Wednesday
Nov112009
Marking Veterans Day
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 12:16 PM 
Image by Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
In honor of Veterans Day, First Lady Mrs. O has joined the Bidens and President O for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. Mrs. O is wearing a blue tweed overcoat from J.Crew, last seen in January 2009, belted at the waist for this occasion. We are intrigued by the dress underneath. Might it be the teal Maria Pinto dress worn for the DNC in August 2008?
Update:
Image via PRNewsFoto/THE HISTORY CHANNEL, Pete Souza
Also today, President O and First Lady Mrs. O posed with veterans taking part in the History Channel's "Take a Veteran to School Day." Sans coat, we can see that Mrs. O was in fact wearing her teal Maria Pinto frock from the 2008 DNC.
tagged J.Crew, Maria Pinto
J.Crew, Maria Pinto
Reader Comments (136)
I love the First Lady, but I just do not like these big belts. They are not chic.
Dear God....the belt still lives............on painfully bad accessory singlehandedly ruined the whole look of the outfit. She might as well go to Goodyear and stick a tire around her waist.
The outfit mimics a soldier's ceremonial dress. Fashion is not just about 'looking good' its also about making a statement and I think in her own way she is paying homage to the military.
Come on guys, it's not that hard to figure out. I actually registered to comment on this particular thread even though I am a frequent visitor.
Mrs Obama is very eclectic in her fashion sense. It's not about the norms or what other people think is 'appropriate', but her PERSONAL interpretation of an event or occasion.
Greetings from Barcelona...where FASHION is ALIVE!
The coat belted is an improvement to the coat open and draping shapelessly as it did in the January wearing. No opinion on this particular belt one way or the other.
On the color being for "Spring" then she wore it inappropriately on both outings, once in Winter and once in late Fall. I appreciated it because it enabled me to locate her when the cameras scanned the scene. As to brightness, Tammy Duckworth, disabled vet and now an assistant in the VA, led the pledge in a bright red coat accented with dazzling jewelry.
This was not primarily to honor the dead, but to honor the living veterans so it was not as solemn as yesterday. After painfully witnessing the two of them throughout the long, long serious day yesterday, it was good to see both of them occasionally break a smile today..
For those of you who have harped endlessly in the past about wishing Michelle would wear a suit, did you get a look at Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is deservedly famous for her nifty suits, last Saturday during the HCR proceedings in her red sheath? very nice and professional.
Really.....I have been reading some of these comments. I like everything about this outfit (boots included; please tell us where to get them, Mrs. T!) EXCEPT for the belt. Other than that, picture perfect. Great color on her. ]
Newsflash: people smile all the time - even at funerals! Lighten up please on her less than somber look in this millisecond frame of photography.
Sadly, I think Michelle Obama will look back on these photos where the belt overshadows everything and cringe, just like Hillary Clinton probably looks at some of her 80's pics and wants to go hide in a hole.
Wonder if the girls or her mom make any comments....we already know the POTUS is not a fan of this particular belt.
She looks better in this picture http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//091111/480/e962cf17829b468bb51b53befea372e0/#photoViewer=/091111/482/85632d9b25e742c783aa426c524921c3
I get the first ladies style. Michelle is not a trendsetter, She dresses for Her own self gratificaton. When I discovered this site. I was delighted to learn that their were other folks out there like me that enjoyed watching with anticipation what the 1st lady would wear. That said, I find it hypocrital for women to come on, and have nothing positive to say about what Michelle is wearing, and then justify their comments with a BS answer about being honest about how they feel . This site is for positive feedback and conversation about who and what Michelle is wearing. I am not interested in what you would wear the boots with and how her tweed coat is worn out of season. Who are we to judge what the 1st lady wears as a "Hit or Miss. I have learned just by living this life that " WE ARE NOT PROMISED TOMORROW". So when I buy something or recycle what I already own, THAT I LIKE. I wear it WHEN I WANT TO AND WHERE I WANT TO. ". Much respect to Ms. T for the time and effort that you put into making this a website that I look forward to logging onto on a daily basis.
It is the Maria Pinto sheath from the DNC! Check out this photo of her with the J.Crew coat off. She must have changed her outfit later in the day, because in this photo the black belt is fastened around her dress, instead of the coat, and she doesn't have on any black tights or boots, only the jade pumps from the inauguration.
