Silver Sparkle
Monday, June 7, 2010 at 8:13 AM 
Image by Saul Loeb / Getty Images
Image by Yuri Gripas / Reuters
Image by Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images
The president and first lady attended a taped television performance at Ford's Theatre Saturday evening, titled 'America Celebrates 4th of July', which honored South African Justice Albie Sachs and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu with the 2010 Lincoln Medal. Per the Huffington Post, "The annual event also featured Dick Van Dyke, Kelly Clarkson, George Lopez and other performances and will be aired on July 2."
For the appearance, Mrs. O turned to a silver column dress, paired with a crystal and bow Fenton Fallon necklace, available at J.Crew here.
Update #1: Mrs. O wears a Calvin Klein Collection metallic silk draped back strapless dress, designed by creative director Francisco Costa.
Update #2: Mrs. O carries an Anndra Neen metal clutch.
Reader Comments (125)
She looks lovely. But theses parties are getting to be a bit much in the face of all the problems we're having in this country. Its unseemly.
Oh my, FLOTUS apprears to be very excited about something or perhaps it's just chillly.
I am surprised that this detail escaped her!!! The dress seems to be cute and stylish, what you can see of it.
She has got amazing sense of fashion n style.
BTW does President pays for this dresses or American public pays for this luxury and style? Also it will be great if first family of America starts using fuel efficient SUVs/Cars than considered fuel guzzler brands used at present.
Still she must be most stylish first lady of any nation; incredible
Here is video of the President and First Lady at the Gala last night.
http://cnn.com/video/?/video/politics/2010/06/07/sot.obama.fords.theater.cnn
I love the second picture. She is looking at him so "adoringly"
Too tweet!!!
I think she looks a bit tired. I hope she slows down - just a wee bit - in order to take care of herself.
They are both working so hard.
Lovely people with so much heart.
Love it! I don't think we've ever seen her in silver. This looks great on her. And I love the necklace!
too much spandex!
too much skin!
Lovely!
Gorge! How great does she look in silver??? And I want that necklace badly even though I have zero occasions to wear a statement piece like that.
But, why hasn't she made full-length pictures of herself available? How about MY needs, Mrs. O? Worst. Administration. Ever.
(That's a joke, y'all. Just in case I need to say that.)
Mrs. T, isn't this the necklace Mrs. O wore with the red dress when she was on the cover of something -- maybe Glamour? Stunning piece!
How many women can pull off this look? Not many. Mrs. O looks terrific, and those lats are about the best accompaniment to a dress like this that a woman could hope for.
Her silver clutch looks pretty sweet as well. Her skin is flawless. People have often wondered what skin products she uses. I'd love to know what her regime is. Drinking lots of water does give skin that supple look.
I think the First Lady looks lovely in this dress. Love seeing that necklace again. Beautiful!
Glamorous, sparkly chic and tasteful. I really, really love this look. It's an example of Mrs. O evening avant garde at its best, in contrast to the blue state dinner ensemble which did not "nail it" despite having the same intent.
Love the trademark chunky necklace... this accessory trend has been around for some time and I hope it continues.
Very, very Pretty!
I love the dress and the necklace she's wearing with it. If it's the same necklace she wore for the cover of Glamour last year...in a red Jason Wu?... it looks even more fantastic paired with this silver color dress.
she is just sexy
Oh! I can't wait to see a full frontal of this dress...I hope the antcipation is worth the wait.
this may be another dress that looks better in person than in photos
the top seems too tight and the front view makes her lose her waist
Wish she'd have still and videos done before choosing her outfits to avoid unflattering images
Love the Obamas!!
I love that dress and that necklace oh my...the chemistry between Mr. And Mrs. Obama is lovely I would love to have a man like him.
I love the necklace. After viewing the video on CNN, I'm not sold on the dress. It looks like it's too tight and perhaps made for a younger, thinner woman. But because she is so beautiful, with such lovely skin, Mrs. O manages to get away with the overall look.
Love, love, LOVE the necklace! And, I like the style of the dress and the color.
However, in that first pic, the bust looks rather tight and more than a bit uncomfortable.
The President and first lady make a lovely couple.
I'm not sure that I like the dress or the jewelry - it is all so flashy - it looks more like a dress for the Grammys.
Her skin is flawless !
I loved this dress in the limited pictures we had, but I'm not so sure how I feel about it once I saw the full length in the video. Its a weird length and kind of boring. I don't know I'd like to see a picture of it, rather than a quick video shot.
