Showing a Little Feith
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 2:31 PM 
Photo by Donavan Marks / National Cathedral via Flickr user speakingoffaith
On her first full day as the new First Lady, Mrs. O - along with her husband and the Bidens - attended a multi-denominational service at Washington National Cathedral. She wore a dress by Tracy Feith. The dress has a rounded neck, fitted bodice and waist, and a full skirt-a very modern twist on a 1950s silhouette. It also features one of Feith's trademark bold prints. More photos from the service can be seen here and here.
Tracy Feith's clothes often recall his hippie-luxe-surfer background. Known as a maverick who brings an edgy quality to his designs, Feith is currently working on a lower-priced collection for Target. This collection is expected to debut in early May 2009. After the service at the Cathedral, Mrs. O will be hosting an open house at her new home. So we will be watching to see if she will be wearing this Feith dress then. Update: And indeed, she did.
Tracy Feith in Designers, Inauguration 2008, Media, Misc, Outfits
Reader Comments (172)
· I LOVE THAT THE FIRST LADY IS GIVING LESSER KNOWN DESIGNERS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY , MY FIRST QUESTION IS HOW DO I GET SOMETHING TO HER ? I AM A TALENTED DESIGNER ALSO ,CAN ANYONE OUT THERE HELP ME ? i WANT TO PUT IT IN HER HAND NOT TO BE PLACED ON A DESK SOMEWHERE ?
WHO ARE HER STYLIST ?, I THOUGHT SHE DIDNT HAVE ONE? HELP PLEASE !
· LASTLY, I DO THINK SHE IS MAKING A STATEMENT NOT TO BOX HER IN AS SHE HAS HER OWN MIND & TASTE, WHICH I FIND VERY REFRESHING !
I think Michelle Obama is a wonderful person and absolutely beautiful as well, but I do agree with some other posters that her last few choices of ensembles were not suitable to her or the occasion. The inauguration dress and coat were fussy, unflattering and took attention away from the occasion (it was her husband's moment). The ball gown was beautiful but again, too fussy for her tall, athletic figure and strong features. That dress designer obviously didn't think through the fact that she needed a dress that allowed her to walk around and dance in, as she appeared to be frequently pulling the hem and train out of the way. The dress for the National Prayer Service was pretty but casual for the occasion and time of year (it's mid winter, not spring or summer). I think she looks her best as she did at the "We Are One" event in strong clean lines that enhance, not detract from her natural charisma.
I've come to this site often, but this is my first time commenting. And I did not have time to go through all the posts on this phot. However, I did notice that several made comments about Mrs. O's hips and butt. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on who you ask, the majority of black women face this issue. Particularly after child bearing. Often times no amount of tailoring can cover it up. It is what it is. JLo and Beyonce, accentuate theirs. But think about how they do it. No first lady can walk around with those tight pants and skirts as they do.
The NPS dress was pretty, but better for the easter egg roll or something. I don't think it was appropriate. The ball dress did not come across well on TV- I don't have HD TV so was not able to see the detail. I looked at other photos on line and saw that it was actually very pretty.
I have more to say, but will post another day. :-) Thank you for the site. I am more "starstruck" by Mrs. O than I am her husband. She is such an inspiration!
So I have a question. People keep saying that this dress wasn't appropriate. What do folks think WOULD have been appropriate? A skirt suit? That's pretty much all I can remember seeing First Ladies wearing at these sorts of events, so I think it's actually refreshing to see her wearing a dress.
Her dress is absolutely appropriate for the prayer service. It is as joyful and as full of hope as the songs sung in the service. Just a look at the photo of the dress (and I keep sneaking peaks at it) brings a smile to my face. Mrs. O wears a suit well, but I'm SO happy she has steered clear of "appropriate" first lady power suits!
I think a kitten heel would have helped. Not going totally flat. And a dress that was a bit more streamlined and/or perhaps a belt that she is known for to pull it a bit more together.
