Serving on St. Patrick's Day

Photo credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images Mrs. O will don a new look today: construction gear (or a Nina Ricci mohair sweater set). The First Lady is helping to build an affordable, energy-efficient home on the National Mall in a service effort led by YouthBuild - a youth and community development program. Per the AP, the home will help a Texas family that recently lost their home to a hurricane. Mrs. O continued to champion public service in her remarks today:

"Community service is an integral part of empowering our people and making our communities stronger. And service must become a part of each of our lives. It has to be an integral part of each of our lives if we're going to create a more unified nation that we all want and that our President talks so much about."

"...I too found my life enriched when I left my job at a corporate law firm. I thought that was the best thing I'd ever do, making a lot of money in a corporate firm in Chicago. But it wasn't until I stepped away from the corporate track and worked in city government and eventually helped to found the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program, a national service program, that I realized how important public service and community service was to my own development."

Not wearing exactly the type of dungarees we had envisioned, Mrs. O chose a pale yellow mohair sweater set by Nina Ricci. InStyle first revealed the cardigan's origin when it was worn for the Inauguration, paired with Mrs. O's lemongrass Isabel Toledo ensemble. Here Mrs. O wears the sweater set with cropped gray pants and blue hiking boots - a chic new take on construction gear we suppose. Update: While not everyone is loving today's look, Bluefly's blog, Flypaper, features a stunning profile image of Mrs. O from the event. Tonight the Obamas will also host a St. Patrick's Day celebration at the White House. Early signs indicate it will be a festive evening indeed. The fountains on the north and south lawns of the White House have been dyed green. The idea was Mrs. O's very own, borrowing a tradition from the city of Chicago, where the river is dyed green every St. Patrick's Day. An image and further detail follows at the Huffington Post.

New York Hearts Mrs. O

With glossy magazine covers featuring Mrs. O at every turn, New York magazine has taken things to the next level. They've not only put Mrs. O on the cover of their March 23 issue, they appear to have devoted the entire magazine to the First Lady's iconic influence. The sixteen articles (!) and gallery of artists' interpretations will keep us busy reading tomorrow morning; click here to get started.

Mrs. O on Good Morning America

Photo via Flickr user Army.mil / Creative Commons Good Morning America scored an exclusive interview with First Lady Mrs. O, recorded at Ft. Bragg yesterday. In the interview, Mrs. O spoke of adjusting to life at the White House and striking a balance between her responsbilities as a mom and new role as First Lady. Towards the end of the sitdown, Robin Roberts asked Mrs. O a question submitted from an audience member: "What does she [Mrs.O] do for relaxation in the evening away from the public?" Mrs. O: "Oooh, I must confess. Sometimes I just click on some non-important TV -- and just veg out. But I'm usually asleep right after the kids go to bed because I get up early and I work out. That tends to be my relaxation. It happens in the morning." RR: "Well, we see the workouts doing very well for you." Mrs. O: "Well, I covered my arms up." [Laughter] At least Mrs. O is taking this all in stride and as we had hoped, having a good chuckle. If we never see another story about bare arms, it will be more than fine by us. Watch the full segment here. We also recommend watching this segment from the same interview. First Lady Mrs. O discusses her focus on military families and the very real challenges they too often face.

In Basic Black at Ft. Bragg

Photo credit: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images First Lady Mrs. O treated a group of preschoolers at Ft. Bragg  in Fayetteville, NC, to an animated rendition of Dr. Seuss's "A Cat in the Hat" this afternoon. The visit to Ft. Bragg was part of Mrs. O's first official trip out of Washington as First Lady. Earlier in the day she entered a Ft. Bragg dining facility where she had a private lunch with 20 military family members and Ft. Bragg volunteers. The First Lady was also scheduled to speak in downtown Fayetteville, NC, later in the day. (Stay tuned for more on that front.) Style wise, Mrs. O chose an understated ensemble for today's events: a french cuff white shirt underneath a black cardigan, belted at the waist and paired with black trousers. The most notable part of the look was the return of Mrs. O's black studded Azzedine Alaia belt - a gem of an accessory that was ubiquitous on the campaign trail, and one we're delighted to see back in the mix (also possibly worn by Glenn Close on last night's episode of Damages). Additional images, and a clear view of the belt can be seen here and here. P.S. We heart the lifesize Kermit hanging out behind Mrs. O.

A Banner Day for Women

Photo credit: Pete Souza / The White House First Lady Mrs. O made a public appearance at the White House this afternoon as President Mr. O signed an Executive Order creating the White House Council on Women and Girls. The council will "ensure there is always an eye kept on how every government agency is addressing the challenges confronted by women of all ages." The President spoke of Mrs. O in his remarks before signing the Executive Order, sharing:

"I've seen Michelle, the rock of the Obama family, juggling work and parenting with more skill and grace than anybody that I know.  But I also saw how it tore at her at times, how sometimes when she was with the girls she was worrying about work, and when she was at work she was worrying about the girls.  It's a feeling that I share every day."

Mrs. O looked stunning in monochromatic purple, wearing a Zero + Maria Cornejo jacket over a purple dress with a purple satin bow pinned at the center of the neckline. The bow added girlish charm to the ensemble, a nice balance to the refined, womanly lines of the suit. We must say, we are delighted to see the bow back in the mix. It's a signature Mrs. O accessory that we haven't seen for several months, notably last worn for the More magazine cover in October and the first Presidential debate. Black patent leather kitten heels completed the ensemble. Photo credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images Later in the day, Mrs. O joined Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department to honor recipients of the Award for International Women of Courage. The award recognizes the courage and leadership of women leaders in their struggle for human rights and justice. Additional images from the event, including Mrs. O with Secretary of State Clinton and the award recipients, can be seen here and here. Update: Watch a video from the State Department event after the jump.