Anyway, it's a sexy look, so I'm sure the comments will be spirited. I'll be taking a break in that case.
Mrs. O looks very nice, and the dress fits her well.
@IVA
Hmm. I think you may be right about the length. Maybe a little too short? And I admit that now that I see it in the video, I want to give it a quick tug downward so there's not that fold in the bust area. Oh well. Still very pretty.
I just stumbled upon this blog after seeing the book in a store over the weekend. Love this site because I love Mrs. O and I love all things beautiful. She looks amazing!
Christina, I think you have to get that necklace. It will just make you feel better. I bought by first statement necklace - a Roxanne Assoulin glass and crystal necklace for my wedding last year and I found that it looks just as wonderful with a white shirt, jeans and nice heels on date night with my hubby.
Sometimes wearing something decadent with your everyday attire just makes you feel special and you will be surprised how many people will actually admire it.
.....all I want to know is some details on that PRECIOUS little clutch she is holding. It looks like a treasure from the sea! Gorgeous!
Alas, through my particular fashion goggles, the silver dress does not flatter Mrs. O as I would wish. Fit and cut seem quite off to me. And I have admitted before my deep-seated aversion to metallic fabrics. Mine is only one view, and this is only fashion. The world is not going to shift in its orbit relative to what I think or what anyone else thinks. And tomorrow is another day (and, with luck, another outfit!). Otherwise, I love the necklace even more than I did the first time. Seeing it gracing Mrs. O's impossibly lovely shoulders makes me think that it was destined to be worn at its best against bare skin, rather than over fabric. Cute clutch. Looks like a seashell.
Gutsy choice! But probably not the best for her figure. The fabric looks like it has major amounts of stretch in it, which is not always a good thing. I think that is what accounts for the riding up in the bodice issue. If I'd had the nerve to wear this, I'd probably have padded out my equally small bustline to give the look a better balance.
But I completely love the silver with silver in the dress and jewelry.
I've been thinking about what silhouettes I particularly like on her in the evening, and it is definitely the long, slim column. But it works best when the dress has real structure - like the State Dinner for India dress, or that spectacular black Michael Kors with the Soronen corset over it. That evening was probably her best look ever shape-wise - elegant, defined, polished and edgy.
sigh...the length is just wrong.
I am having problems seeing what the critics here are seeing from the views of her here. How can you tell from these shots that the dress is not fitting well or that it is not flattering her figure? Is there a view of the dress I am not seeing? I will reserve my complete opinion of the look until I see a full view of it. But, from what I can see the color looks great and she is always well styled for such events. Rock O Mrs O with your sharp, handsome, intelligent and powerful husband.
I don't like the length either, but the rest of it is lovely to me. Plus I just think Mrs. O is lovely all the time, so what else would I say ;-)
Silver Pearls, there is no still shot of the dress from the front, but if you look at the video above, you can get a good look at the dress.
This dress would seem to require incredible holding power shapewear that must make it uncomfortable to sit or breathe. I would think standing and breathing shallowly would be about all one could manage. This dress is definitely one that would look better on young runway models than on normally proportioned, middle aged women.
This was not my favorite look on FLOTUS.
1. I think the gown was a little too short.
2. I think the 'strapless" was too low; strapless looks best when it's horizontal with the top of the underarms.
However, 1. the necklace it to die for and
2. the color is perfect!
P.S. to Brooksie: it's not cold (LOL) it's a dart in the dress construction!
Mrs. Obama looks lovely! The silver gown and necklace is beautiful! Okay, it's a little chilly...and? Although her outfit wouldn't become me, it's fine for her!!!
@Lisa. From what I can tell, this fabric doesn't look like true spandex material! It's a tea length gown that's sewn on the bias. Most fabrics that normally don't have any such give to them, when constructed on the bias will! Okay, so she doesn't have age spots! She has beautiful skin. I say show it! Have you been to the beach recently? There are loads of women of all ages in bathing suits who don't really care what others think and are quite comfortable with their shapes and skin!
@Audra. Historically, every president has had functions at the White House during perilous times! It's governmental protocol that's already laid out for whoever is in the role as President of the United States to honor/entertain heads of state and the like. When there are catastrophies, and the like over here or anywhere else in the world, people think that everyday living has to stop! We deal with it, assist where we can, conduct follow-ups to assure our help is being carried out, all while moving on!
I totally agree that Mrs. Obama is gorgeous in silver (and nearly every color I've ever seen on her), and I love the necklace, but I really don't think this dress fits her very well. She has such a great toned figure and this just doesn't flatter it, in my opinion. That silver against her skin though is absolutely incredible!