I absolutely hate this dress! In other shots of the Obamas welcoming WH visitors, her dress makes her appear to be a part of the Blue Room carpet!
Not sure why you all think her only alternative would be a suit. A different dress would have done nicely. Even a pair of slacks and beautiful top, like so many that she rocked on the campaign trail. A knit dress would have been lovely.
Or this dress, but in a different fabric! I'd rather have seen this in coral silk or a vibrant purple than this mottled black-white-green-purple-pink mess of a print. Yes, the cut and design is lovely, but far more appropriate for a summer day.
I love that she takes chances, but her choices in the past have been so much better than this one. It makes me wonder if someone didn't take her schedule for this week and pair up outfits for her without consulting her directly. It seems so out of the norm for someone who's so good at picking the perfect outfit.
I love this dress, but not so crazy about the print (from what I can tell from the picture). It's OK, though. I hope she continues experimenting and having fun with her clothing. She's our First Lady, but she's not a mindless mannequin.
Mrs. O is a statuesque woman. She should dress the same.
The dress at the Cathedral was so out of place. A nice morning suit, one color, would have been far more appropriate. It looked like a garden party dress. She needs help with her fashions to look like a first lady, especially when she represents the US abroad.
She needs to stand straight and use a more lady like walk.
I do not mean these as a mean thought toward her, I am sure she is a great person, but she also must try to look a little happier when she is at events that the TV will dwell on her. I did not vote for BO, but I will give him credit until that credit to be President, and will follow his ideals, etc; very closely. Their children are adorable little girls...
H Snyder, Michelle would no doubt interpret your comment that she "looked out of place" as a compliment. I think she is well aware that she could wear a nice morning suit. No doubt she has dozens of them in her closet. But she wants to make people like me very happy by wearing inventive dresses like this one, instead. And thank goodness for it!
However, she wears so many different kinds of things that no doubt she will wear something you like soon enough.
Mrs. O will be representing the United States as first lady.
Therefore, she needs to dress so..perhaps she should look back at a few other first ladies to get the drift...
Her clothes to date have been a disaster,you might try going onto a few other blogs to get what other people's thoughts are, not just the few who think if she wore leotards with sweat shirt it would be wonderful.
I've got a few quick comments:
I like Michele O and think she will be a good First Lady.
I don't think she should be compared to Jackie O....Jackie had style long before she was our First Lady and would have never dreamed of wearing the Feith dressed. Honestly, it has given me a few nightmares.
George - don't be a hater and stop feeding us old republican numbers that have nothing to do with fashion. The election is over and you lost....big time.
There is no Republican Style site, because Republicans have no style and no leader.
Back to fashion: Michele should stay with solid colors.
H Snyder, as far as what other people thought, if you want to get technical, there was an AP poll posted in the newest thread that showed her Inaugural fashion was a hit with the public. And the only thing that I have seen, from the LA Times, to the New York Times (that have both written plenty about Mrs. O lately), from the people in my office to my two uncles that are in their 70's, is a great respect and appreciation of Michelle's style, warmth, and beautiful family. So please don't think that just because you have a certain opinion, that everyone else shares it.
H Syndert
Why do you think she should look up to past first ladies. Which ones were like her and they were so boring and so predictable. At least with Michelle we know she will choose what she (read she) thinks is good for her and all the queen's style and stuff will not cut. and if you had wanted prim and proper Cindy would have been appropriate for that.
Ugh. I am beyond sick of the Jackie O stuff. Do you think Michelle has ever in her life asked to be called the next Jackie O? She has her own style that's completely different. The only thing the two women have in common is that they are both First Ladies and they both love fashion.
I would also add that the idea that Michelle would dress the way that women dressed 40 years ago is truly absurd. I mean really, what planet are you living in to think that? No doubt Jackie would not wear the Feith dress, because she was a product of HER time and fashion sure doesn't stay static for so long. Michelle is a modern woman and she has a modern style and thank the lord for that.
