Inauguration Day: All Wrapped Up?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 12:44 PM 
Photo used with kind permission from The Chicago Tribune; All rights retained
There’s been heated debate in the last two weeks over what the lovely Mrs. O should wear to the Inaugural Ball in January and rightly so - we can’t wait to see what she chooses. But before she goes to the ball, there’s the Inauguration ceremony itself to consider.
Currently the hottest ticket in town, with demand for tickets vastly outstripping supply, it’s a moment that will live in the history books forever. It’s also a tough one to dress for. The average temperature in D.C. in January? Highs of just 42 degrees and lows of 27 - in other words, it’s going to be chilly out there.
As anyone who’s ever been to a winter wedding knows, dressing for formal events in the cold is tricky - as well as a great outfit, you need a killer coat to top it all off. So, with the eyes of the world upon her, where should Mrs. O turn for a winter warmer with style credentials? We know Mrs. O has often turned to Narciso Rodriguez at key moments - not least for her controversial Election Night dress.
We adore this beautifully cut coat in Mrs. O’s favorite purple color but we wonder, is the bustle detail a touch too fashion-forward for the occasion? Thakoon Panichgul could also be a contender with this classic tweed number from his Fall Winter collection. Mrs. O was spotted wearing a jacket in the same fabric on the campaign trail back in October so it should be well within her fashion comfort zone.
Looking beyond Mrs. O’s immediate favorites, other designers have some gems she might consider. Ralph Lauren’s Fall collection featured some great overcoats in the rich jewel colors that Mrs. O rocks so well, while Donna Karan showed classic cuts embellished with hints of sparkle or feathers. We particularly love Look 31, the “tinsel tweed” coat.
So what will Mrs. O choose to ward of the winter wind while building her ever-growing reputation as an international style leader? Whatever she chooses, we're sure it will be a lesson in how to stay bundled, warm and utmost fashionable.
Outfits
Reader Comments (13)
Ooh, I love the Rodriguez one! I would love to see her in that!
I definitely can envision Mrs O wearing a narrow cut coat - like the DK pieces, but perhaps w/ a touch of fur - maybe at the collar and / or wrists ? Not overt fur presence though - discrete. Not sure about anything too brightly colored or w/ distracting design details as this will be Mr. Os big moment.
Mrs O seems adept at dressing stylishly appropriate for every occasion, so her choice will be correct yet original I am sure.
Staying warm and fashionable is alway difficult, but she's from Chicago so she knows a thing or two about cold weather. Maybe she will wear a hat. I just wrote a post about hats on my blog.
http://sisterly2.blogspot.com/
She look so elegant in this outfit. A glamorous night out. I also loved the red dress she wore to White House visit. She could pull anything off because of her height.
I do not think a bustle effect would look good. Generally, that type of style would look better on flat bottomed women since it accentuates the rear.
Does anyone know who is the designer of the coat that she's wearing in the picture above?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-obama-dress-1118nov18,0,5611016.story
Michelle Obama opts for purple and Maria Pinto for '60 Minutes'
By Wendy Donahue
November 18, 2008
Purple and Pinto prove a winning pair yet again for Michelle Obama. On "60 Minutes" Sunday, Obama wore the "Eme" top and "Rani" skirt in an iris color, designed by Chicago's Maria Pinto. The ensemble is from Pinto's spring collection, but rendered in tweed for Obama, a loyal Pinto client. The sleeveless element was retained from the original design. —Wendy Donahue
- I love your blog. Anyway, found out what Mrs. O wore during the 60 minutes interview. Her fave!
http://flickr.com/photos/bethechangeinc/2905860324/ lovely, yes? more stunning photos on Flick.
Michelle Obama smartly highlighted her personality and intelligence during the campaign, and downplayed a bit her beauty. This photo really shows how knock out gorgeous she is...
Wow!
Check these out http://flickr.com/search/?q=michelle+obama
DC's weather in January is no guarantee at all. I lived there during the 80's and I remember going to Ronald Reagan's first innauguration (well, watching the parade and standing with protesters. :-)) in a t-shirt & jeans since it was a warmish and sunny day, which you do get on occasion. For the next one, the entire affair had to be moved indoors because the temperature was below zero.
So whatever the case, Mrs. O needs to be ready to shine on a glorious, sunny winter day, or even to take it indoors if the weather is beastly. Whatever the weather does, I'm sure she'll look magnificent. Even that Narcisso Rodriguez dress has grown on me.
i love this look. at a glance it looks very ysl.
THIS A GREAT KODAK MOMENT AND MAY GOD KEEP ON BLESSIN YOU 2