A Flair for the Dramatic
Friday, January 2, 2009 at 4:41 PM 
Photo used with kind permission from photographer Luke Vargas
"No drama" may be a mantra for President-Elect Obama, but for Mrs. O it's a different story, at least when it comes to her fashion choices. We've covered most of her style signatures-the floral brooches, the jewel colours, the statement belts- in exhaustive detail.
However, one Michelle Obama favourite seems to have escaped our attention until now--her penchant for a dramatic sleeve. Yet another distinctive element of her highly personal style, Mrs. O often uses a flared or draped sleeve to add an unusual element to an otherwise classic piece of tailoring. This checked wool coat for example, is given an unexpected twist with the addition of a dramatic bell sleeve that gives it an almost medieval flavour.
Similarly, this classic Peter Soronen skirt suit is given additional interest with a fluted three-quarter length sleeve while a simple black coat is given volume here with extravagantly flared sleeves and an elegant trapeze cut. The stunning red suit Mrs. O wore on Super Tuesday all the back in February 2008 was another early indicator of this emerging style signature.
One more example of Mrs. O's style savvy, these over-sized details not only add individual touches to a sleek and professional wardrobe, they also have an impact on camera or in front of a large crowd that more conventional tailoring would lack. Mrs. O carries the same approach through to other aspects of her wardrobe, often opting for an over-sized collar or exaggerated buttons. While comparisons with the Kennedy White House have been abundant, Mrs. O's taste for a dramatic and voluminous sleeve recalls a much older Camelot, giving our First-Lady-in-waiting a fabulously regal and statuesque silhouette.
Reader Comments (19)
hey!
while I was looking at some links, others disappeared... what gives?
i am in awe of your ability to keep talking about the same topic. i haven't seen a new dress mrs o has worn in what seems like forever. i guess around the inauguration this site will be quite busy.
cheers!
it's funny that you have not posted her pictures in that ugly swimsuit wrapped around an ugly towel!!!!
Not much of resembles to Jackie O...you guys are trying too hard to make her like Jackie O and the only resembles will be their initial
I would love to see this entire outfit. The angle above doesn't give enough of a view. I like the patterned material.
ps. @ Nina please troll back to the rock you crawled from under. Bitterness is hardly flattering.
Congratulations on this site. While I am a fashion obsessed Texan in a small city, I never imagined one could do so much with such a topic. Keep up the good work.
@Nina
YOu all are STILL bitter about his win. LOL
I cannot wait to see the girls grow up in the next 8 years.
Had Jackie O. been subjected to the non stop 24 hour scrutiny our current public figures must endure, who knows what less than flattering images we would have. She was a woman of her time, certainly fashion forward, with a life of priveledge few of us can imagine.
Our Mrs. O arrived at her station in life with a passionate self-determination and has displayed extraordinary style and panache with a modern, direct, and three dimensional presence that is all her own. No wonder she is so exciting to watch! With all respect to the distant past, she is no Jackie O. wannabe, and I don't want her to be either. Mrs. O stands alone in her jewel tones.
The 20th can't come soon enough for me!
Love this site.
Nina, please do us a favor and post your picture. And if are even one percent as stylish as Michelle, I will think you are a small, jealous, bitter person.
I think the next 8 years will go much, much easier for you if you get over your obsession with the Obamas and do something else with your time. For example, if you are not a fan of Michelle's style, maybe you shouldn't be browsing websites designed for people who are.
great idea, jennal. i think i'd like to see the most flattering picture of "nina". i think she can post her prom or wedding or best picture here.
you know she can even pretend to be someone else and post someone else's picture. i won't mind.
then we can judge the two. nina vs. michelle. a fashion critic vs. a woman supporting her husband's public career and having a lot of fun along the way.
u know michelle doesn't read blogs. she is smarter than that. so these caustic comments will never reach her ears. so nina, go out and get in a good shape for the picture. lol
i was disappointed to know that this is a corporate blog. but come to think of it, who cares?
i think that this blog and michelleobamawatch.com is a good precedent. i was disgusted with the vitriol at michelle. blogs like this turned the negative tide around.
i'm happy that the "ninas" of this world are having a heartache. i never supported bush's major policies but i would never insult him nor his wife nor treat them with scorn. any animal who attacks michelle deserves to called just that, an animal.
god bless u.
I was quite pleased to discover this site. Every evening I come here, and with a cup of tea enjoy good fashion with the next first lady. I was disappointed to have to read Nina's comments. I had hoped that a moderator would keep those kind of comments from this site. I am so tired of them. I come here for the beauty of Mrs. O and her fashion, and certainly not the ugliness of people like Nina. This site for me is a "Calgon, take me away." Please keep the Ninas away.
Ditto what Gloria5 just wrote. Haters need to stay away or be kept away. This blog is too sweet for their sourness.
In terms of the dramatic sleeves, I have noticed that detail. As someone who wears suits for work 5 days a week, I've gotten some good ideas from the few suits Mrs. O has rocked along the trail.
Let's remember the spirit of this blog: discussing fashion and Mrs. O. Can we please refrain from any personal remarks?
It your blog and you can do as you choose but I think Nina makes an interesting point. Why not post the fashion missteps? At least offer another point of view. Or at least some critical analysis.
Writing this great seems wasted on a fan club site.
I agree about keeping this site troll free. There is plenty of places for trolls to express themselves elsewhere. Constructive critiques are one thing but mean-spiritedness is so tiring and should not be welcomed.
Loved the full length shot. A very fresh and unexpected combination, the lace with the trousers. Michelle does look luminous in neutrals, like that champagne DNC outfit with the multiple strands of pearls which was one of my favorite looks.
oopsie, the lace comments refer to the most recent post, I forgot where I was. The troll comments still stand
@ Nina,
seriously, grow up, your side lost, for the sake of peace, get over it!!
no matter how much you hate, there are still a million Mors. fans out there, who admire her style, and are anticipating her place as a style icon in this country, sorry to dissapoint you!
@Nina:
Mrs. Obama is not an ugly woman, as you so eloquently put it. Mrs. Obama is also not trying to be Mrs. Kennedy. Mrs. Kennedy was a fashion icon during her time but that was nearly 50 years ago and the fashion world has evolved since then. Mrs. Obama is still finding her "niche" and is having a great time doing it. Like most women I know (myself included) we all have "hits" or misses". With the bleak outlook of the economy and other very important issues, this site is just a very good distraction of the real world. I was always taught if you don't have anything good to say, please don't say anything at all!! Wishing you peace and happiness in the New Year.
@selma,
wishing you peace and happiness too!
ps/BTW, to answer to this comment: I was always taught if you don’t have anything to say, please don’t say anything at all!! good
you are right, but this applies only if you are face to face with someone and we all now that the blogosphere is a place to speak your mind. And I think Michelle is not a pretty woman and I think people are lying and exaggeration when they go gaga over her.