If you want the First Lady uniform, you've gotten it for 8 years straight with Laura Bush (and actually...since long before Laura). For the next 8, things are going to be quite different and for that I am thankful.
It's not a matter of wanting her to look like previous First Ladies (Jackie O or others) or even like Cindy McCain. It's wanting her to look appropriate for the White House, for the winter season, not a day in the park or on the beach in summer.
It's not that it's not a beautiful dress (although the print is hideous), it's that it's the wrong dress for the occasion. She's still a lovely person, etc......but that dress is awful.
Doreen
You have sumed it up well. She is her own person. Michelle will not uniform for the sake of it
I enjoy your site like SIKU im tired of the comparisons of
Jackie and the First Lady all have had their style (some better than others )the First lady will bring her style and grace to the white house and what she wore to the prayer service was wonderful,, look we are not all going to agree on her fashion sense but theres more to fashion its her service to our country her dedication to working women and military families she a great mom we should all look at that in the whole ....
tracy feith is seriously talented as a designer and a surfer...the real deal.. hope she wears more of his stuff. looking fwd to his target line if that is true, unfortunately most of his designs are not at a price point that is accessible to most.
look at what I found!!!! AMAZING!!!! I am still swooning at how much this man LOVES this woman!! http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1871199_1824795,00.html
On the issue of shoes, I think flip-flops would have gone with it pretty well....
:)
I loved the swearing in outfit, dare to be different, I love that! Aretha's hat was the bomb, Mrs. O should have purchased her mother a nice hat like that instead of that wool cap that she wore. Any who I don't like the church dress, just not appropriate for the event. She could have worn the outfit that she wore to the Lincoln Memorial to the church and that would have been more appropriate. Sorry don't like it, it looks too summery for the dead of winter in DC and/or Chicago.
How funny that some people are unhappy with this dress for a church service.
"It seems like yesterday the press and the public criticized her so when she wore open sandals, a sleeveless dress and a chiffon scarf wrapped around her hair to church on Good Friday in Palm Beach. It was 1962. That look is depicted in a large photo."
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/20010708jackiebarbcolp3.asp
Tritesse, I think Rachel Madow said it best that they are a wonderful example of romantic married love.
Jules,
Thanks for the article. It was interesting.
Jules, thanks for that excellent article! Interesting to note that even Jackie wasn't immune to criticism over her fashion choices and spending. She appeared to pay attention to the criticism, too, changing what she wore the next time. Perhaps it helped refine her style even more quickly?
Anyway, very interesting and certainly a lot to learn from. Thank you.
Appreciate your link to that article, Jules. Yes, thank you.
Truly, there is nothing new underneath the sun; Jackie wasn't seen as "perfect" all of the time in her style/fashion selections, and Michelle isn't and won't be seen as "perfect" in hers, either. May the latter lady never lose what makes her uniquely herself; she doesn't play it safe which means running the (worthwhile, to me) risk of not getting it right, for many, 100% of the time.
Walk with your foot steps no more than 4 inches apart, side to side, pull your shoulders back and down, tuck in your keister, don't move your head up and down when you walk or swing your arms. You are not a little woman. You are a presence no matter where you are so you don't need to froof up. Use subtle, elegant detail. With love, the Nun.
This blog is about Michelle Obama's clothes. It is fair to post our opinions, both good and bad. My thoughts are that yesterday's dress was nice looking on her, but she needs to stand and sit up straight in church! People are going to be watching her! Barach has learned how to salute, Michelle needs to learn how to walk and sit. She has an important position!
Oh Sher, what are you a coach in female etiquette and posture? I love to see all the women criticising Michelle what they look like. Probably short and ugly like the majority of women in the world. As a man I love tall women, the short ones need to find some stuff to bitch about a woman that's in far beyond their social/intellectual status. People should stop criticising other people and look at themselves in the mirror and adjust their character flaws.