Also check out this photo of her later today in a completely different outfit where she make a speech at George Washington University. It's the same Zero + Maria Cornejo jacket from Copenhagen but with another bold cut out belt. I would love to know who designed this belt as well. I'm also loving the interesting necklace . Never a boring moment with this First Lady!
Regarding her smile, maybe someone had made eye contact with Mrs. O and she acknowledged it politely with a very slightly upturned smile. We don't know the circumstances. She is an engaging person who generally seems to respond to others who reach out to her.
I always liked this coat and what I think is the dress underneath. I am not a fan of this particular belt with this coat, but think a less wide black belt would have done the trick.
moja31 ....Your comment fits exactly how I felt when I saw this photo of First Lady Michelle today. I just shook my head and said "Michelle, Why are you wearing belts & clothing that don't flatter your figure." I've seen past photos of Michelle before she became First Lady and she dressed so well...WTF!!! Has happen to her I don't know...If I remember right Maria Pinto use to dress Michelle for all Barrack special functions back in Chicago. It seems as the 2008 campaign went on Michelle started experimenting with her fashion and now that she is in the White House her clothing choices have gotten weirder.
Look I'm happy Michelle dresses how she pleases...but when you take huge leaps in fashion as often she does then people need to be prepared to hear criticism of these choices.
chrystelle, nyon and camille -- Please stop attacking individuals for posting their ideas. MS and Ellen have a right to post her views.
Mrs T -- I wish you would delete their posts when they pick on individuals instead discussing Mrs Os fashion. It spoils the blog.
Mrs. K,
I didn't attack her, so read my post and all my posts before you even think to address me. Duh!, everybody has a right to post their views. And since what you say is true, I had a right to post my view about her view, the same way you just posted your view about my view.
And if you want posts deleted that addresses indviduals, that means that yours should be deleted as well, right?
You know what, as much as I love Mrs.O's individual sartorial point of view I have to admit that a good number of her outfits are not the most flattering fit wise. She can rock and mix colors like no other, but some of her jackets, even with a belt, are not very flattering to her figure. And sometimes an added belt makes the outfit look a bit jarring and ill fitting like today's coat/belt combo. Another example would be today's Zero+Maria Cornejo printed jacket. The sleeves are too big and make her look "linebacker-ish". She used to be able to do volume at the sleeves well like the red Maria Pinto jacket and dress combo from the primaries last year.
But oh, well. Like I said, never a boring moment with this First Lady and it doesn't make me admire her accomplishments and intellect any less. She's my new Carrie Bradshaw fix. Even though some of Carries outfits weren't the best it was cool to see how SJP rocked it and used her outfits to convey a message at whatever event she was at. I guess Ikram is the Patricia Field to Mrs.O's Carrie Bradshaw.
I'm prepared to be ridiculed...but this ensemble is NOT appropriate for Veterans Day...it is an Easter color....and the belt is awful.
I just don't understand this choice.
Mrs. Obama looked loverly yesterday in Texas.
I very much like the outfit as she intended to wear it, with the pumps and cardigan. I think the belt looks great. I think it is now pretty clear that she wore the boots due to the weather and the fact that they'd be walking in the grass at the cemetery.
Just wanted to add one thing about the color issue. Why would Jcrew make a long and full tweed jacket - clearly meant for fall/winter weather - in turquoise blue if that color is not to be worn unless it is spring or summer? Perhaps there is no "rule" in the way some think there is?
Hey guys, I usually don't post twice on the same thread but I just wanted to add something to the right/wrong winter color debate regarding outerwear. 3 years ago I bought 2 Harve Bernard 100% wool coats. One was a baby blue and the other was a pink/white boucle tweed with a skinny yellow patent leather belt. I cannot tell you how many compliments I get when I wear either one. It gets cold in Michigan and these are definitely winter coats...they would be too heavy for fall or spring. I see a lot of winter coats in what WAS traditionally spring/summer colors.I noticed that in the dead dreary days of Michigan winters, these stand out and looks cheery. A lot of designers have done away with the old school of thought, that being only dark or jewel tones for winter. This has been my experience and is my observation,not meant to demean or negate anyone's opinion and it surely isn't meant to justify or defend our Michelle's color choice. It needs none because we all can choose what ever we like. I do love our passion though...we are passionate about our Michelle!!!
The coat is cool and the boots are fantastic and fashion-forward. Unfortunately, the belt ruins the entire look. It seems that Mrs. O is concerned about de-emphasing her lower body, but I think that more often than not, the belts make her hips look that much wider.
