A Lovely First Lady
Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 8:17 AM 
Photo credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
First Lady Mrs. O looked so lovely at the grand reopening celebration of Ford's Theatre last night. And her dress! We love the girlish silhouette created by the empire waist and full skirt, and the unusual pattern (a plaid made up of mini-houndstooth). This feels unlike anything we've seen Mrs. O wear in the past. Could it be Tracy Reese? We've confirmed the dress is not designed by Tracy Reese, which leaves this somewhat of a mystery. Any ideas?
Update: Thanks to reader Alexa, who relayed that the dress is designed by Isabel Toledo (as reported by ETOnline.com) Additional images can be seen at the Huffington Post.
And as requested, here is the video from YouTube so that we can admire the dress in action:
Isabel Toledo in Outfits 
Reader Comments (127)
Michelle is ObaMAGNIFICENT as usual. What a great dress! She is so beautiful!
The First Lady never fails to surprise and zig when everyone else zags. Others show up in columns and sheaths and Mrs. Obama picks a full skirt. She knows how to stand out in a crowd and we love her all the more for it.
Love this site and keep up the good work!
I don't care for this dress at all. AND, it is hanging longer in the front which is unfortunate. It's not that it is a girlish silhouette--it just doesn't look right on MIchelle. I in no way fault her for being daring or experimental in fashion. I just don't think this look is a winner.
I love that she seems to have the bangles on she wore to the Inauguration balls.
I love it because Michelle can pull that look off. She does zig-and we've got to learn to zig with her. I'm learning and I love it. She is going to stand out. Get used to it. It's gonna be a bumpy but fun ride!!!
I'd like to see that dress photographed from a different angle.
By the way, there's an interesting article about Michelle's relationship with Ikram Goldman in today's New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/fashion/12IKRAM.html?_r=1&th&emc=th
So beautiful. What I love about FLOTUS is that she has such a range of looks that are simple but unique and playful.
You can read the beautiful remarks delivered by President Obama here:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/02/please_dont_stay_long.php
I never tire of his lyrical writing. Just gorgeous. See also his 2005 piece, "What I See in Lincoln's Eyes"
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1077287,00.html
I don't think the dress has an uneven hemline or hangs unevenly. I think part of it is pushed forward because of the man next to her and the way they're standing and that makes it look as if it's not hanging properly. I love the dress. I love the different look. Might as well admit it. I love her. She's so fresh and original and different. And frankly, I'd much rather have her strike out occasionally (the Francisco Rodriguez dress on election night) than be boring. Boring she's not! Go, Michelle!
She is a show-stopper. The dress material appears to have a texture & I'll bet it looks amazing when she walks w/a gentle floatation to the bottom. Everyone may not be in love w/each 'n every outfit she wears, but she is certainly doing her part to jazz up the economy in the retail sector. Makes you want to shop for something new 'n fresh.
A few more photos here where you can see her in silhouette:
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Michelle-Obama/ss/events/pl/050108michelleobama#photoViewer=/090212/ids_photos_ts/r36853416.jpg
Love the photos of the Obamas meeting Sidney Poitier!
I love that she mixes it up! This dress in interesting and fresh. Is that John-boy Walton standing next to her?
Huffpo has a nice slideshow:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/12/the-obamas-step-out-for-f_n_166284.html
Fun dress! I can imagine Mrs. O with her daughters twirling around the room and laughing. That dress is a twirler for sure. At least that's what I always do in a full-skirted dress.
edwina, that does look like John-boy!
Quite unique and creative which expresses her love for fashion. What other First Lady exemplified such gorgeous qualities. You Go Girl!!!
It's not my favorite of the looks we've seen her in, but I do salute her for being daring and different. No matter what she wears, she always carries herself with confidence and self-assurance, and seems truly happy. And really, that's what matters!
I like it quite a lot, but like someone else said, the hem seems to be a bit off. It is a departure from what you usually see her in, which makes it fun and festive IMO.
On another note, here is an interesting NY Times article about Mrs O's favorite Chicago Boutique and how the way she chooses her clothing is different from most other First Ladies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/fashion/12IKRAM.html?scp=1&sq=&st=nyt
I love the full skirt, but not combined with the empire waist. Especially in the slideshow on nytimes.com, posted above, it almost looks like a maternity dress on her. If the skirt's fullness started closer to her natural waist I think it would be more flattering overall.
