Wednesday
Apr132011
Operation Shower
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 2:02 PM 
Images by Gerry Broome / AP Images
Mrs. O and Dr. B are officially taking Joining Forces on the road. First stop? Camp Lejeune, N.C. for Operation Shower, a celebration for expectant mothers whose husbands are military service members. Later in the afternoon, the ladies appeared in San Antonio, Texas to visit the Warrior and Family Support Center.
For the appearances, Mrs. O wore a Byron Lars striped red lace dress with an embroidered L'Wren Scott cardigan and red flats. Dr. B wore a turquoise sheath dress with an inverted pleat detail at the neckline.
"Michelle Obama brings White House onesies to 'Joining Forces' shower" [Chicago Sun Times]
Image by Eric Gay / AP Images
tagged Byron Lars, L'Wren Scott
Byron Lars, L'Wren Scott
Reader Comments (55)
Nope! Not a fan of the mixing of the prints.
Sure the colors (red/white) match and I guess there's nothing technically wrong with the two prints mixing together but the outfit is something I have to pause and think about ("Do those two prints really go together?") and for that reason I don't think the outfit is a home run.
Not that it is a competition but I love Dr B's dress. Simple, yet effective.
Obama just called for HUGE budget cuts for the military (today's speech at GWU); why would these two gals pretend to care about military families? Or, is it another photo op for the 2012 campaign??
very mrs.O http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25E73Qvrj1k
That is so cool to see these two lovely ladies working together. I love the dress Jill Biden is wearing. I like the dress and I like the cardigan but not sure about them together however it is very Mrs O.
Oy. That looks like it might be a cute dress, but who can tell with that tacky sweater over it?
Hyde Parker, Hyde Hyde Hyde...do you breathe just to criticize Mrs. O. She seems to be your oxygen either way, I see no website dedicated to Mrs. P. So until then, get back to your shift at the local safeway- I think there is clean up on aisle 4. Sorry everyone, but this lady has been consistently negative to Mrs.O.
uh oh, I'm not understanding this combination and why?
yes, that is my comment "why"
But I still love her !
Tacky? Seriously?
WOW!
Cute combination! I love the floral detail on the sweater sleeves.
Retro? Yes. Very.
Tacky? No.
This embroidered sweater does not, in my opinion, rate as "tacky." It is bright and upbeat and gave me an emotionally uplifting jolt when I saw it. I am sure it had that same effect on those who attended that shower. Given Mrs. O's love of sweaters, I bet the sweater industry is enjoying a wonderful boom.
I love this outfit.
The stripes with the flowers are something I can try. Maybe not this exact way. Maybe a jacket and top combo.
Love.
L Boyer - May I suggest you look into President Eisenhower's speech upon leaving the White House regarding the military industrial complex and its ever expanding/unnecessary growth. May I also suggest you explain why it is that Secretary of Defense Gates (a Republican) calls for the same cuts as the President yet is never called a hypocrite - or worse. You might want to chill out and/or find another site to waste time on...
If there's one look I don't like it's the Donna Reed, with the cardigan sweater and some giant skirt. I hate the look on everyone. It's just not stylish to me. Sorry, I love Mrs. O, but the Donna Reed look is always a fashion low point, IMO.
I like the color but not the pattern.
P.S. is it just me or is this site starting to gain trolls?
I LOVE this combo! It's fresh and young and a lovely way to wear red! Adorable!
Here is the dress underneath. Appears to be sort of beige or light oatmeal with a muted red stripe.
What seems to be wrong here is that the white sweater with the red decoration doesn't jibe with the muted tones in the dress - or the mood of the dress. Had the dress been white with clear red stripes, maybe (though not what I would have chosen). But with beige? Nope.
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0c52c3H9KTbcG?__site=daylife&q=michelle+obama
Tia: You are TOO funny! You go! :-)
Both Mrs. O and Dr. B. look lovely and appropriately dressed for the occasion.
Oh dear, I thought Mrs. O was finished with these multi-patterned, odd-looking, and very unflatteringly combinations. Dr. Biden's dress is perfect.
This is a great picture of both dresses. They are lovely. What a lovely event. We need to support these women and their children. These two women are truly a national treasure.
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0c52c3H9KTbcG?__site=daylife&q=Michelle+Obama
I am loving Mrs. O and Mrs. B's spring looks. I love that Mrs. O has chosen to mix prints. I just read about it on a top fashion site, and even bought a mixed print sweater and tank today that I am excited about. Its very tricky and takes a lot of skill to pull off. And, she has done it very well here. Thanks for the fashion inspiration ladies. Obama 2012!
Again, I am sorry for being unlady like with my previous comment. But sometimes when I feel like wearing some thing, i do, it may not "go" together, but I like it. I think the reason we all admire Mrs. O is because she dares to be different. If she were in the mold of Mrs. Bush or as safe as any other politician's wife -there would be no website (as far as fashion goes) dedicated to her. Okay, fine you don't liker her combination here, that's fine. But to feign faux outrage as if this outfit will single handedly be her downfall is a bit too much for me. All of us on here are not fasihon models, nor stylists-ergo we would not be commenting on a blog/website.