Kudos to Mrs. O for bringing flats (shoes) to the fore. Regardless of one's height, flats are pretty, comfortable, and attractive--along with being a practical choice.
Dear menukajau, Michelle is not beyond my social nor my intellectual status. I'm a very smart American woman. (The great equalizer). I am neither short nor ugly nor uneducated. Bad posture is not a character flaw. It's a habit and habits can be changed for the better.
I agree with Linda. Mrs. Obama does need to walk and sit in a more graceful manner. When I first saw the dress, I immediately focused on the flat shoes. I didn't think that they were flattering on her. I am 5'9" tall, and I never wear flat shoes. I wear high heels. The higher the better. They are more flattering and make your legs look great. I like most of her clothing. She has made some great choices. The Obama girls wear the most adorable clothes for little girls. Such good taste. She has a Jackie Kennedy quality but she is going to put her own stamp on it. Princess Diana made some mistakes when she first came on the scene but she evolved into a stunning woman. Michelle will do the same thing. It will be fun to watch.
Is Mrs. Obama "expecting" an addition to the family? She looks pregnant in many of her clothes.
expecting? I don't think so...she looks most of us who have had a couple of kids and moving towards 50 with a bit of a pouch that refuses to go away.
I don't get the love affair with high heels. They are awesome to look at, but horrible for a woman in the way a tightly laced corset was/is. I gave up heels when I was around 25 and realized I would rather not be in pain by the end of the day.
To each his own though.
Dear sher, please forgive me if I sounded bit rude in my comment. It wasn't a personal attack. We need to give her time to experiment with clothes. We can't expect her to look perfect every single day. Like Princess Diana, she will need time to get it right. I think she's doing very well at the moment. Don't compare her to Jackie, she wore very expensive haute couture clothes from French fashion houses and that was a different era. Oh yeah, women who wear high heels all the time are try hards like Victoria Beckham, a fashion victim.
http://www.thecityreview.com/jackieo.html
Above is a beautiful retrospective of the stylish magic that was Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. The continuous comparisons to Michelle O to Jackie O place an unfair burden on Mrs. Obama. To look back at the fashions Jackie wore, and the time in which they wore them, there is no comparison. Just as comparing Mr. Obama to Abraham Lincoln provides a guide, Jackie is a goal, not a reality.
Let's face it...Mrs. Obama is just learning how to navigate the international stage and 24 hr. CyberSpace and HD television. She skates between two worlds of the public, first in a $6,000 fantasy gown, and then, more realistically, in a dress made by a designer who will debut a Target collection in 2009, that most women in America could not afford to even think of.
The "Goldman era" of Michelle Obama is hopefully over. She must have a team of media savvy stylists, who understand the complexity and nuance of fashion at this level.
Finally, fashion must be a means to an end. The woman that we need Mrs. Obama to become will be spending more time at the Veteran's Hospital and Children's Healthcare Conferences, than she does reviewing endless mock-ups of future costumes.
Clothes, as a focus and metric, must remain secondary, not overshadowing or defining the character of this unique woman, but supporting and complimenting her growth as First Lady of the United States of America....
I sincerely doubt the Goldman era is over. In some ways, I think it's just starting.
i kinda like the dress looks very comfortable to her,besides she will step out in some beautiful outfits as she comes along i am glad we have a black women in the white house our prayers have been answered so let us see the good in her she is a beautiful women whatever she wears mrs obama do your thing strut your stuff
Interesting that she had no watch/ring on for the Prayer Service at the church, but in photos taken back at the White House (still in same dress), she had a watch on her left wrist...in addition to ring.
I like the dress. I didn't like that she didn't wear heels.
http://ohmrso.wordpress.com/
As to the success of Ikram as a trendy chicago boutique, that cannot be denied. Whether the knowledge and guidance represented by the somewhat dubious choices for the election night and the Inauguration ensembles, that is harder to justify.