I am confused? Is this a site for people to constantly criticize everything the FLOTUS wears? She looks great, yet comment after comment is about how bad she looks. What is wrong with you people? Was there a website created to bash Laura Bush's fashion choices? I doubt it.
I love it! Michelle is daring and if anyone can pull this look off, she can. This photo is not the best to show the dress. Due to the camera angle, the hemline appears off. I doubt a designer would send the First Lady an outfit with the hemline off.
Also that is John boy, actor Richard Thomas, with her in the pic. ;-)
Terry, by my count, at least 10 people liked this outfit or some aspect of it. So far, the thumbs-down people are not being disagreeable about their opinion, which I am grateful for.
As Michelle said in her Vogue interview, there is never going to be an absolute consensus about what she wears. This is true of all fashion commentary. After the Grammys, the fashion guy on ET had one dress on his "best dressed" list and I happened to flip over to the fashion police on E and the very same dress was on the "worse dressed" list. Cleary, a different strokes situation.
I wonder if the earings are those simple, $17,000 diamond earings she has worn before?
Sorry for the above typo -- I meant earrings!
I love the dress and I love that she pulls it off. I like that she takes risks and as she has said there will always be people who don't like her choices. Most of all I love that she didn't go with the conventional sheath or figure-hugging silhouette that so many of the other women had chosen.
Thanks, Meta, for the link to additional photos. The dress is very '50s with a modern twist. I also think it's both serious in color and playful in style. Separately, I must say that the above photo doesn't really capture how wonderful her makeup looked.
I've been trying to like this dress (because it's so unique), but I've concluded I just can't. This is one of the few times where the dress seems to be wearing her, not the other way around. I think it's because of the cut and drape of the skirt, as Amy points out above.
Other than that, hair, makeup and accessories are fabulous as always!
My gosh, the people who think this looks good have truly drunk the Kool-Aid to the point that they can't even see straight. It's called C-L-A-S-S, people, and Michelle shows none of it in this dress!! Nearly all of the attendees were dressed formally to semi-formally, MO shows up in a sleeveless, shy of knee-length summer dress, and you say she looks "fabulous"?!?!?!? Come on!! Sober up!!
Wow, Sara... that's going a bit far, don't you think?
The design of the dress is one thing. The "classiness" of the First Lady is another.
Note to Terry, I praised the civlity of the comments too soon. Sara, you just made a liar out of me.
Michelle does love her sleeveless dresses!
I'm not sure this is the most flattering dress, but it is very interesting. I, too, would like to see it from another angle.
it's a cool dress, though it's not my favorite look on her. the pattern is really neat, and her shoes were lovely; the president and first lady make such an impossibly gorgeous couple.
Sara,
I'd love to see what you think is classy. Since when is sleeveless informal? Is floor-length the only option for formal attire? I suggest you pick up some fashion magazines and study them, and take some time to appreciate a diversity of style. You sound like a conformist, and there's no place in fashion for people like you.
Having seen the Huffington Post slideshow, I'm liking the dress more. I think that the dress is more formal than it appeared in that first picture. It's a party-length dress, and I think if it were all black, no one would have anything to say in terms of it being supposedly "classless" or too informal.
@Sara - This is an evening dress, the closeups show that the pattern is somewhat sparkly - metallic thread? and a sequined trim at the neckline and hem.
That said, this is a dress that is wearing her and I dislike it. I just flat out don't like the color and pattern. She wore a similar style one to an event at Pinto's salon that was plain purple taffeta and it looked exquisite.
I also don't think it's well executed - the hem is uneven all around (I'm not referring to where the front hangs lower, but the hem itself)) and the neckline doesn't lie flat. Not acceptable in an expensive designer gown, IMO.
I think that our heroine looks far better in strong, simple shapes and colors, and when she expresses her undeniable femininity through her accessories and jewelry. This is too much.
This is very unfortunate because even with her height, I don't think that she pulled this look off as well as most of her others. I do like that she chose this print as well as the sleeveless bodice, but I have tried to look at all of the other photos posted at various angles and it appears to me that the skirt might be a bit too full at the empire. I think that if the skirt flared out a little lower on her waist, this look might have been more flattering. But that's what happens when you're a little taller-things that should hit one place always tend to hit a bit higher. I wonder if she will eventually have someone in the White House that can make more garments to fit her frame...still wondering what happened to Maria Pinto.
