The Pinstripe Pantsuit is Back
Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 3:29 PM 
Photo via U.S. Department of Agriculture
First Lady Mrs. O visited the Department of Agriculture this afternoon, wearing a black pinstripe pant suit (we love the inspiration being noted in the comments section - from zoot suits to YSL). Mrs. O gave the look her usual personalized twist by adding a pair of black and white floral pins to the lapel of her jacket. And in the spirit of recession friendly style, it seems Mrs. O reached deep into her closet for this look. The same suit was a staple on the campaign trail throughout 2007 and 2008. In fact, Mrs. O wore the suit (even paired with one of the same pins), almost a year ago to the day. The photograph below was taken at a Women for Obama luncheon in Providence, RI, held on February 20, 2008. Note the fantastic high-waist on the pants. 
Photo by Frank Mullin via Flickr user Barack Obama / Creative Commons
Mrs. O's remarks to the department today can be heard in a video from Politco, just after the jump.
Outfits
Reader Comments (55)
There's a nice close-up of the pins here:
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20090219/i/r3070180365.jpg
YES! This suit is back! She hasn't worn it since like during the primaries. Or at least, I don't remember seeing her wear it since then.
The coolest thing about this suit, that you can't see here, is that it actually has very highwaisted pants, kind of like the "zoog suits" worn by 40's style gangsters. I will try to look around for a picture of it from last year when she wore it with the jacket open. It is a very, very cute and unexpected detail.
With the exception of the blue, belted skirt suit that Michelle wore to the Daily Show, this is my favorite of her suits. It is so well fitted, the pinstripes are so bold, and she's tall enough to really do the suit justice. I think that on a shorter woman, or someone less lean than Michelle, this suit might not look as good.
Anyway, as great as this suit is, nothing is as stylish as the warmth and humor she exhibits in that speech.
Ok, here you can see her highwaisted pants: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Cry2hN-xUQM/SU5pVcRpkVI/AAAAAAAABEY/s9d0rfgsJ44/s400/michelle+obama+suit.jpg
And the inspiration for them (which is are actually called zoot not zoog!), from the 1940's: http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/Netoe63/zootsuit.jpg
This video really stands out to me not because her fashion or makeup is remarkable (although I love her light pink lip look)...but because of her mission in speaking to the agencies (to thank the workers) and her interesting gift of a seedling from the magnolia tree from the White House grounds.
The story of the seedling being from a tree planted by Pres. Jackson in honor of his wife Rachael who passed shortly before his inaguration (I might be getting that story slightly wrong) is really touching. What a neat thing. And the talk of the community gardens etc.
I do hope that the Obamas plant a vegetable garden at the White House. It would be fun for the girls, and a good message about the importance of local foods and eating fresh things.
Neat neat message, thanks Michelle!
Mrs. T, I think that silver brooch is different from the ones she wore today. Here's another photo of her in this suit, wearing what appears to be the same white flower pin:
http://www.comcast.net/slideshow/news-michelleobama/6/
ooh i like that brooch a lot, the shirt looks a little high cut though. i like the story about the seedling too allison, and a vegetable garden at the white house would be great, though i think i heard the white house might already grow some stuff.
She looks great!!
I love the wide legged pants with this suit, it gives it just a little something extra and really makes the look.
Has anyone ever noticed that President and Mrs. O have a lot of the same inflections in their voice when they speak? That's awfully cute and I think says a lot about how close they are, yes?
Here is a close-up of her make-up. http://www.daylife.com/photo/03wj0P0eWBf73
First of all, I cannot believe this woman is really 45!!
Secondly, I am IN LOVE with her lipstick. I am, personally, not someone who would ever wear pink lipstick. I stick to neutral colors like very pale maroons, for evening, and bronze if it's day. But this pink is so soft and "grown-up" even. Could it actually be lipgloss? Although I don't think it's shiny enough... But it really is very understated.
Anyway, it's a lovely color on her! Her general hair and make-up looks perfect today.
I am currently out of the country but always know that I won't miss a thing about Mrs. O because you guys are "on it"...lol!! I love it! And this suit is marvelous...you can't find a suit like this just off the rack particularly with the high waisted pant (although you can get the pant as a seperate).
Love it. Looked nice during the primary and even better now with the accessories. I always suggest that people wear things others can't pull off. Your average woman cannot pull off a pinstripe suit because most of us aren't tall. I see she's followed my advice! LOL.
The pins gave the very authoritative suit a very whimsical feel. And her hair and makeup are, yet again, superb. Looks like she's really gotten a feel for the right hair and makeup lately. Very simple, cause she's a mom who's got bigger things to do than stand in front mirror all day. But still polished and elegant. She looked lovely.
