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)
This dress is terrific and those who don't understand it will have a long eight year fashon lessons.
Evening wear comes in all different lengths, colors and attitude. I wasn't invited to this event so I'm not sure what the other women were wearing, but can guarantee than no others were as glamourous as MO.
"Class" comes from attitude, behaviors and conversation, not from a label.....Sara & Allison
Good counterpoints to my comments. I love this site because we can talk constructively about such an exciting topic as our new First Lady's wardrobe. I never paid much attention to what Mrs. Bush was wearing, and was too young for the Kennedys.
I'd love to see what Sasha and Malia wear to school, but I know that we want to give the kids privacy.
What's coming up for the State of the Union I wonder??
Wow...there are some serious haters on this site. Michelle is a certified banger and would run circles around all you posters hiding behind Internet anonymity. I'd like to see you even try to look as amazing as the FLOTUS. Just get over the fact that Michelle is black and beautiful. I'm white and I'm ok with it. It's called being secure.
Here is a video of the event. The dress is beautiful and Mrs O is stunning in it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL1GHS0-34o&feature=channel
Fabulous,fabulous,fabulous,fabulous,fabulous,fabulous,
fabulous, FABULOUS !
Did I mention that I thought this ensemble is FABULOUS ?
The peak of chic.
Well, as a vintage garment seller, I can only say keep on wearing things with a vintage vibe Mrs. O.
The problem is that in almost all the pictures we see the full dress photographed from below, never a great angle.
That being said I like it and think she looks happy and confident in the dress. Full skirts are fun and while the rest of the gals look kinda "meh" (except for Katie C with her hot mama red wiggle dress) once again Mrs. O makes a statement.
I love that she wears garments that she loves and does not let the garment wear her.
Jules/damn good vintage
the video from the above link is the bomb. The dress is so charming, you get to see that it has a bow in the back. She looks so chic. I love a fifties look
Are you kidding me? That is one butt-ugly dress. Just because Michelle Obama likes something does not make it stylish, chic, or appropriate for the event or her figure type. She looked like a lampshade in that thing.
the dress is edgy and not what we've seen from 1st ladies, since most of them were either in their 50s or older. I like it on her, but without the belt.
I wonder who the designer is.
Not my favorite look, but check out the other photos - it's much prettier in some of the others. The v neck is really flattering as well, and this photo isn't the right angle to show how nice the neckline is. Whether this dress is a home run or not, Mrs. O is pretty great.
It's not a bad dress, but I donot like it on Mrs. Obama.
As I've stated before, belts, sashes, whatever, do not work for Mrs. Obama. She is what the old people call "with a short waist" and it truncates her torso, meaning you notice the lower part of her body first.
I usually like mostly everyone she wears; but honestly, she should leave the belts/sashes out of her wardrobe or not wear them on her natural waistline.
Everyone, please click on the video linked above!
That's where you can really see the dress quite clearly.
I like it even more having seen the video. It is a VERY sexy, flirty and fresh look for Mrs. O, and certainly far different from what any other woman wore. It sways and moves when she walks, and it's not as billowy as it appears in the picture above. I think that was just a weird angle.
Anyway, she looks very young and very beautiful.
Chicagoan :
Sleeveless dresses are worn summer, winter, spring and fall! If you don't know about fashion, you shouldn't speak at all. Just look at the Grammy's last weekend. Lots of stars showed up in short & SLEEVLESS dresses. btw....most formal gowns are sleeveless unless the person has heavy arms and wants to cover them.
I agreee, re: the video! This picture doesn't do the dress justice. After seeing her walk in it, I love it even more.
Mrs. N thanks for the link to that clip.
I did not think I could love this dress more but seriously I do. The little bow on the back makes it for me. I think this is one of my favorite Mrs. O looks.
Maybe cause it's a throw back style, vintage and girlie at the same time. I don't know but I just love it. Its really a surprise look that definitely works and makes Mrs. O look even more feminine and sweet.*gushes and don't care*
I keep checking back to see if anybody posted the designers 0f both the shoes and dress yet. *waits*
Jules, funny you should mention the vintage vibe with Mrs. O's wardrobe - been thinking the same thing with many of her choices. And I mean that in a very very good way. When I first glanced at this dress my first thought was, hmmm, interesting nod to the period of the restored theatre.
As an historian with a passing interest in First Lady fashion (ok, more than passing interest) it is wonderful to see someone who puts some thought into what they wear. Those in the theatre last night came for several reasons and one was to see the President and First Lady. And she delivered by not disappearing into the sea of conformity. Some may call it "look at me" but guess what, that's where we want to look and a smart and savvy public figure will make it easy for us to pick them out in a crowd.