I generally like Michelle's clothes and wish I had the budget for them. However, the belt thing has gotten out of hand.
What brand are the boots? I want those.
I second the idea that the outfit echoes military themes...
I love your blog so much - this is the first time I'm commenting.
Yesterday was a big hit; today is a miss. Have seen a number of photos and it looks pretty awful in all of them. Big black belt and big black boots do not help when the ensemble is a spring dress and coat. And in November at an OFFICIAL ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
I don't care who the colorful little person next to her is. SHE is the wife of the president of the United States.
I went to the Huffington website and scrolled thru the slide show of this event. I think it's pretty entertaining that Mrs. O wore a sensible, fashionable pair of boots with tights to tromp thru the rain and on wet grass, and Mrs. Biden wore slingback, peep toe, very high heels and bare legs. And people are criticizing Mrs. O for being "out of season" and "inappropriate?"
WILL I WAS CUT OFF ANYWAY AS I WAS SAYING AM GLAD THAT WHEN SHE WENT INSIDE SHE CHANGE HER BOOTS FOR SHOES AND HER BELT IS ON HER HIP AGIAN. AND SHE IS NOT WEARRING LEGGING TIGHTS.LOVE HER HAIR SHE DID IT AGIAN.
Ari - I meant to comment above that I loved your remark about Mrs. O being our new Carrie Bradshaw. I think you've hit on something. They are the women we love to watch - we may not love everything they do, wear, say, whatever. But they are endlessly interesting, not least because they have the ability to surprise us.
Operafanantic--Point well taken. Considering one can wear white now ANY time of the year, I can't believe all the complaints about the colors she wore. I can even see why she wore the rain boots. It's the belt that ruins everything and whether she was emulating the soldiers uniforms by wearing the belt, I highly doubt it. Probably more that the belt didn't fit right under the coat. I also agree with the other poster that sometimes the belt highlights her "hip area" instead of concentrating on her small waist.
Let me say again, I love Michelle Obama and I love most of her fashion choices and the real reason she is a trend setter is that sometimes she fails. There I said it, but without risk there is no chance for success or failure. While I have complained about her "Star Trek belt" as POTUS calls it being worn with everything and I 'm sure the cost per wear of that item is really low, it has also caused me to think more about adding belts to my wardrobe and spicing up my outfits.
Finally, Mrs. T, I think this blog is great and have sent the link to some friends of mine to enjoy what you have put togther here.
Here is a suggestion to all designers. REAL women with curves like myself often do not like belts that have to be tied on trench coats or winter coats or any coats, since they add bulk to an already bulky area of their bodies. I would love to see more designers incorporate sewn on belts that snap (with 2-3 snaps at various lengths to adjust and accomodate different S-M-L-XL waist sizes) or belts that open and close with a quick click that are actually sewn onto coats so that we don't look like we are a pretty little Chirstmas present all tied up in a big bow! It would make for easier quicker entrances and exits, too - not having to stand and tie our darned belts! Anyway, just a thought if any designers are reading this blog!
Wow everybody has certainly covered ALL the bases on this outfit. I think she looks great in the group portrait In the White House. The dress, cardigan and yes even this controversial belt look really good and the colors are gorgeous. But I had to groan when I saw she put on that beautiful coat and then put the belt OVER the coat. Can't figure out WHY in the WORLD she would do that.
I can sympathize with the flat heeled boots. I am tall but most of the really cool boots have higher heels which I refuse to wear because I would tower over most people including my husband
I LOVE the color of that coat!! MUST HAVE IT!!!
For those of you complaining about the color and the solemn occasion at this auspicious place, get a gander at the Queen of England at Westminster Abbey in bright purple.
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Veterans-Day/ss/events/us/111009veteransday#photoViewer=/091111/481/87ccb70ee6864ab8b4eeaa5ddbcb96ac
And Jill Biden did not go out into the cemetery because the Bidens hosted a noon luncheon for active duty soldiers and families. Michelle in pumps and just the dress would have been at the breakfast the Obamas hosted for veterans.
These two gals had a busy day.
It's funny -- sometimes I can tell immediately when an outfit is going to be a big topic of discussion, and sometimes I miss the mark *entirely*. LIke with this one; I literally thought nothing of this outfit's supposed inappropriateness. I just thought "ooh, I think we've seen that coat before!" and "I wonder if she's growing her hair out, and that's why she's wearing it up so often these days?"
