Mrs. O's style will not decline during this hard economic time!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 5:37 PM 
Photo credit: Kate Koppelman
Date: September 28, 2008
Venue: Obama campaign rally, Detroit, MI Designer: Narciso Rodriguez H&M
Is that Narcisco she is wearing? Or has Mrs. O repeated the same magic trick of her now infamous dress from her View appearance, of making the cheap (or rather, cheaper) look chic?! It is not that it cannot be done, it is just that she does it so well!
Look at the above H&M dress we found at H&M for $34.90. Our sleuthing instincts tell us that she is, in fact, wearing the H&M version. And although the dress in undeniably cute in on hanger, there are certain steps that Mrs. O has taken to elevate it from a normal cute H&M steal, to a campaign trail worthy frock.
First, and foremost, the cut. Mrs. O has proven herself to be a maven at picking silhouettes that flatter. She is committed to her formula (for obvious reasons!): nip the waist, release at the hip (although she does a straight skirt, she never does pegged), and open at the neckline (open does NOT mean décolletage!). The H&M dress hits these all, and as result she looks fantastic! If the fit was off, it would not matter if she was wearing Lanvin or Lands End!
Second, the belt swap—satin belt that came with dress to a wide patent leather one. It is a subtle change but the nuance moves the dress from the realm of common to couture. Too much matching fabric (ie: belt made out of the same dress fabric) can make a dress look a bit missy; a contrasting texture, like a patent leather, takes the outfit to a higher level. I might also add here that there is NO sign of crochet loops anywhere (these are the loops on the side of the dress that hold the belt that is sold with the dress to the garment); this is the sign of a true fashionista—a woman who knows that those loops are meant to be removed! Ladies, take note!
Thirdly, the accessories are light and refined. Mrs. O picked an of the moment look for this dress (ahem, we couldn't tell if it was current collection or of the moment H&M) but with jewelry she goes light and classic. She off sets the white and grey color of her dress with silver (or white gold) jewelry and diamond stud earrings. The doubling of her necklaces and silver men's style watch add a certain element of refined casualness to the look.
Lastly, (sorry, I could write about Mrs. O forever) her poise makes anything look posh! Her confidence and posture would make a brown paper bag look like couture! Unfortunately, you cannot buy this at any price… but that does mean you can get if for free! Ladies, shoulders back and smile! Take a note from Mrs. O—a freebie for looking like a million bucks even during this economic rut!
Reader Comments (6)
Oh Lord...I love this site. Keep it goin.
H&M?...See, that is why I adore this woman. She can rock anything from anywhere and anyone can buy it.
You have created an absolutely wonderful site, and I love your commentary, love it! I hope to be checking in for years to come. Thanks Mrs. D!
Love her, but this dress is ugly.
Great find!
She does the opposite of Sarah Palin and makes the cheap look expensive.
www.allthingsstyle.blogspot.com
She looked great in this dress!