.
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And to the poster above who mentioned cuts to the military, A- it is not cuts to military as it is military PROGRAMS. We do not the capabilities of an airplane that can cook an egg while being able to see 100,000 miles ahead. We are fighting (for the most part) with people who have rocks and guns from the 1980s- so please, you are entitled to your own opinions, just not your own facts.
@BeeGee, I think you've hit the nail on the head. The sweater is cute and the dress, although not my thing, has some interesting texture going for it. But the two different color ranges just don't work together.
I'm sorry, the striped dress is positively awful. The material is limp and hangs poorly. Just lifeless and drab.
Dr. Biden on the other hand is gorgeous. Love the cut, color and freshness of dress. Also love the nude shoes to add to the length of her legs. Her hair is absolutely lovely. She is spot on!
Not a fan. The patterns do not jive. As for trolls, oh come on! just cause someone does not like something it does not make them a troll. I hate this look as well and I am not a troll, so get over it already!
I agree w/ BeeGee....the red and light beige of the dress just don't quite go w/ the red/white of the sweater....I do like the idea of mixing prints and am trying it myself...lucky for me I don't have a blog following me!
Thank you Tia and Erin for your educated comments regarding LBoyer's comment about the budget. No administration has done more for military families or put a bigger spotlight on them and the need for all of our communities to support and embrace them. ALL government programs need to have a scalpel taken to them to cut out the WASTE, not anything that is providing an essential service. The administration would never cut anything that had to do with our safety, but proposes to cut excess paperwork and expensive, unnecessary programs. People scream about cutting spending and then scream when the President proposes cutting spending. Can't have it both ways People. President Obama has called for us to find what is working in all government programs and find what is wasteful and make those cuts. It makes sense.
And the baby shower is adorable and the ladies are fabulous! ;)
I am so glad that atleast Mrs.Biden is dressed age appropriate
The dress looks much better without the sweater. Eventhough the sweater is cute, because it is so white it makes the dress look faded in comparison. I love the look on Mrs. O's face when she is carrying the basket of baby blankets! She looks so happy and eager to help.
I don't mind the dress although is it not one of my favorites but I like even less the combination with the cardi. I though she looked stunning in that Michael Kors suit the day before and I did like the cardigan she wore with the dress earlier.
@ Sailorsgirl,
I totally agree! :0)
Color coordinated!
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/04/13/first-lady-and-dr-biden-visit-operation-shower-camp-lejeune-north-carolina
Michele can do no wrong for me.
I'm loving Jill's look these days. She looks like a girlfriend.
Michelle Obama is sooooo elegant. Jackie Kennedy could only WISH she was so elegant.
Jill Biden fashion sense has improved somewhat, at lease she left behind those horrid 80s look and heavy suits. Michelle Obama's dress if very pretty, but too loose on her, I prefer the cardigan with it.
@ Tia.....
"snap" .... your post is so funny, thanks for the chuckle.
This picture of the dress
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0bMe2pq98UcCl?__site=daylife
demonstrates that there is some kind of gauzy textured patterned overlay to an actual red and white dress--what appears to be the same red and white as the sweater. The zipper in the back makes me wonder if the dress is Victoria Beckham's work. The flowered pattern on the overlay makes me wonder if the sweater actually came with the dress. I just know that Mrs. T will let us know if the dress is also L'Wren Scott's work.
Unfortunately fashion writing is not my thing so I may need a better vocabulary to describe what I am calling the overlay; it's whatever that gauzy thing is over the red and white striped dress.
@Minnie--I beg to differ. Jackie Kennedy and Michelle Obama are both in the same league and I think they would have had a ball shopping together and interacting in the White House. I wish Mrs. Kennedy could have lived to see this day!
Mrs. O looks fabulous as always. she knows what works for her and her style is fresh. Mrs. B is more traditional and beautiful as well. Love both outfits.
Both ladies look absolutely fabulous! It is wonderful seeing them work together to support military families.
Hmmm...this is one time where I have to say i like Mrs. Biden's look better than Mrs. O! Hmmm, I have to agree with some posters...the way the dress is hanging, the beige color background clashing with the sweater's crisp whiteness...
Oh well, I will focus in on the occasion and the good cheer they are spreading with this new program
I absolutely agree with RAE: "I'm sorry, the striped dress is positively awful. The material is limp and hangs poorly. Just lifeless and drab.
Dr. Biden on the other hand is gorgeous. Love the cut, color and freshness of dress. Also love the nude shoes to add to the length of her legs. Her hair is absolutely lovely. She is spot on!"
I LOVE Mrs. O. I love that she dares to be different and is absolutely radiant, BUT I have to say :( many times when she tries to be so out of the box she ends with a hideous outfit and is often out-shined by Mrs. B.
I hate the horizontal lines. The dress doesn't look bad WITHOUT the sweater, but in the first pictures she looks ridiculous, especially next to the beautiful Dr. B.