And...that's about all I have to say. I'm not really in the mood for generating/absorbing a lot of emotion over a coat and a belt.
Thank you, Mrs. K. If you can't RESPECTFULLY disagree with someone, then say nothing at all. I also find the use of profanity in their posts to be disurbing. Your vocabularies must be very limited if you have the need to curse. Keep it classy, ladies.
I have no quibble with the color Mrs. O. is wearing here. Once again, however, the cheap-looking (no matter how expensive) plastic air-filter belt ruins this outfit. A large brooch on her coat, perhaps the one she wore with this dress before, would have looked beautiful. I sincerely doubt that Mrs. O. was seeking to imitate military dress. She may have worn those boots out of practicality, but a slight heel, indeed any heel, would have pulled the outfit together.
Tia23:
Contrary to your assertions, I would acually contend that there are more Michelle Obama supporters who have been turned off from this site by the never-ending know it all armchair fashion "critics" who have carried over their rude, intrusive and over-bearing opinions on Mrs Obama's personal choices from other less friendly sites to this place.
Many of us supported this site from the very beginning because we correctly suspected that it would ultimately be the only place to come celebrate and respectfully discuss the unique and very personal fashion choices of this very lovely and fascinating woman without the meanspirited digs and endless condescension.
The idea that your view of things is somehow the "right" one and Mrs Obama is yet to "get it" is so presumptuous and almost too funny to comprehend.
There are a zillion sites where opinions such as yours run rampant and are a dime a dozen and many of us avoid those and seriously resent the attempt to turn this last decent site into yet another "Michelle Obama has no clue" bashfest.
Many of us LOVE, EMBRACE and actually APPRECIATE what we see as her undeniably unique, quirky, unconventional and very fashion-forward choices, all the while scratching our heads at some of the authoritative "prescriptions" proffered by folks who hate her choices and which we view as not only ridiculous and silly but presumptuous.
Again, there are many sites where your contrary opinions run rampant, but to attempt to force-feed us your rude, disrespectful and condescending narrative of your preferred version of how Mrs Obama should "present" herself is tantamount to deliberately raining on not just her parade but on ours.
We love her just the way she is and that's why we come here - to celebrate her fun, independent, bold and unconventional choices. Why is that so difficult to comprehend or respect??
Sharon, thanks for that lovely picture of The Queen. Being a royal watcher Michelle's use of so called inappropriate color does not phase me. The royals in Europe LOVE color just as Mrs O does. It is shocking for politically correct dour America. I'm glad for the shock!
The DNC dress is one of my favourites and I love love love the way she is wearing it with the contrasting cardigan and shoes (are those the inauguration shoes??) The belt also works very well here. She is tall, slender and positively radiant.
I love the coat. I'd easily wear it. I'm stratching my head over the comments about it not being appropriate for November. Heck ! I'd wear canary yellow in the snow if it looks good, who cares. I love the patent boots, very military looking. I'm not feeling the belt OVER the coat. I think it may have worked better if it was in patent like the boots but otherwise I love Michelle and I love what she is doing for America.
Babs, I didn't even read your post before I did mine but it is evident that we were thinking along exactly the same lines.
Tia23 has a good take on the way even constructive criticism is perceived as a slight to Mrs. O and her work. Some, not all, posters tend to attack the person rather than objectively discuss or respond to comments they do not agree with. Respect goes both ways and just because someone thinks that a Veteran's day ceremony called for a more classic and somber attire does not mean that we admire the first lady's work or dedication to veterans any less. It is about the clothes and not the person! Funny enough I think Mrs. O did have a stylist on the campaign trail (or at least she listened more to style advice from her peers), because she definitely dressed much better on the campaign trail than she is doing now.
Love the coat and dress combo for the outdoor part of the day and also love the dress and cardigan combo for the indoor part. I REALLY like the way that great belt has been used to sharpen up both outfits and tone in with the (FABULOUS!) patent boots. I think the boots looked better than the green shoes in fact - wish she'd worn them for the whole day! I also love the way Mrs O has her hair done today. She looks very pretty, very smart and very, very much a woman leading the country into a new era. America be proud.
(I've skimmed through some of the usual collection of anti-Mrs O comments and all I can say is that your President's wife looks completely appropriate for Veteran's Day. She is smartly dressed, she shows her compassion and friendliness at all times, to ALL people, without detracting from the seriousness of day's point. Some of you might need to update your ideas a bit. She's doing great. Just because it's not your version of what is right, doesn't mean it's wrong. You just think differently.)
