ever since Jacqueline Kennedy, they all feel they have to wear designer clothes.
Why can't they just wear ordinary American clothes. I wear Pendleton, which is a wonderful clothing line. They even grow their own sheep in Oregon, spin their own thread, weave their own cloth, and have lovely colors and classic and modern designs. But you'll never see our First Lady in a Pendleton.
Thank you for sharing these pictures. I sincerely appreciate it. You have a great site!
Willow, I think you're right about the dress being a Jason Wu creation. I just saw what looks very much like a white version in his Spring 2009 collection. I just love this dress on Mrs. O!
Like the combination of sheer-ness (at the collarbone) and opaque-ness (feathers at the midriff).
Here's another look at the sparkle in her shoes. I really like that. It matches her bangles.
Sparkly shoes
Can anyone find the source of these shoes?
I like that shot, Willow -- I thought the dress was just randomly feathered, but now I see that they're in a pattern kinda like stars? Or asterisks? So many of her outfits have these special details that sometimes don't come across in photographs.
My dream dress come true....sheer and flapper-inspired, yet formal and tasteful.
If anyone has ideas of where to track something similar please post!!!
SD
The First Lady, Michelle Obama, always looks very gracious and beautiful. President Barack Obama and his First Lady, Michelle, always look stunning and happy. I'm proud to say they hail from Illinois.
bluebirdpresents.com
Phooey! FLOTUS really knows how to knock the socks off. That dress is absolutely gorgeous but not as gorgeous as her. Love it, love it, love it! Did I say it?...LOVE IT!!
Christina, I hadn't noticed the pattern. You're right. In looking for it, I noticed that there are a few subtle sparkles in the dress, too. In my second link to shoes, it's at the level of her bangled wrist, and a little closer to that wrist than center. In the photo above, there seems to be one between empire waist and true waist height, just off center, and another one below. I wish I could see a video of this dress moving.
Hooray for Jason Wu! I know this is the umpteenth time she's worn his clothes but I can't help but feel happy for him every time she wears his designs. He will forever be recognized in history for his role in this stunning First Lady's world recognized style. The Oleg Cassini of our day.
And my goodness when I think of all the fabulous clothes in her wardrobe we have seen now and have yet to see. I can only hope that one day I will have as fabulous a wardrobe as she does that is well suited to my personal taste the way hers reflects her individuality.
The dress in white from Spring 2009 RTW collection:
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2009RTW-JASONWU/?loop=0&iphoto=19&play=false&cnt=24
This couple is People.
This dress is hot! However, I was almost wondering if Mrs. O should have worn a full-length gown with the President in black tie?
FLOTUS has started a trend belts, broaches, and bows are the must have accessories. Does any know what skin care line the FL uses? Her skin always has a well moisturized flawless glow. The FL rocks.
She looks great! I especially love her hairstyle this evening. Mrs. O's legs always look nicely oiled. Never an ashy moment. What lotion does she use? Seems more like an oil?
Pres. O especially looks dapper today... loving his shiny shoes Very Hollywood...like a movie star. He did his hair more wavy today. You see the waves in it.
RE: Cost of clothing...Mrs. Obama is wearing mostly American designers, not haute couture. While certainly not cheap, she doesn't come close to the high-priced clothes of, for example, Nancy Reagan. Remember that she pays for her own clothes. It is illegal for her to accept "free' outfits. I think it is great that she mixes off the rack (or catalog) with designer items. Overall, her clothes budget appears to be pretty moderate given her position. She repeats items and goes casual when possible.
Except for the firm belief that she needs to replace her stylist Ikram, I see no reason to criticize her expenditure level.
Chrystelle, I am not sure why you "singled me out" as you say; I never said Mrs. O is "bottom heavy." Although I have not liked some of her outfits, I make it a point ti talk about the clothes and not her body or physique. Also, I do not single out posters unless they address a comment directly at me.
Anyway, I do like her in this outfit: very fall and the sheer overlay is very pretty. But like so many others have posted above, I especially like the President's look tonight; he is looking quite dapper!
