Abstract Rose Refresh
Monday, October 27, 2008 at 12:53 PM 
Photo used with kind permission from Toia Michelle Images
When Mrs. O appeared in Ohio last Friday, something familiar caught our eye. A fully printed version of the abstract rose J. Crew frock worn the week before in Pittsburgh. Thanks to J. Crew-aholics for pointing us to this strapless edition of the dress, which we believe to be underneath Mrs. O's belted cardigan.
Update: There was also a skirt in the same print, which is likely what we see here.
This marks another occassion in which Mrs. O has bought in multiples; in late September she notably wore the same jacket in two different colors. From a practical standpoint, this may be a necessity given Mrs. O's grueling travel schedule and multiple public appearances per week. It perhaps also says something greater about her personal style - that she has a distinct sense of what she likes and what works well on her, that she doesn't play by the celebrity-driven rule that one shouldn't be seen in the same thing twice, and that she knows a good bargain when she sees one. At full price, the dress retailed for $180 and the skirt for $135.
This look is also an example of an oft preached but hard to pull off fashion principle: extending your wardrobe across seasons. Particularly relevant in tough economic times, "Buy now and wear through summer" is even a headline on the cover of November's Vogue. While this concept sounds great in theory, it can be more difficult when face to face with one's closet. Mrs. O's ensemble is a great example of how to successfuly meld attire from neighboring seasons.
Pairing a J. Crew summer Fall collection (but still summery print) skirt with a black twinset, tights and boots, Mrs. O effortlessly transitions the look into fall. The prominence of black and the nature of the abstract print are key to making this work. Also notice the orange buckle on Mrs. O's belt, this week's more fall appropriate answer to last week's tangerine floral pin accent. While we're not in love with the black boots here - they seem to weigh down the look a bit - we very much applaud the overall effort.
Date: October 24, 2008
Venue: Campaign rally, Buchtel High School, Akron, OH
Reader Comments (9)
Actually, I love the boots. If she'd come out in her trademark flats, I would have been happy too, but the boots look really sleek. An
Actually, this might be a skirt. I remember seeing this print on a skirt at the JCrew store on sale a few weeks back. The company made a few pieces using the same fabric.
Hi Jen,
Thanks for the tip. I wasn't aware of the skirt and hadn't seen it online, but it makes more sense given Mrs. O's wearing a twinset.
The skirt seems to have sold out at jcrew.com, but I did find one available on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/J-CREW-Abstract-Kandinsky-Rose-Print-Skirt-0-2-4_W0QQitemZ190261278560QQcmdZViewItem
Have updated the post accordingly.
Best,
Mrs. T
This skirt might have been in stores only - I can't remember. I love it that she wears jcrew, one of my favorites. It is really interesting that the dress with the abstract rose print bodice has a border that was not available in stores or online. I'm guessing that JCrew is producing some customized designes for her, which is really interesting.
Love your blog!!
I just wanted to let you know that the print in the dress and skirt are from jcrews fall 2008 line, but it could most certainly be worn in the spring
Don't know if you watch Leno, I don't, but sorta stayed up to watch Michelle last night:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1131ap_michelle_obama_leno.html
I just featured another time that Michelle is wearing J.Crew.
You can check it out here.
http://jcrewaholics.com/behind-the-scenes/michelle-obama-enjoys-her-jcrew/
Also, would you mind if I linked to this post?
Thanks,
Leigh
Hi Leigh,
Great post, and we'd love you to link!
Mrs. T
Hi Gem - Thanks for catching that. I've updated the post accordingly.
And Jen - Thanks for directing us to the Leno interview last night. Tons of press coverage on it this morning! Hopefully you've seen our new post.