Colorado Chic
Monday, November 16, 2009 at 6:19 PM 
Image by John Moore / Getty Images
First Lady Mrs. O was in Denver, Colorado today to meet with high school students, as part of the ongoing White House leadership and mentoring initiative.
We know Mrs. O's penchant for belts has many regular readers of this blog divided. But like the trend or not, Mrs. O is most certainly having a belt moment (perhaps complemented by an updo moment too). For today's appearance, Mrs. O paired an argyle cardigan with black trousers, cinched at the waist by a neutral leather belt. A stack of beaded bracelets completed the look.
Update #1: Thanks to those who have pointed out that earlier in the day, Mrs. O paired her argyle cardigan with a coordinating skirt. See more at the Huffington Post.
Update #2: Mrs. O wears a cardigan from Moschino's Fall/Winter 2010 collection.
Moschino
Reader Comments (64)
Christina,
I have not seen another shot of the skirt besides the one provided by Mrs. T.
I have an honest question: What does it mean to be "constructive about Michelle's clothing"? Does it mean that I must like everything she wears? Or does it mean that I must just SAY I like everything she wears?
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I'm amused by the constant reminders that she has the right to wear what she wants and that everyone else's opinions are only opinions. Magnificent job of stating the obvious! I thought blogs were created for stating opinions.
It also puzzles me that posters are chastised for disliking things. I for one don't care for most of Mrs. O's outfits that include belts. Of course I have nothing against belts in general; a belt is a neutral object, so how could anyone object to a belt? I object to wearing belts that don't, in my opinion, complement the outfit and that often spoil an otherwise lovely outfit. So when posters say that they don't particularly care for a particular combination of pieces, so long as they imply nothing negative about the person wearing those items, there's nothing to be chastised for. A dozen of you could tell me what's right with a belted outfit or that she has a right to wear things that I don't care for (duh!), and that outfit will still not look any better to me. An opinion is not right or wrong, so there's no point in such comments. What may be wrong is the tone or attitude with which the opinion is delivered; bad manners are always unacceptable and should by all means be called out. But calling out someone for having a different opinion is pointless and only adds to the tension that so predictably develops in every thread.
P.S. to Eleroy: Mrs. Obama is NOT perfection, nor is anyone else on this planet. She is a flesh-and-blood woman who is very intelligent and gifted and has used her gifts and resources to do a lot of good things. But no one is perfect, and I think we put an undue amount of pressure on people when we place them on such impossibiy high pedestals.
@ Jades,
Thanx for the link to the denver post. I noticed one of the mentors, a local fashion designer, is wearing a wide belt - it looks nice.
Christina, as I posted, I believe that is the dress Mrs. O wore (in black) to the Fort Hood ceremony. Had to post that belatedly on this thread as Mrs. T chose not to do a thread on Fort Hood due to the nature of the occasion.
I too have never worn sweater dresses. Require smoothers on even the slim, and also look best when a underliner type of slip is worn with them so that they don't cling to every curve - and bulge. :-)
@BeeGee and Christina - I've learned that the dress Mrs. O wore to Fort Hood was Michael Kors.
The bickering on this thread makes me a bit upset. Let's be respectful to the first lady, and importantly, kind to one another! Pretty please!!
I think my previous post may sound more negative than I intended.
A person's style is comprised of so many elements, of which clothing choices are only one. I believe Mrs. O is the most beautiful first lady of my lifetime. She is warm, caring, and intelligent. She exudes health both physical and emotional. She glows with happiness and confidence. She is a model wife and mother; their family is a joy to behold. She gives not only young girls but all of us someone to look up to and aspire to emulate.
Long after the Obamas have left the White House, I will probably have forgotten about all of the badly placed (IMO!) belts; but I will never forget the beautiful style, grace, and charm she has brought to this position. She's often compared to Jackie Kennedy; and in terms of the glamor and culture both women brought to the White House, the comparison is valid. But beyond that, I don't see that they have much in common. I remember JK mostly for her fashion; I'm sure I will remember MO for her warmth, approachability, and those wonderful hugs! And those are the things I'd want to be remembered for if I were in their position.