I like the dress, its fun and flirty, and yet again sets her apart from other FLOTUS, because its daring
But I do have to agree with the comments about the hem line, it does seem uneven, and it bothers me....if the hem were straight, it would have been an A+
@ Sara, your comment is not a critique, you sound more like a bitter republican who will criticize ANYTHING the Obamas do (the good and the bad), so just keep it moving, and find your way over to Fox News
She has other dresses with this shape that look great; I just dont like this one. Does she have one of those 50s petticoats under it?
I really like that dress esp. in the video, it has sparkle to it, and I love she wears sleeveless, she has great arms
I was a poster who said that this dress is not my favorite. I really don't like it on Michelle. I ALSO want to go on the record as a HUGE Obama supporter---and I love Michelle. I think people here need to realize that even those who truly like Michelle may not like some of her fashions---and that it is ok to say so. Like she herself has said, no one is going to like everything she wears. I think the full skirt is not flattering with the empire waist. Other things she has worn, I love.
Mary Todd Lincoln would have worn a billowy dress with petticoats and flounce at the Ford Theatre, as was the style in her day. Perhaps Mrs. O, with her usual thoughtfulness and an eye towards the arc of history, made a deliberate effort to invoke Mrs. Lincoln, but in a contemporary mode. Just an abstract observation....
I bet it's Tracy Feith.
She looks amazing in it.
I LOVE the dress and I love Michelle in it. All the other women on the stage have long dresses down to their ankles. Michelle looks classy and she shows that if you have great legs you don't have to cover them up to pull off an elegant look.
Spot on Bevi...
I too think there was more to this lovely evening dress than meets the eye-
I loved it! It was unique, modern with a twist and very flirty...
I really suspect she dresses for her husband and it shows-
Her makeup was beautiful and fresh as seen here (and the dangling earrings added such sparkle and glamor):
http://asp.usatoday.com/_common/_scripts/big_picture.aspx?width=490&height=742&storyURL=/life/people/2009-02-11-fords-theatre_N.htm&imageURL=http://i.usatoday.net/life/_photos/2009/02/12/fordsx-large.jpg
Adrielle, what do you mean? I made no comment about it being sleeveless. ???
C.
I dont get the vibe that she dress for anyone else
chicagoan,
sometimes people make the mistake of thinking that the commenting author is the top line, not the bottom line. She was referring to "sara" who is the author of that comment.
OK, I keep reading the comments, as I think there is something I am just not getting about this dress. After looking at the video, I am warming up to it. I think that the camera angle on the original was making it look more poofy and big than it really is.
And, it is somewhat retro, which fits into the event.
Oh, thank you, Edwina. I was so confused by it, I didn't go back up to look at my original comment.
Having seen the video, I do think the dress moves beautifully. And I love the embroidered dupioni silk. It actually reminds me of a crinoline-lined, dotted-swiss dress of my mother's from the 1950s, which I still have. It's like wearing seafoam; so light and fresh and just floats around your body. Very much a party dress!
if you have to justify the dress to yourself, then you don't like it
let's be honest, most of us know what we like at 1st glance
(im sure almost EVERYONE here remembers their reaction when they saw Michelle Obama walk out the night Barack won the democratic nomination in her purple Maria Pinto sheath, or when she walked down the stairs with him the day of the concert before inauguration day, in her Narciso Rodriguez black and camel outfit, it was instant love, it was a scream on top of your lungs, jump up and down the couch moment).
The dress is not bad at all, I happen to like it (save the hem-line which bothers me)
but I just wanted to note, just because we may not necessarily LOOOVE and outfit she wear, does not mean we have to justify it, its okay that she wears something we don't like sometimes, that is what is great about Mrs. O, she is bold, and we are not always going to agree, but that does not mean we love her any less, or think she is any less of a style icon (let's be real, she has cemented her role as a style icon!)
anyways, just some food for thought
Just watched the video - I am super super impressed.
That dress in motion is perfection - Mrs O looks like a knock-out ! Her legs look endless, her arms amazing.
It moves perfectly on her, fits like a dream, the silhouette flirty yet sophisticated, the fabric gorgeous, and she accessorized perfectly w/ those earrings as her sole adornment.
The whole look is supreme fashion w/ a capitol F !
WOW WOW WOW.
CUTE CUTE CUTE with a capital "C". I LOVE the dress!
Okay, one last post and then I *have* to go home! :)
Does anyone think it could be a specially-made-for-Mrs. O J Crew? I ran across photos of this 'Sophia' dress -- which comes in long and short lengths -- and the cut of the top and draping of the skirt remind me of this dress. Clearly, Mrs. O's dress is better fabric (which makes the skirt fuller naturally) and more trim, but it looks like it could be based on that style.
Then again, I could just be seeing things!
http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/dresses/weddingsparties/PRDOVR~96454/96454.jsp
Love the make-up, hair, and jewelry. Love the color and pattern of her dress. Loved, loved, loved the top.
