One Last Inaugural Ball
Monday, January 26, 2009 at 7:16 PM 
Image used with kind permission from photographer Adam Safran With all attention focused on the official Inaugural Balls, there was one fete that escaped our watchful eye. Last Wednesday night, President Mr. O and First Lady Mrs. O attended the Obama Staff Ball, which was packed full of young campaign staffers at the D.C. Armory and featured performances by Jay-Z and Arcade Fire. Thanks to CarolineG and others who first pointed out the glimpse of Mrs. O wearing black in one of the Pete Souza photographs published in the L.A. Times. For the event, Mrs. O wore a fitted black knit dress with ruching detail at the neckline and through its tiered knee-length skirt. Mrs. O kept the aesthetic streamlined and simple, pairing her dress with black tights and flat boots. Perhaps it's her long lines or the volume of her skirt, but we sense a dancer-like quality in Mrs. O here (see photo below). As Layo G. observes in the first comment, Mrs. O is a woman of many looks. The day before we saw her in a grown-up lemongrass dress and coat from Isabel Toledo. At night, she dazzled us in a shoulder-baring, dream-like ivory chiffon gown from Jason Wu. The next morning she hearkened back another era in a vintage-inspired print dress from Tracy Feith. And then here, later that same day, we find her dressed in basic black, reinvented with a decidedly more youthful silhouette. The multiplicity is part of what makes Mrs. O's style interesting, and well, so fun to follow. She seems to genuinely dress for herself, always mindful of the occasion - and it's rather refreshing that doing so doesn't mean she's confined to a single, uniform look. To accessorize, Mrs. O added a pair of silver drop earrings and a wristwatch (an obsessive style note - we've rarely seen Mrs. O wear a watch in the past). And with her hair elegantly pulled back off her face into a low ponytail, perhaps those yearning to see an updo during the Inauguration will finally be satisfied. Initially we thought this dress might be a Maria Pinto design - the "lean black cashmere number with a cascade effect in the back" - that Mrs. O had purchased from the designer but not yet worn, as described to WWD in November. Alas, we've confirmed that's not the case. Fortunately, ruching was a key trend in the Pre-Fall 2009 collections, which may help to narrow the pool of designers. As always, we'll keep you posted. 
Image used with kind permission from photographer Nora Kravec
Outfits
Reader Comments (32)
she looks so young from that back shot, i love it, and the totally chic boots
i also like it when she pulls her hair back, it gives her a certain classic air that I love
she very versatile, which I love about her, she looked totally elegant the night before, and totally chic and young on this night
She looks lovely, as usual, but the dress and boots look brown to me in these pictures...? Is it just me?
I'm developing a serious addiction to this blog.
I have similar boots, from now on I'll wear them when I feel like displaying my inner O. :p
I really like those boots, but the ponytail (which is what I use to do when I kept my hair relaxed) and the outfit do remind me of an look a bit too young for Mrs Obama. I do love the sort of mild sweep of her hair on the left side, her minimalist make up which makes her look like she was born with naturally flawless skin, and the earrings. I love the three tier chain hanging onto the ball. Nice design
What I love about Mrs. O is that she is staying true to her style; she's not trying to fit into a "First Lady" mold; she's remaining true to herself. I must say I love this blog, I don't like everything she wears however, the mear fact that this blog exist and that we're discussing her cloths is a truly refreshing breath of fresh air. Thank You Mrs. O and please, please don't change your style.
I love the charming side-sweep in her hair. It's not matronly at all, and in fact she looks very young to me in this picture.
At first, I thought this was a two piece, but then I noticed the rouching around her lower back that you can just barely make out. I imagine the rouching is repeated on the front until just below the bust line, and then the dress flares out into a full skirt.
I think she's dressed perfectly. This was actually a Jay Z concert held to thank all those young staffers who have been working so hard all these months, so a ball gown was not appropriate. The boots and the dress are very young. She looks adorable.
I think Mrs. O is so refreshing...I'm 43 and I would definitely wear that outfit. She looks "youthful" but not trying to look "young" if you get what I'm saying. That's a good thing...she's not an old tired looking first lady which is so refreshing.
MissPB, you've described this look, and many similar to this, perfectly. She also looks comfortable and happy.
well the dancer like quality you pick up on may have something to do with the fact that as a teenager mrs. o was indeed a dancer; there's a wonderful photo of ballerina michelle floating around out there on the internet.
i love that mrs. o so far isn't letting herself be pushed into the typical dowdy first lady fashion box, she's youthful yet put together, and i think it's great and i it lasts. and i must say i love the moniker "president mr. o," it's adorable (just like he is with mrs. o).