Both are flawless. I dont know what the discussion is about Mrs O.. bottom half, top half or what. but here iare 2 gorgeous healthy people lets hope--- i hope i look like that when i am 45 and 47 :)))) they get up at what time 5:30 and workout religiously and i particularly like MRS O 90-10 rule. Eat healthy 90% of the time..... Anyway,i love the dress.. CLASSY...
Fabulous! She looks like she's having such a good time - and if you can't have a good time in this dress, there is something seriously wrong with you.
Several people have mentioned how dapper POTUS looks, and I agree. I think this is a new tux. It has a sheen to it that his others do not. I'm sure we'll never find out, but I'm betting this fabric is silk and worsted, which is just about the most elegant fabric in the world for a tux. Feels divine, looks divine, and lasts forever.
In regard to him in a tux, and her in a short dress: a tux is considered the most informal of evening wear. Unless he's in tails, she doesn't have to worry about wearing a short dress.
In looking closely at the pics, I don't think those are feathers. They look more like little slivers of fabric, somehow tied or attached to the fabric. It was great to see the dress in white on the Style.com/Jason Wu slideshow. Several of her other dresses were in there - and there were even more that I could see her wearing.
More on the Prez: his shirt this evening is also wonderful. Looks like a crisp pique.
Seriously, for two people who often look great, I'm not sure they've ever looked better!
NEW PHOTOS
Family Field Trip! Obamas Visit Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument Sunday (PHOTOS)
Barack, Michelle, Malia, Sasha, and Obama's sister Maya, her husband and two kids toured the DC monuments Sunday evening:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/27/family-field-trip-obamas_n_301402.html?slidenumber=0#slide_image
LOVE Michelle in the black Converse sneakers!!!
I love thsi shot:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/27/michelle-obamas-sheer-fea_n_301405.html?slidenumber=1#slide_image
The first couple is GLAMOROUS!
Anyone shopping for the perfect little black dress can browse Mrs O's collection for style choices.
It is a wonder they have so much energy, I think somewhere in the middle of all those G20 photos I would have had to tell my husband, "excuse me, Mr. President, I'm going home now..."
I thank God that she is such a wonderful support to our President.
Also in the link above see how beautiful Mrs O's hair is, and those bangles...and the dress is stunning!
And President O looks like he could play James Bond...Obama, Barack Obama and this is my Obama girl...you have to see the photo at the link to understand my babbling.
She's never boring, is she?
Congrats to Jason Wu. (that little wunderkind is only 26 years old! And such a cutie, too.) He just showed a very spring/summer 2010 collection.
(To someone upthread who questioned Ikram: It's through her store that Mrs. O was introduced to Jason Wu, Isabel Toledo, Thakoon, Maria Cornejo, Narciso Rodriguez, Rodarte, Sophie Theallet, others whose names I can't think of and interesting jewelers, etc. All young designers with very small businesses. Plus, of course, large more well-known - but not massively so - Azzedine Alaiia, Junya Watanabe, Moschino, etc.)
I love those bangles - does anyone know where one can get them?
Democratic Underground has many photos of the Obamas at the memorials.
At the memorials
Lovely dress, and super shoes!! I love how one side of the dress is longer than the other side too! Great look!
Well this is just beautiful. Sexy, sharp, AND soft. Really cool. A little bit of sparkle in the shoes is really nice too. It's a flawless look. 100 out of 10, as per usual.
I went to Getty to look at this picture and on the right there's a button saying "find other pictures like this" which I pressed - there are some nice pictures of the Inauguration Ball's after the pics from this event. Some nice close-ups of the Obama's holding hands where you can (incidentally) see the jewellery in detail. And this one, which I just loved. http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/84381127
I also saw a picture of Sarah Brown in a fanTAStic outfit, looking really great, heading off to one of the spouse events relating to G20. Hurrah!
I love this photo. The First Lady looks great, but I do agree this is a bad angle. Her legs look great!
OT, I wonder does she wear pantyhose in the Winter? I have stopped wearing them since I found out that she doesnt! What will I do when it gets cold? LOL