Monday
Feb022009
Alfalfa Club Attire
Monday, February 2, 2009 at 12:17 PM
We spent yesterday reading reports of the annual Alfalfa Club dinner held Saturday night in Washington, D.C. The club, named "in honor of a plant known to do anything for a drink" as Politico wrote, is an exclusive members-only organization that attracts the nation's most elite. With a closed door policy, we've yet to find any photographs from the dinner. However, thanks to Tina Brown (and Karen, who passed along the article), we finally have an idea of what our ever chic First Lady was wearing.
From Tina Brown at The Daily Beast:
"Michelle Obama, sitting next to Madeleine Albright, was amazingly glamorous. She wore a tight scarlet satin gown and huge dangly earrings that brought a touch of Hollywood sheen to her serious expression when the Marine band struck up."
in Outfits
Outfits
Reader Comments (21)
"Amazingly glamorous?!?!" I would just love for a picture to surface.
It is so refreshing to see a first lady with style. I too love fashion and always pay attention to the details (shoes especially; earings, broaches and belts). I give Michelle a "10" for breaking the mode on 1st lady style.
Photos ! We need photos !
This look sounds too supreme to miss.
There must be images out there somewhere - everyone keep searching.
Supposed Clarence Page had photos of First Ladies (including Michelle) at the dinner but I couldn't find it on his website. The Swamp has a pic of Obama with Sarah Palin (who the media breathlessly reported that she'd be attending "with" Obama even though there were hundreds of people there and Obama came with his wife Michelle!!! That's the MSM for ya trying to create news. Anyway here's the pic of Obama with a wilting looking Sarah Palin (she has no fashion sense to me) seeming to be creeping behind him and he's totally ignoring her! lol :
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/02/obama_robert_e_leed_be_very_co.html
I'm going to keep trying to find the pics of our Mrs. O-word is she looked stunning and glamorous in her tight SATIN dress. I can't wait to see her.
There was a video of Palin walking into the dinner, and her dress looked interesting -- lots of horizontal pleats down the skirt -- but I love that Mrs O chose to wear red. No doubt she put ALL those who wore basic black to shame!
I'm hoping the White House photographer captured the red dress; perhaps we'll see it in Time soon?
I meant to say tight SCARLET gown not tight SATIN gown. Just the thought of seeing a pic of Mrs. O looking so lovely has my brain confused. I'm so proud of her.
I too have searched for photos in vain - but I did come across the video of Palin that davesoko1 mentioned. SP's hair looked exactly the same as months ago and hasn't anyone told her about contacts ? This was a black tie event and she looked like she put on a gown, but didn't seem to make an effort to 'dress up' any other aspect of her appearance. She looked uninspired.
God, I have to see a pic of this ensemble. RED!! I love her in color. And TIGHT!! Michelle kills a form fitting silhouette. I wonder if her hair was up. If her hair was up with those big dangle earrings, that's a great look for her. I have a feeling this was a winner.
Mrs T, we need that mole!
:)
I so want to see a picture of the first lady...I bet she rocked!
CarolineG-I agree with you on the media promoting SP as if she was the only woman there and she and Obama were arriving and sitting together like they were on a date or something. But I also fault Mr O and his press secretary. I've noticed that Gibbs only mentions Mr O going to an event when it's clear Mrs. O is going as well and that they are a family unit. Mr. Bush's secretary always made sure to mention "the president and the First Lady but you rarely hear that in regards to Obama from his press team. I don't know what's up with that. She is an asset to him. Another instance-VP Biden made sure to mention that it was him and his wife who were having guests over for the Super Bowl-but Gibbs again only mentioned Obama as a single unit. This is not good for Mr O for it dimishes his family.
oh i wish we could see this; i know it's supposed to be closed to the press/off the record, but i can't help wanting to see what they looked like.
@davesoko1: i'm not sure why robert seems to do that(seemed to be the case a bit during the campaign too), but i know from stories about the events they hosted this weekend, that they very much hosted them as a family. perhaps, they are trying to help michelle maintain the lower profile she's said she wants initially. there are so many whackadoodles chomping at the bit to use absolutely anything to tear her down, so perhaps until she figures out exactly how she wants to use her role, they're using whatever tools they can to help her keep a smaller profile.
Moja-you're probably right. But I still don't like it, plus it seems as if they're worried that she may not be an asset to him but Sarah Palin being mentioned as coming IS. There's something really really wrong with that, even insulting, and any good press secretary who knew his stuff about the media and was keeping up with what the storyline on an event was would have made sure to mention that the President was attending WITH the First Lady. That's giving her the respect she's DUE as his wife. That's my opinion, but you're probably right that they're letting her gradually settle into the role in her own time.
I with you on this Davesoko1...I also have a problem with the media's reluctance to address her formally as "the first lady"...Everyone talks and writes about President Obama and his wife Michelle..
Totally disrespectful!
Could the media have gotten that message? In today's NYT, she's referred to as the First Lady. Hope the media will be allowed at this event, too, so we can see what she wears for it!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/us/politics/04web-zeleny.html?_r=1
Chicagoan, I do believe the media did get that message! Look at Politico's site: http://www.politico.com/politico44/
they were blatant in how they would never mention the first lady attending an event-look at the calender for tonight and tomorrow's events: i.e; for tonight's cocktail party it's headlined as POTUS and FlOTUS attend cocktail party at white house. Same case for tomorrow's National Prayer Breakfast; it says Barack and Michelle Obama attend National Prayer Breakfast. That is the proper respectful way to report it. Last few days and weeks it would have only said that President Obama is attending. They are listening to us. Obama too...notice how when he asked the kids who Michelle was he made sure to mention that she was the first lady??? I think he knows that disrespect to his wife is disrespect to him AND the office of the President and the ceremonial office of the First Lady!!!
Hi Everyone
davesoko1, you're right! Thanks for that latest article. It does seem the tide is turning.
Still no photo?
than nothingi know this is late but i was looking at a slide show on the official white house website and saw this picture of Mrs. O in her scarlet dress and thought i'd share it. Unfortunately its only the back.
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j135/dsj_giant/mrso2.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j135/dsj_giant/mrso.jpg
Gem,
You can see the scarlet dress here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/sets/72157617357737487
in the second row from the bottom.