A Banner Day for Women
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at 3:26 PM 
Photo credit: Pete Souza / The White House First Lady Mrs. O made a public appearance at the White House this afternoon as President Mr. O signed an Executive Order creating the White House Council on Women and Girls. The council will "ensure there is always an eye kept on how every government agency is addressing the challenges confronted by women of all ages." The President spoke of Mrs. O in his remarks before signing the Executive Order, sharing:
"I've seen Michelle, the rock of the Obama family, juggling work and parenting with more skill and grace than anybody that I know. But I also saw how it tore at her at times, how sometimes when she was with the girls she was worrying about work, and when she was at work she was worrying about the girls. It's a feeling that I share every day."
Mrs. O looked stunning in monochromatic purple, wearing a Zero + Maria Cornejo jacket over a purple dress with a purple satin bow pinned at the center of the neckline. The bow added girlish charm to the ensemble, a nice balance to the refined, womanly lines of the suit. We must say, we are delighted to see the bow back in the mix. It's a signature Mrs. O accessory that we haven't seen for several months, notably last worn for the More magazine cover in October and the first Presidential debate. Black patent leather kitten heels completed the ensemble. 
Photo credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images Later in the day, Mrs. O joined Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department to honor recipients of the Award for International Women of Courage. The award recognizes the courage and leadership of women leaders in their struggle for human rights and justice. Additional images from the event, including Mrs. O with Secretary of State Clinton and the award recipients, can be seen here and here. Update: Watch a video from the State Department event after the jump.
Zero + Maria Cornejo in Outfits
Reader Comments (118)
I like the comment way up above that says that she placed the bow "where we least expect it". That's a great comment, so I take back what I was thinking - oh I wish the bow was offcenter as it was last time.
Ha, she keeps outwitting us!!! Love the color, love the heels. Looks fantastic.
@ MS, the outfit for the State of the Union was perfect and appropriate and Mrs O. was simply fabulous in it as usual.
I hope, no I'm sure she'll stay true to herself and continue to surprise everyone with her choices. Some will delight in it and others will fell uneasy with it and hopefully the latter will stop to think about their inner insecurities.
I hate the bow. At other times, she has worn it to the side and on a slant, which lends a certain panache to the outfit. However, as placed here, it is an imitation of a man's bowtie, a look that I have spent my entire legal career avoiding!
Optimist -
I never know, when people "star" a blog post, if they are rating the outfits, the photographs, the content of the post, or the writing style!
Re: kitten heels - my 6'3" daughter tells me a kitten heel is 1.5" or under.
I think she considers herself an experiential expert. ;-)
I did prefer when Michelle wore the bow to the side (More mag) but I can see that with the jacket it may have been a better choice to place the bow at centerline. Maybe the pansy brooch from the lei dress will show up with this ensemble in the future.
Not crazy about the bow...but otherwise I love the whole ensemble...especially the color! Yet the intensity of the purple is markedly different between the three shots offered (I like the main pic's brightness!).
I didn't know many male attorneys wear big purple bows. LOL.
IVA, shame on you. You've been reported.
I have to agree with Cyndi, Mrs. O looks very attractive in the purple outfit, but I don't think it is anything to rave on and on about. That color is very good for her. One thing I have noticed, Michelle wears alot of sleaveless dresses, which in my opinion does not look appropriate for political gatherings. A casual day with the girls or a picnic, that would be fine
Oooh, nice update to the post, Mrs. T. Happened right befoe my eyes.
Thanks for the definition and photo of kitten heels. From that photo, I would say that the majority of Mrs. Obama's heels are not kitten heels (which have a distinctive shape) but just low heels.
She looks lovely and 'Agenda Appropriate'. Purple is a great color for her.
Hopefully, she has some time this weekend to work on that overseas attire. It's going to be a tough juggling act to
pull off all of the glitz and glam we want to see while at
the same time being economically frugal.