The full frontal view of the dress in the CNN video showed that it really was not flattering. A funny length, stretched too tight in the bodice (made it ride up), too full at the bottom to be a "column", and as some above noticed the extreme stretch of this rather thin fabric revealed things underneath that are best not revealed.
I'm with those who believe that more flattering looks may be out there, classier fabrics (metallic is not particularly classy), something more elegant.
And what is that strange panel in the rear?
Add to this that the dress seems to be poorly constructed and it comes out a miss.
I'm at a loss too, Silver Pearls, I cannot find a pic of the dress in it's entirety. I did see a snippet of FLOTUS while standing, on the YouTube video. I don't see it as being too short because when she's sitting, the dress is covering her knees. I've looked on Yahoo as well as GettyImages and so far I like what I see. I own the fact that I'm totally biased when it comes to our Michelle, I love her taste in clothes. There have been a few items that I was iffy about....not this one.
This dress looks like liquid silver. I like that drape or 1/2 train in the back, that detail looks fascinating. I must say that her hair and make-up is spot on, the jewelry is just right. (As a matter of fact, we were just talking about that necklace on the chat thread.) She just shines in formal wear. That husband of hers isn't too shabby himself! Hope we see more pics of this event soon!
This is a very SEXY look, which I love! However, I do not like the drapping on the back of the dress, but she looks absolutely HOT. She is definitely the hottest first lady in the world. I was not too fond of the necklace last year, but it fits this outfit perfectly.
Mrs. O is truly beautiful. Howeb=ver, this is not my favorite dress because of the fit. Her beautiful hair and skin do help her carry this look off. Also the clutch is such a great choice. The dress just looks likeit is not fitting well in the bust area. I do like th long waistline which is very flattering.
@ Charlene (and others)
One of the early posters in this thread included a link to a CNN video of the event. That's where you can see Mrs. O standing in the dress.
I'm not saying it's too short because it's inappropriately revealing; my thought is that it's too short because it looks like it's hitting her at her ankles. This is in contrast to, say, the blue Peter Sorenen gown she wore to the Mexican ambassador state dinner. That gown goes almost down to the ground -- you can just see her little toesies peeping out. That's always where I always thought a gown should fall.
I love the drape in the back. I've always thought showing off a toned back is more sexy than letting all your cleavage hang out.
Oh, Ok, I got it. I thought it was being referred to as being too short, you know 'showing knees', which sends some screaming in sheer panic. I'll see if I can get to that video again. It did not work for me initially. Thanks
I will duck after I say this, but I noticed (as others have) that the bodice and hip area of the gosn is very stretchy spandexy. Any chance that the hip area has crept up a bit and taken the skirt with it? I have never seen a skirt designed in that particular length - and the free-floating back panel seems to be hanging down behind her skirt.
Just a thought.
I thought I'll chime in and leave my two cents on the table after seeing the CNN video (thanks donnanoshock).
I love it, it's hard to tell from the camera angle, but it appears that the length is correct. It looks like it's up in the front and hangs down low in the back. Not for everyone, but a quirky touch. We all know FLOTUS loves quirky touches. Also, the color looks wonderful on her skin.
Keep in mind ALL video on CNN's site has incorrect aspect ratio. It's like they shoot video with a regular camera then stretch it to make it look "HD". So in all CNN video FLOTUS looks "wider/bigger" than she actually is. (So does POTUS, but he's so slim that it hardly matters)
I'd love to see this dress in better light. It's interesting.
ADORE The clutch!
@ BeeGee
I think I like the dress overall but I agree with you that stretchy fabric can be unforgiving.
I love this look! The necklace is awesome! Did she wear this on a cover photo shoot? She is amazing! love her.
IVA - After looking at the CNN video, I agree that the length seems strange - If it were either longer or much shorter I think it would have been a better look.
Is that a seam rather than a possible ride up of material at the hips? It's hard for me to tell.
At any rate, she still looks great. And she does like to dress for herself. I really don't get the feeling that she cares in any way about being a fashion role model or style icon.
@ Vijay
I haven't commented for a long time, but I just get so tired of people like you "not getting" the fact that the Obamas, like all other presidents and first ladies before them, pay for their own clothes. if you still think that, you belong on another blog.
Second all of these social events were planned last year. To cancel out on them now would waste money and inconvenience a lot of people who made time in their schedules to appear. Why do some people expect of the Obamas what they would not expect of any other first couple?