@BeeGee:
I have to admit that the few times I've worn "undergarments" I've been very pleased with the look. And, it had the side benefit of making it hard for me to eat too much at the party I was attending! But wow, when I got home and took them off, I felt so much better. I think I put Spanx etc. in the same category as stiletto pumps -- they are very necessary for some occasions, and when you need them, there's nothing better. But for me, it's not an every day thing.
@ Mrs. T
I concur. I enter offering an olive branch. Temperaments have risen to a zenith, boiling over and wreaking havoc through several threads. I can't cast blame because I've been smack in the middle of some of the mess. So fellow posters, we can show Mrs. O a great deal of respect by simply respecting each other.
Very, very well stated, BarbG. I never thought of Jackie K. as being a warm, approachable person, but Mrs. O. sure seems to be!
Before all the comments get started about the huge wide belt Mrs. O is wearing at the school in Virginia, just look at the expression of the children, just look at the warmth she exudes, just look at how happy the children are, just think "does it really matter that she chose to wear a belt". I know she has the resources but if we each try to help some child in the smallest of capacity, our time would be better served.
Christen,
Since you present yourself as such a fashion connoisseur and an arbiter of what is proper, maybe you need to post some photos of yourself in different settings (day wear, professional wear, evening wear, sportwear, etc) on this blog so the rest of us less discerning posters can see actual examples of your superior knowledge and fashion sense. I realize that this blog is about the First Lady's fashion and style, but this would give us the opportunity to "objectively and contructively" critique your choices, your shape, your weight, your posture, etc. (maybe less caustically than you do the FLOTUS) over and over and over again to the point where it gets redundant and petty. After all since you repeatedly promote yourself as an expert in all things fashion, we need to see some actual examples of that superior knowledge. Maybe then and only then you will finally GET IT, but then maybe not!
Eleroy: Back at ya, baby! You have definitely revealed yourself for who you truly are with that comment. You are a sick one.
Eleroy you missed out "gratuitously".
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BarbG I'm going to respond to your comment about being constructive because I think it was nominally addressed to me? I said something about it earlier anyway. Of course being constructive about Mrs O's clothes doesn't mean saying you like everything, no, that'd be daft. I mean being constructive in whatever you say. (Not YOU you, you as in people.) I know you're a teacher, you're probably more familiar than any of us with giving constructive criticism to students. I've taught children myself - one can't say "that was a horrible and stupid piece of work you should know better." One has to be empowering and constructive. That's all I'm referring to when I talk about being constructive. My old thing about "I wouldn't have worn that top with that skirt, but I like X very much", for example, instead of saying "that belt ruins that outfit". It's not slavish to be constructive, but it's doesn't have to be nasty either.
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I was interested in Eleroy's comment that Mrs O IS perfection in her books. I get that completely. I know she isn't (as in, no human is perfect), but in my book, she's pretty damned close and it's OK to admire that and have it as a role model. God knows I can't think of any other forece on earth that would have made me start working out with a trainer once a week.
Clotheswise though, I'm not here on this blog looking for the perfect outfit or the right outfit. Maybe that's the difference. Are some people here are looking for Mrs O to do things the "right way" while some of us are just enjoying what she DOES do?
I'm just enjoying the latter. In the context of Mrs O, therefore, she looks great 99% of the time. I have a Satanic aversion to Argyle, but, you know, this grey Argyle with the smokey amethyst top underneath and a similarly toned belt - that's a beautiful outfit. She looked fabulous. Even I couldn't hate the Argyle. EVEN I!!! Hehehehe.
mszonian524:
You are being ludicrous. This blog is not about me, now is it? I have never made a derogatory statement about Mrs. O.'s weight, so I have no idea where that came from. I have made no secret of the fact that I am tall (5'10") and that I am quite "curvy." I have spent a lot of time and money learning how to dress to best flatter my particular figure. At times, I will suggest that perhaps something Mrs. O. is wearing (particularly the wide belts) is not flattering to her. Big deal. I have my opinion and you have yours. Next time make your opinion about Mrs. O. clothing choices, instead of another poster.