I like the color of the outfit--glad to see her back in jewel tones--but that bow ruins it. Makes it look sort of clown-ish
An interesting article on the First Ladies of the world. The comments run from interesting to hilarious.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-03-11/first-lady-fashion-showdown/
Ms N? May I ask why you are "reporting" Iva? I didn't see anything out of line in any of her comments.
My favorite color looks wonderful on the First Lady. I'm with the people that don't like the bow. But then again, Mrs. O has a lot more flair for fashion flourishes than I do.
@ Hyde Parker, here is what Iva said @ 7:13pm
"I didn’t know many male attorneys wear big purple bows. LOL."
I think that's not the same Iva posting earlier here. I'm just offended by people likening the First Lady to a man. It's sickening and only reflect their twisted souls.
not liking the bow placement or its size - the dress is just ok for me, nothing special or Michellish about it. The color looks good on her. Missing those arms.
Ms N, I do believe this is a misunderstanding with your reaction to IVA's comment. She was responding to another poster suggesting that Mrs. O's bow placement was like a man's bow tie. So IVA made the joke that men do not wear big purple bow ties.
So I think you misread what she said.
ihavetosayit, loved that article on first ladies. It was fun. thanks.
Love the color (I had been rooting for her to get back in purple since the purple dress of the primaries); Hate the bow (a grown woman should avoid bows, especially silk bows smack in the middle of a tailored dress); the heels are kitten (which I understand because she is tall, but if I were her, I would own my height because she tends to stoop with low heels). I am one of the anti-sl----- posters (too casual, although they do look great with her perfectly toned arms) protocol should inform the choice of outfits. And finally, some do take those posts (most of which Mrs. O would probably laugh about) too personnal. Overall, this outfit did not fo it for me. It did not fit quite as well as her other sheath dresses and the bow as placed is a big no-no. As one poster suggested, it woud have looked great at the fastening of the jacket. And remember: dislike the outfit, love the wearer. OK, now ya'll can start biting my head off for not gushing:)
@ Jenna, I stand corrected. Thank you for clarifying that for me.
IVA, if you're reading this, please accept my apologies.
I confess that I take personally the demeaning insults toward the First Lady and I'm not even a US citizen. But President and Mrs Obama really touched people hearts all over the world and many of us feel that they are members of our families, specially after the two-year grueling campaign and all the attacks that they have had to go through to help their country.
Ms N, I know what you mean! I too get upset by what I consider to be unfair comments made about Mrs. O. People on the internet often go out of their way to say the nastiest thing that they can possibly think of. But yeah, IVA was not doing anything like that.
Anyway, there was a nice segment on the NBC nightly news about this event earlier tonight. Brian Williams and Andrea Mitchell had a short piece just highlighting Michelle and Hillary as two strong women and role models, and they showed some shots of the event (and the dress!). I will try to see if I can did it up on their website.
Woah! No worries, Ms N. Thanks, Jenna, for clearing that up. I was feeling a little silly today and I guess I failed at conveying sarcasm.
Mz._C - I have to ask if you saw the film of the event with her wearing this - I actually thought to myself that the fit was nice and that she looked skinnier than usual. The pictures are catching her in motion, or in awkward still positions, but watching her live, it was a very nice pencil fit. Also, I'm not sure if you're a tall woman, I am 5'8" - 2-3 inches shorter than Mrs. O - and it's easier to say "own your height" when you're not always towering over everyone. If you are tall, then I'm pretty sure you can understand that it's not about lacking self-confidence as much as it is not wanting to stand out (and over) everyone so dramatically.
But I can understand not liking the bow, it's different.
Oops. Dig not did.
Michelle Obama Magazine Covers: Vote For The Best One (SLIDESHOW, POLL)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/11/michelle-obama-magazine-c_n_174080.html
.
High heeled shoes is the most unhealthy of inventions targeted at women. Hats off to anyone, including Mrs.O, who goes with flats or low heeled shoes.