Not a fan of Mrs. O's dress. The cardigan paired with the dress just made the entire outfit too busy. I love Mrs. B's dress however.
I am not liking the huge stripes. Maybe it is the Ann Taylor dress I tried on last night that is affecting me, but I am thinking a crisp navy blue with polka dots might have had more snap and military appeal. Dr. Biden's dress is attractive but not flattering, and the neckline has that odd pinch.
I want that blue dress now!
I love the cardigan with the dress. I looked at it on other sites and the colors look fine together. Remember, lighting can do strange things. Dr. Biden also looks good. These ladies have different styles, so to compare one against the other is so...high school.
Mrs. T, please take a look at the political comments that have nothing to do with fashion and consider deleting them.
@L Boyer,
It is usually my policy to ignore people who make silly comments, generally, but you stepped all over yourself with your ignorance. If you had done your homework (as any card-carrying critic should), you would have found that the President's proposal to cut the Pentagon budget is something that he and Sec. Gates & Admiral Mullen have been working on since Day 1. With additional inquiry you would have also found out that both Gates and Mullen have made repeated appearances at various Congressional committees to discuss just this subject. So you see, based on your uninformed comments about the First Lady and Dr. Biden, you show yourself to be a fool, and an ignorant one at that. Here we are as a nation struggling with astronomical debts and deficits, and having to find ways to reduce them otherwise this country as we know will cease to exist, and the best you can contribute to this discussion is some nonsensical dribble. But what seems even more calculated is your attempt to visit this blog to spread your venom. Well buddy, you came to the wrong place. I suggest you find one of the numerous Teabagger sites and have at it. You are not welcomed here!
For all other genuine contributors...both ladies look very relaxed and happy with themselves and with their new tasks. That's usually the result when you know your efforts are appreciated; and they are for the thousands of military families who will benefit from their efforts.
I am preferring this dress that Mrs. O is wearing with the sweater versus without. It looks dowdy without something to give it a little kick. Of course, you all know me and what I am about to say....the outfit would look really great with a nice pair of 2 inch heels, and not the red patent leather flats, which in my opinion, only make Mrs. O's legs look fat.
Please remember to support President Obama's campaign with your checkbooks!!! We really need another 4 years of fabulous fashion from Mrs. O, and the great leadership in the Oval Office.
Thanks for posting Mrs. T.
Carolinababe: It's not just you. There are trolls here and lots of them too!!!
And some have been here from the very begining trying to establish some sort of legitimacy by insinuating themselves into the Mrs O blog family and actively participating on a blog dedicated to a woman they clearly hate!!!
A few will try to throw you off by tossing an occasional complement Mrs Obama's way, but we still know what they are!!!
They will of course feign annoyance and irritation and struggle to sound rational in their attempt to give cover to their fellow trolls when the are called out!!!
They are agenda-driven and their very un-kosher agenda is not driven by love, admiration, style, fashion or any of the other bogus reasons they insist brings them here!!!
They have been successful in driving away so many other former regulars who love, admire and respect Mrs Obama but could no longer stick around for the snark, disrespect and outright insults and attack upon the First lady by those pretending to discuss fashion and style!!!
And this blog is certainly poorer for having lost the true Mrs O admirers who drove not just the blog, but also actively supported Mrs T and Mrs Obama's favorite designers whose collections are showcased and sometimes offered for sale at a discount through this blog.
P.S:
If you go back many, many moons on this blog, you will find that Hyde Parker is a woman on a mission, more like a vendetta, and with a bone or more to to pick specifically with the Obamas.
She has found this blog as just one more place to "anonymously" express her disdain.
She lives in Chicago and cheered when the United States was eliminated as a contender for the Olympic games in Chicago. She ranted on on this blog at the time!!!
The others (and some are the very same people working under multiple handles), you will find are exactly what you have accurately discerned them to be!!! No matter how long they've been around, or how often they post - The occasional positive post notwithstanding!!!
I challenge any visitor of this site to find a picture of a first and second lady TOGETHER holding a basket of goodies and doing something positive for the military personnel of their country. Mrs Obama and Dr Biden have reinvented the roles of FLOTUS & SLOTUS. They brighten my day and make me want to be American so I can brag and boast about what MY FLOTUS AND SLOTUS do, unlike Prime Minister Cameron and Clegg’s wives. I can put my hand on heart and tell you that I don’t even know what Nick Clegg’s wife looks like.
This site is my drug. The last time someone had that effect on me was the late Princess Diana. I admire people that put their heart and soul into a unpaid work, probably one of the reasons why I have always done some form of voluntary work in my spare time. I’m rambling ……..
Right, the clothes. I must be one of the few people who love Mrs O’s ensemble. I could see that cardi working with some white linen pants or some dark blue jeans. I love the embellishments. The dress is floaty, dreamy and feminine – with heels or flats you could dress this up or down and wear it right throughout the summer. Dr Biden’s powder blue dress is equally feminine but those shoes are fierce.