You know, I see this a lot in different threads, and the English maven in me can't keep quiet any more!
When we're talking about colors, or a range of colors, it's *palette." It comes from the flat handheld board that some artists use to hold their colors.
If you're talking about part of the structure of the mouth, or figuratively about the flavor of food or beverages, it's "palate."
(And, if you're talking about a platform that is used to hold other materials, that's a "pallet," but I don't see that as often here.)
Thanks! :-)
HAhahaha-
Those homonyms are easy for me to distinguish, Christina.
I used to use a palette in a former life, now I deal in pallets, but I've always used my palate, and it currently shows!
The turquoise is just stunning on her, her skin radiates, he hair makes a nice starking contrast to the inviting blue tone. It just absolutely stunning. And the black boots- nice assertive design detail classy but strong- love it! One of her best!
I got the impression Mrs. O was trying to make a bit of a fashion statement as she often does and I just think this was a the wrong occasion - - I would have wished she had worn a more neutral dress or suit with a similar darker coloured coat and different footwear. I have a similar pair of boots that I wear when it's raining hard and I'm running errands in town The boots are "practical" but I don't think she had to worry too much about getting her feet wet to be that practical. Again this is one of the unfortunate times when you first look at what she's wearing rather than at her - - and on this solemn occasion, I think she should have chosen an outfit that didn't stand out at all.
All:
I am one of the long time posters.
I have enjoyed this site for awhile.
I am not a fan of this outfit, but I love the color. I have an assortment of colors in my closet for the fall and winter and not just the blacks, grays and browns. I have winter white, apricot, teal, red and pink. These colors are all in wool! I prefer some color in the not so warm months because the blacks, grays, etc become a little boring. With that said, she was not attending a funeral where one would wear a dark color.
Camille: I read your posts and you can heed some of your own advice. The nice tone, as you put it, could have been used by yourself also. Telling someone to go to hell is a bit over the top. I didn’t see anyone else using vulgarity but yourself. Or did I miss a post, as I have read all? If so, please point me in the right direction! I normally don’t post on the fashion side of this blog because of commenters like yourself and others that you so eloquently called out.
People are not going to like everything that Mrs. Obama wears. This is a fashion blog. You are supposed to critique fashion. I don’t like everything that she wears either. It is her choices; so if she likes it, I am tickled pink for her.
The snarkiness and nit-picking needs to stop!! I come to this site to read the look at the pictures, read the comments and move on. This morning caught me off guard with the back and forth nonsense that needs to be taken someplace else! I implore all, stop with the pettiness!
The belts over everything is getting old. They often ride to high on her mid-section and ruin the line of the outfit. These colors are not appropriate for this occasion. Mrs. Obama either gets it really right or really wrong. There seems to be no middle ground with her choices.
The belts over everything are getting old. They often ride to high on her mid-section and ruin the line of the outfit. These colors are not appropriate for this occasion. Mrs. Obama either gets it really right or really wrong. There seems to be no middle ground with her choices.
Arrrgh! Enough with the fashion rules. Don't we "get" it by now that FLOTUS is not a rule-player? I thought that is what we admired about her? She represents a young, modern, sophisticated and adventurous woman. We may not agree on the outfits but certainly we can agree on THAT. Otherwise, you may be on the wrong blog.
BTW, I love this particular outfit and would wear every piece.
The boots don't really go, but they are much more practical than heels would be, so I'm ok with them. As someone who sacrifices fashion for practicality, I can understand.
I agree with you 100% CMB, FLOTUS looks fab. Some folks just need to get a grip.
Well said Jay!
I try not to say much on this board as my words of wisdom tend to either fall at the wayside or get deleted.
Camille, I'm shocked to see that your post was not deleted. I made an innocent comment about Mrs. O beautiful and naturally tanned complexion and it seemed to cause an uproar. (BTW I'm a woman of color too)
Very, very interesting :).
The influence of military uniform on womens outerwear designs.
Mrs. O in overcoat based on an Army great-coat.
The post commander's wife in a pea-coat (the Navy).
Mrs. Biden in a classic trench (recently learned the trench was designed for explorers!)
.... As you were.
My opinion: Lose the belt. It breaks up the strong color and lines of the coat. That coat looks to be me that it was designed to hand straight.
Keep the boots. Let's assume that it was damp and rainy.
Turquoise for Veterans Day? Fine in my book.