Wow - what a great look - so long and lean, and those highwaisted wide legged trousers are very fashion forward.
A tall woman like Mrs O can really pull this pin stipe look off perfectly.
Cool sharp tailoring.
Anyone know what the shoe situation was w/ this ensemble ?
Can I just add how much I love her BROWS. I wonder what she does to get that arch. She must have tons of brow to work with, and just plucks it into shape?? Much added color or no??
(Translate: how can I do this at home???)
HuffPost has an interview with Ikram:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christy-ferer/ikram-goldman-speaks-firs_b_168234.html
I don't know if it's been mnetioned yet, but Huffington Post has an interview with Ikram.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christy-ferer/ikram-goldman-speaks-firs_b_168234.html
WOW....gansta....she is never boring with her fashion. LUVS it, LUV her.
Silk Scarf
Earlier today I read on another website that President Obama purchased a 'silk scarf' while at an unannounced visit to a shopping center in Canada. Now all I am seeing are articles saying that while there he bought a key chain and also some maple leaf cookies for the girls.
Be on the lookout for Michelle wearing a new silk scarf in the future ;)
Allison, about Michelle's brows, there is a whole article on them in the Chicago Tribune from a month ago. I won't link to it since I already have one comment that's "in moderation" because of a link, but you can find it in just a second by doing a google search for: Michelle Obama Eyebrows Chicago Tribune. It's the very first link that pops up.
The article was actually about how Michelle's brows had been widely criticized for being arched too highly, and her poor make-up artist had to "re-train" her brows, which took her a few months, so that their shape became much less arched, the way it is today (which I do think are MUCH improved).
I don't know a lot of about doing this kind of eye-brow work since I pretty much leave my brows alone, but I guess that you could also "train" your own eyebrows in the same way. But maybe you should get started by going to a professional make-up artist and then just maintaining their work.
And here's the link (to the article about her eyebrows): http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-0119-obama-browsjan19,0,7879514.story
Yves Saint Laurent would be very proud. She looks so smart in it. Now that's an excellent pant suit.
Jenna, I enjoyed your commments, especially the 4:01 pm ones. Thanks.
our first lady is a NORMAL woman who wears the same thing. remember we are in a recession/depression. who wants someone in office with a wife who changes her clothes all of the time and is never seen in the same thing. get a grip america. i love her practicality. it is a refreshing change!
menukjau - you are so correct about the YSL comparison.
YES !
Gloria5-- You are so kind! Thank you for the compliment.
merele-- Did I miss the comment where someone criticized Michelle for "recycling" this outfit? I don't think that anyone has.
And finally, is it just me or are Michelle's pantsuits much better than her skirtsuits? Again, with the exception of the gorgeous, belted blue suit she wore to the Daily Show, (and I think she has a version in black as well) her skirt suits tend to be "square"-looking. I think it's because they are not fitted close to the body, and they tend to have a weird length--at or below the knee. Compare that silhouette to the great black suit she wore last week, or to this one she's wearing today. The pantsuits are sooooo much better. They make her look so statuesque, while the skirt suits can be rather dowdy.
So I hope that we see more pantsuits from Mrs. O. Or, of course, more skirtsuits that flatter her frame better.
I pantsuits better in general, so I agree Jenna. I seldom wear skirt suits.
Mrs. O looks so young today, unreal. And I like the gift she presented to them. She's just doing great!
That should say "I like pantsuits better..." Oops!
I'm not a big fan of wide pinstripes, but I love her bold fashion choices. Her makeup is flawless. I think she looks best with softer lipstick.
Here's a throwback of our First Lady looking impeccable and gorgeous:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-090112-michelle-obama-hair-photogallery,0,7529013.photogallery
I noticed the difference in the eyebrows and I think it was wise to go with a more natural arch. Makes her look youthful and less "suprised" if you will. LOL. The motto for her makeup should be "soft, soft, soft". Women who have striking features don't need a lot of smoke and mirrors when it comes to makeup. Just make sure it's clean and polished looking.
I love Ikram's whole enigmatic thing- v. cool. Must be a deep loyalty and friendship there for her to protect Mrs. O's privacy like that. She really is a dynamo to be doing all she's doing considering she's got new twins
You know you're famous when there are whole articles just about your eyebrows!
Isn't it called a 'zoot suit'?
More on the eyebrows, thanks JENNA for the link. I have to say that I like the BEFORE eyebrows better. They are so striking and strong and WOW.
OK, I am really getting into Michelle's makeup.
And the YSL comment seems right on.
Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!!!
Jenna, I think you mean "zoot suit". It wasn't really a "gangster" thing, though. It was generally popular in the '30s and '40s, particularly in minority communities. It was identified with jazz (Duke Ellington wore them), and also with Chicano youth.
Very off-topic, but this is an adorable account of traveling with the Obamas on Air Force One. The conservative columnist, Kathleen Parker provides an up close and personal glimpse of our nation's first family. I apologize because this isn't fashion related but I just couldn't resist sharing it.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-02-18/flying-on-air-force-one-with-the-obamas/
apparently the first couple is hosting a black tie event for the national governors' association at the white house this weekend, i can't wait to see what the first lady wears.
Yes, to Hyde Parker and others, it is Zoot not Zoog that I meant! I had corrected myself in an earlier comment but yeah, that was before my time. I had always thought it was zoog until I tried searching for a picture and was auto-corrected by Google.
By the way, thanks to all the nice people that voted in my poll yesterday! The winner, to my surprise, ended up being the black and beige coat and matching skirt by Narciso Rodriguez. And the black and silver Alvin Ailey outfit was a close second. (No other look even came close but 3rd place was the blue outfit Mrs. O wore to have lunch with the mayor of DC, and 4th place was the Jason Wu Inauguration ball gown)
"A burst of light named Sasha". How cute. I love it that her real name is Natasha.
(from the Air Force One article posted above)
Now back to Michelle.
jenna, perhaps you didn't read the actual post about the suit, but it actually mentions that she has on "the same suit". i personally consider this an asset and saying that she wore it during the campaign is really pretty ridiculous. if anything, it should read, "yeah, our first lady knows the value of a dollar and a good suit."
Hi Merele - Just to clear things ups, I absolutely count it as an asset that Mrs. O is rewearing things form her closet. The line before reads "in the spirit of recession friendly style". Personally, I do find it interesting to see when and where Mrs. O has worn looks before (a la her Alaia belt that was revented a million times over).
Chicagoan, you are 100% right about the pins. Def. different from the one I linked to before. Thanks for the correction!
Thank you Dlev for that link to Michelle's hair styles over the years! I had never seen it before.
I actually like her current style the best. It looks very low-maintenance and flatters her heart-shaped face well. I did not like her earlier tendency to flip the ends of her hair--to me it looked too stiff--but I really love it when she wears her hair up or back. I wish she would do it more often.
(merele, but surely that was not a criticism. It was just a bit of trivia. I had made the exact comment, as well, that I remembered her wearing it during the campaign and haven't seen it in a while.)
Love the hair too. It's changed a bit since she's gotten to Washington, I think for the better. The flowiness is so natural and light. It looks great. I love that she's REAL!
I love the suit. It is gorgeous. However, I don't understand why she continues to wear outfits that are so high-waisted or belted. They make her gut look HUGE! Not flattering for her at all.
A side comment . . .
Michelle Obama was the one bright light on this otherwise bleak stage. The Dept. of Agriculture should replace its drab backdrop curtains with ones that are photo/broadcast friendly. The White House communications team should make sure that Michelle and the president, and the agencies themselves, are presented in the best possible media light, especially in those agencies the administration ultimately controls.
I think we all know it's largely about perception. Mrs. O is certainly doing her part.
Im actually not a big fan of the suit (probably because im not a big fan of suits period), something about the suit needs to have an extra flare to it....
The videos just add such depth and beauty to the essence of this lovely woman...
Her words and presence so natural, so earnest, so dignified...
I love this wonderful woman more with each passing day!
The First Lady will visit the Department of Transportation today at 1:25 Eastern. Looking forward to her appearance and her remarks!
I'll admit I'm not a fan of this suit, but I do appreciate the fact that it's not your typical boring pantsuit. It would be unreasonable to expect to like 100% of the things she wears, and I'd rather her be adventurous with fashion -- it's way more fun :)
As for her eyebrows, she had huge arches even as a kid! There was a slideshow of pictures throughout her life, and one of her old class pictures had huge arches! It does seem that they have been softened more recently
Mmmmm, yummy chalkstripe. I love the boldness of them. I used to have a much loved jacket, very similar, that I wore until it practically fell apart on me. Michelle looks fabulous in this. What a striking confident look! Fantastic!
Oprah and Gail briefly talked about their WH visit on the show this morning. Even better: Oprah's wearing pink lipstick! Wonder where she got that idea from...
:)
I just hate pinstripes.
Nothing against Mrs. O, just have much hate for pinstripes even if the suit looks attractive on her.
Love the pins though.
Jules
damngoodvintage.com