Very elegant yet effortlessly hip at the same time! I like that Elana pointed out that at 43 she would wear that outfit...well Im 24 and I would wear it too! A great outfit will look fab on anyone of any age. Im definitely envious of this number!
moja31, you're right!
check out image #3 of this fantastic slideshow:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/170260
Hey hey hey, I love this one. The pre-inauguration Mrs. O is back! Cool!
Mrs. O. may not realize it (although, who knows, right?) but that outfit fit in perfectly with the style of the women of the Arcade Fire, one of the bands that played. They both wear boots and dresses like that. Hers was obviously not performance wear, but was perfect for the more arty, fun occasion.
Thanks Jen and Elena for the observations about the young crowd and musical performances (which I've added to the post). I'm sure Mrs. O was mindful of the venue and audience when she chose her wardrobe. Agree that those are key details!
Mrs T - you are so brilliant !
Thanks for more photos and info about this look.
Mrs O looks so comfortably chic - I can almost sense the relief on her face to be dressed in something cozy and w/ flat heels and tights after all the high wattage clothing she had worn just the day before.
She looks pulled together, glowing and youthful and very fashionable.
People, do we LOVE her BROWS or what? Her minimalist but effective makeup is lovely. I would like to see this outfit from the front.
Re: the heel-less shoes she must wear to not tower over what's his name (oh yeah, it's Barack)....this is difficult to maintain a silouette and look great. She seems to do it better than most. This outfit would look great with strappy black heels.... but I do love the look of the boots, they sass it up as much as flats can.
I'm very curious about her earrings. Does anyone have any ideas? I wonder if they are by John Hardy?
I am so happy that Michelle Obama is my First Lady!
She's so chic, love her.
I agree with RJT. She looks so comfy. After a couple of days of dressing way up, I am sure it felt wonderful to her to be in flats with her hair in the low pony tail. She is comfortable in her own skin and that is what make her so great and so much fun to watch!
This is how I LOVE to see Mrs. O! She looks natural, comfortable, and still so chic.
I was at this ball and Mrs. O looked absolutely gorgeous and so much more relaxed than she had all week or at the balls on inauguration night. This was the last inauguration event and she was clearly getting back to her old elegant, classic, and comfortable styles.
kat
www.bapworld.com
Mrs. C, I've been wondering who the earring designer is, too. Ever since I saw these photos, I've been trying to find some mention of them online. I think I'm going to have to resort to old-fashioned research, I think... drop by Ikram and just ASK!
Okay, I think I answered my own question, but I still need to confirm it. The earrings are likely Loree Rodkin, a designer Mrs. O has worn in the past. Her website (link below) shows a beautiful shot of Mrs. O hugging Mr. O while wearing a pair of silver LR earrings. The design has similar elements to the earrings worn to the staffer ball.
http://www.loreerodkin.com/
Mrs. Obama has beautifully manicured and elegant hands.
Love Mrs O but really dislike the lower half of this dress, it hearkens back to victorian era crinolines and bustles. However everything else is flawless - her skin (what a glow), make-up, jewellery and boots. Though I too wish she would rock some killer Louboutins. Or something. I used to wish I was supermodel tall but now I realise there is something to be said for being petite(or at least - under 5'9) - we can rock killer heels without dwarfing everyone else!
I love, love, love that Mrs O wears flats and low heels. And that she looks great while doing it!
Speaking of hands, I was struck by the beauty of the President's hands, when he was signing those executive orders.
Eh... I'm not digging the ruched look, nor the boots. There's something too "black ballet" about it.
She does look quite young from the back and with that ponytail. And from the front, for that matter, haha...
Kristan
http://jbu.phuzzymath.net/
Yes, I love that she's wearing the exact right thing for a concert and not wearing a skirt-suit uniform like other women in politics! And comfortable shoes for rockin' out!
The President looks elegant as ever but maybe Mrs. O could devote some time to helping him find a more formal look? Due to his youth and people's unfortunate racial stereotypes, I think he relies on the suits to make him look mature and presidential. He clearly rocks the swim trunks (swoon!), but what can he wear on more casual occasions like this one? Button-down and velvet blazer with jeans?
I'm a few months older than Mrs. O (I'm still trying to figure out how I got to be OLDER than a First Lady...because I'm certainly not OLD!), and wouldn't hesitate to wear the entire outfit, although the color black is a bit too harsh on me. There's nothing inappropriate about this outfit that I find remotely inappropriate on a vibrant, active, over 35-year old woman.
As to Mr. "Mrs. O", I think I prefer the suit-and-tie look. He is, after all, the POTUS and was appearing at the concert in that role. That's exactly how I expect him to dress for the next eight - whoops, getting a bit ahead of myself there - make that four, years.
i am 15 and so incredibly inspired by our wonderful first lady. she is an amazing role model for not only african american girls but all girls in general. i truly hope that she will bring back a sense of modesty, style, and elegance to our country.(by that i mean that i hope girls will stop putting everything on display) oh and btw i would totally wear that outfit too!