It is clear that Mrs Obama's needs have grown from local niche market chic to a guaranteed and glorious hit every time, in a market that simply doesn't allow for a broad learning curve!
After all, Mr. Obama's mistake was resolved with a do-over. Mrs. Obama doesn't have that opportunity. The thought that form fitting, forward thinking fashions from Maria Pinto or the myriad of other designers, who might have been remarkably successful, were omitted from this otherwise magical moment in history is sad, to say the least.
That the genius of Couture Americaine 2009 will take second place in the Smithsonian to fashions that were less representative of the marvelous skills of young American designers of the early 21st century is lamentable and permanent.
The show must go on. If the tepid reviews are any indication of the likelihood of long term success, there must be some changes in the process and the principles, including Mrs. Obama's personal expression of style!
That dress was extremely ill fitting! It made her look 3 times bigger. the fabric is actually great but it didn't suit the first lady at the very least.
First of all American women should stop complaining about Michelle's dress sense. Europeans love her because they understand her quirkiness in fashion. Americans are very restricted, not chic at all. She looked so unique at the cathedral, all other women were so boring. So many fashion critics, I would love to see what they wear everyday. Michelle can wear what ever she likes so long they make her happy. Now that's style.
re: posture and feet
Posture is only about 10% correctable and 90% genetic. The shape of the spine probably is what it is. Fatigue and stress will only accentuate whatever is problemmatic.
As far as feet, width and ankle condition may account for much of what is seen an unflattering about the gait of a person. See below:
http://www.ourhealthnetwork.com/conditions/FootandAnkle/Supination-2008-02-15.asp
First, let me say that I am a 72-year-old white woman. And I have many Republican friends. And I live in Texas. (Sigh) So you can imagine what I've had to put up with the past eight years. However, I admired Laura Bush and never bashed her, even though I couldn't stand her husband or his policies. So it really bothers me that there are so many haters who attack Michelle Obama personally. I love Michelle. I love her intelligence, her humor, the obvious love she feels for her husband and children, and I love that she's fashion-forward and is not afraid to try different things. She's amazing, beautiful, and NORMAL. So what if she wore flats to the church service? I'm sure her feet were killing her. The Feith dress was lovely. I didn't like the inauguration outfit, but that's personal taste. I loved her gown -- gorgeous. Megan, George, go away. This site is meant for people to talk about fashion in a respectful way. Go listen to Rush Limbaugh. That's where you belong.
I appreciate Mrs. O's adventurous style and I think in time she will settle into her own look! Comparing her to Jackie is humorous when you consider the criticism that Mrs. K received for her then radical clothing, killing the Hat industry and trying to change the White House into a French Palace.
I think I liked Mrs. O's look better during the campaign when she wasn't trying to impress but realying on her own youthful taste.
I LOVE the flats (they really weren't totally flat just a one inch heel). She's tall and slim enough not to need heels to make her legs look good.
As a 61-year-old unemployed woman forced to shop at Goodwill on occasion, I just want to say that I am thoroughly enjoying Mrs-O. Not since the Kennedy White House have I been so enthralled with our first family. This is good fun, and we do need that these days. Keep up the great pics and posts!
With the selection of the beautiful ethereally lovely Jason Wu gown, the sensible but striking outfit by Toledo for the inauguration ceremony and this dress she wore after the inauguration, Michelle is showing she's not gonna be boxed in to any framework. She is willing to take chances and be different and bold. I suspect that's part of her personality as well.
Oh...and I notice in this pic she put her wedding ring back on!!! (she took it off for the balls, it didn't match her outfit)
I thought you would all enjoy this video of the women on The View discussing media coverage of Mrs. O's fashion:
http://www.wowowow.com/post/elisabeth-hasselbeck-the-view-media-obama-michelle-malia-sasha-fashion-video-182621