Now - the bottom. Part of me likes it because it's fun and different. The other part would liked to have seen it be a very long, straight fit. It would've been sexier, as opposed to flirty and fun.
But all-in-all I'd give it a B+
The AP video Mrs T posted is identifying the dress as J Crew - has this been confirmed ?
If so, Bravo to Jenna Lyons and co. for this showstopper.
It's a beautiful dress, you need to watch the video. Her fashion sense is amazing, not boring at all. It's not predictable. It's a mystery what she's going to wear next. What's up with the Maria Pinto mystery, she wore one of her dresses to that University visit few days ago. It's a red dress.
its so pretty!
gorgeous pattern and such an interesting and cutting edge dress. I love that she mixes it up by sometimes wearing traditional classic outfits and other times something more high fashion couture like this. While the full skirt isnt creating the most flattering silhouette, its not meant to. Her toned arms, amazing collar bone and fabulous legs let you know that there is an amazing figure under all that fabric. Its a very fresh and hip look...all over the world right now the trend is fitted on the top but loose and large bellow the bust. Its a very hard look to pull off but I think Mrs. O does it fabulously.
She definitely doesnt keep to boring fashion!
I like the dress because it's different and young just like our First Lady. I like that she doesn't just stick to the styles that flatter her the most. She is willing to wear slightly less flattering things that are FUN. I hate that sometimes fashion RULES dictate what everyone must wear to be the *most flattering* based on their body type. What if Mrs. O is perfectly happy with her body type and doesn't care that something may make her hips look a bit wider than they are? Maybe she loves fashion for fashions sake and it's not about looking like a model. I think that's a really confident and modern approach and one that's FEMALE centered (about pleasing ourselves) and not about pleasing men (am I going too women's lib? Just go with me a bit :)
That article that tries to create drama around her choice of designers or relationship with Ikram Goldman just seems like senseless journalistic babble trying to create controversey where there isn't one. She wears Gap and Forever 21 for Pete's sake. She's not unfairly favoring anyone and if she does favor someone...isn't that natural?
honkie...Darling, almost half the clothing made in America is from around the world. Do you have a problem with clothing made in Paris,London, Russia, Japan?! Most of the Michelle clothes is made in the good ole USA. So, saying she is being hypocritical is sadly lacking in your depth.
Whew... RJT, you're back! Had me worried there... Always appreciate your well-articulated insight and comments!
I love this dress. I love the flounce that it has! Goodness, I would to wear something similar to Valentine's Day dinner this weekend. Michelle Obama is so beautiful and such an inspiration to women all around the world.
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned its similarity to American Girl doll Addy's birthday outfit:
http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/html/ProductPage.jsf/itemId/142550/itemType/TOY/webTemplateId/3/uniqueId/169/saleGroupId/153
Addy is a 10-year-old escaped slave in the Lincoln era.
I do like the style of Michelle's dress. I wondered too - she certainly loves her sleeveless numbers??? (Shivering in the Midwest)
Chris get a life! go to Fox news!
but to IVA's point, i have to disagree, I would have hated it if the bottom was longer and straight, then it would have been a blend of what other 1st ladies would have worn
I think people like it because its so daring, fun, and YOUTHFUL, that is what the Obamas are, youthful! and again, Mrs. O surprises us (again, I just have to pick on the hemline, if only the hemline was striaght! urck!)
but its a darling of a dress, and it makes us fall in love with Mrs. O all over again!!!
ok, my last comment:
I think the picture does not do it justice! its really important you watch the video, the dress moves like a dream (and does not highlight the uneven hem as much)
:-)
I am loving this dress! It may be my favorite so far. It's a fresh sillouette (sp) and so beautiful.
I just read the NYT article and honestly don't understand why it was written. The first lady has alot of events to attend and need alot of clothes, and it much easier for her to go through Ikram; a respected boutique owner with great fashion sense who she has worked with for years. She's not Nancy Reagan or Jackie Kennedy who wants to wear one designer or one look. She likes to mix it up and it would be very time consuming to go to all of these designers herself.
The only problem is the old guard designers who don't have access to the first lady as they've had
I think it a win-win for the FL and Ikram, The first lady gets to indulge in her passion for clothes without looking wasteful and frivolous and Ikram gets to push the designers she likes to the spotlight.
My only advice would be to hire a tailor to customize the clothes.
The dress to wore to the ford theatre is fun and unexpected.
I don't love it or hate it. But I respect her fashion choices and I love that she takes chances. That's what fashion is about.
I have three full skirted fifties style skirts myself. I love that era style, so lady-like. That is one beautiful dress. So unique. I have wool sleeveless dresses so I know sleeveless is not necessarily a summer dress. Gorgeous dress. And is she wearing a crinoline? Because I have been looking for one.
Wow - thanks monica.