What a stunning, young, fresh gorgeous dress. I want it. She looks extra beautiful in this. See this is why Mrs. Obama is definitely my fashion idol.
I wish you guys had the other pictures that are online. This one does not do her justice, its nice but woah the rest.
love love love her style and her natural beauty.
BTW...The President ain't no slouch neither. Look at him and his fine ass self.
As she said, you can never please everyone.
Michelle obviously chose this dress because she loves it, I and many others like me love it on her. If you don't like it, tough luck! This is a far cry from Hillary's shapeless jackets. Hats off Mrs. O my eyes are loving it.
The day following President Obama's election I was beside myself with happiness and quite unable to work. During my day off I purchased a full black and white skirt with attached crinoline. I wanted something joyful to commemorate the occasion and, of course, I was very much inspired by the spirit of Michelle's style. So I am thrilled to see her in this crinoline dress! She looks gorgeous, and there is nothing more feminine feeling than wearing crinoline.
i do love the dress... but, i'll admit it's not one of my favorite looks on her. i prefer Mrs. O in fitted bright colored sheath dresses. still, i'm glad she mixes it up and is adventurous!
Just a reminder, black women have butts. Therefore, dresses tend to hike up a tad in the back. While I guess she could get her dresses tailored to even it out. It is a hazard that many of us, black women, have just accepted. I like the dress, but I don't think it was the most flattering for her. The camera angle, doesn't help either.
I looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove the Vogue cover though!
lol@grandma
Simply beautiful!! I want one for myself!!
I love the dress!
A miss. Not so much for the dress itself, which I really like. It would look fabulous in a photo spread, or at an event where the First Lady is the "center of attention".
It reminds me of the bright red solid color dress she wore to the first visit at the White House before the inaguration. She stuck out like a sore thumb in the photos. It was just too much "look at me, I'm the center of attention" for the tone of the event.
I mean this as constructive discussion of her wardrobe choices. I LOVE most of her choices and her fresh look. She is allowed misses though, and to me, this is a big one.
I am one who prefers Mrs. O in more fitted silhouettes. I think she really CAN'T go wrong with a dress that hugs her curves, because she's so tall and has a great figure, so the effect is always gorgeous.
That said, this is a really pretty and unique dress. If it was in a color other than brown/black, it MAY have been too informal. But if you click on the slideshow linked above, the 6th picture has something of a close-up and it really is an evening dress. You can see the pattern is not as washed out as it looks in some of the pictures. It's a very vibrant, eye-catching design, with the brown silk accent detailing and the V neckline and of course, the full skirt.
It really is a party dress and it's very flirty and it makes her look about 29. I have fun when she has fun so I like the dress, even if it's not in my favorite silhouette. I think if she wore a sleeveless sheath every day, it would be boring.
Allison, that red dress Michelle wore to the White House is one of my all-time favorite she's ever worn!
I am surprised you are so sensitive to whether or not she's trying to "be the center of attention". She IS Michelle Obama...so she really doesn't have to try all that hard to get attention. It is there whether she wants it or not. So I imagine she dresses for herself (and her husband) and not to get anyone to look at her.
This is not one of my favorite dresses that Mrs. Obama has worn, but I applaud it and the lady underneath it! I am not wearing the dress and it should not matter what I think of it or anyone else. What matters is what Mrs. Obama likes and what costumes are comfortable for her. I agree with the First Lady...there are going to be times that people are not going to like what she wears. What is so utterly refreshing is that this lady is so comfortable in her own skin that it doesn't matter what the critics will say.
My guess is that Barack is the kind of husband who thinks she looks gorgeous in whatever she wears. He's always got those stars in his eyes when he looks at her. (Sigh) Maybe that's where she gets her fashion courage or more likely,it's from her own healthy self-esteem. Not to mention her balanced perspective, that it's just clothes and tomorrow is another potentially fabulous day or maybe,not.
Jen - I so agree with you...I love the "Vogue" cover as well. The pose that Mrs. Obama has on the cover reminds me of a very famous pose that Mrs. Kennedy did during her White house years...with her hand also holding the back of her neck. I wonder if that was Annie was going for when she was taking the shot!
That dress u are rockin it mrs obama .and the dress u are makin me so mad u can relly wear that dress u go girl. An your daughers are so beauitful. Go mr & mrs obama.