Purple is Michelle's color. The outfit is alright and appropriate for the occasion. Definitely not horrible. However, it's somewhat frumpy & blah. I'm not feeling the monochromatic look, & I don't like the bow. A brooch would've been much better. I understand why she sticks with the low heels, but I'd love to see the FLOTUS work some fierce heels.
Perhaps because Mrs O has been choosing uber fashion ensembles recently, this look, though lovely in color and charmingly accessorized, I find a bit matronly and dare I say it, dull ? I think it's the fit / cut which is unexceptional and doesn't really flatter.
But then I suppose Mrs O can't wear fashion forward every day, can she ?
As I mentioned though, the color is amazing and just look at the way Mrs O stands out in the top photo where she is seated w/ guests - the purple color glows against all those neutrals - even that patterned jacket cant compete.
Not a fan of this ensemble but love the color. Great to see Hilary and Michelle on the same stage presenting the 'Women of Courage' human rights awards. Both are such inspiring, brave women themselves
Video of this event can be found on This Week with Barack Obama. These women's stories are so humbling. Was disappointed that Michelle didn't give a speech. It seemed to be very much Hilary's gig.
@ Veronica,
The Women of Courage’ human rights awards is a State Department affair and Michelle Obama was a guest. However the First Lady gave a very inspiring speech. Look for it on Huffingtonpost.com. Both Michelle and Hillary speeches are there.
Thankyou Ms. N.
Hilary wore one of her trademark non-descript suits again. As much as I enjoy following Mrs. O's fashions, I can understand why Hilary would stick to this 'uniform'. You avoid, to an extent, the constant scrutiny of your clothes and appearance that Michelle has to put up with. And there is nothing to deflect from what you are saying.
I agree with you, Veronica - though sadly, Hillary's "uniform" did little to deflect baseless sexist attacks during the campaign. If Michelle is being too "sexy," then Hillary was trying to be too "mannish." A woman can't seem to win the perception game. There'll always been someone to criticize something.
Mrs. N.: What an over-reaction to an off-hand comment!
Purple looks fantastic on Mrs. O. and I wish she would have chosen it for Inauguration Day. The bow would have looked great positioned where the jacket closes, then she could have worn one of her fabulous brooches at the collar. Her shoes are a wonderful choice, too.
Cristen, I don't think Mrs. N's comment was an over reaction at all. Your comment may have seemed off hand to you--but I found it so Michelle Obama focussed. Mrs. Obama is a fabulous first lady---most of us here really love her. But--she is not going to be the center of attention at every event. She is the center of attention here--and we all have a lot of fun with it. Mrs. N was just explaining the event. She was not over the top.
Susan, I think Christen was referring to a kerfuffle much earlier in the thread, not merely the comment that this was a State department event.
Everyone is so on edge! (including me.) I think we'd all be better served to read all the posts before posting, and take a breath before assuming that every criticism is a dire insult (and I'm DEFINITELY including myself in that suggestion)
Why not to wear high heels http://www.spineuniverse.com/article/back-pain-high-heels-flip-flops-4390.html
She probably choose this demure sleeved ensemble in deference to the others women ( some are obviously muslim ); To my eyes it' very meaningful and considerate. And I am a sleeveless fan...anyway, bravo fot the purple, always for her a great choice.
Christen, I thought I had read all the posts--but must have missed what you are referring to. I think the chip on the shoulder stance about the First Lady is over reaction. I love seeing all the photos of her--and what she wears. I really do--but more than that, I think she is good for our country. I don't really care if she is perfectly dressed or not. In fact, I would have less respect for her if she took every criticism to heart---or became too involved in her wardrobe. I don't think she will do that--because she is so well grounded.
I can't figure out why some posters here take every fashion criticism so personally. Sure, we have some cranks who post. The best thing to do is to ignore them--and/or report them.
The outfit is cute, but what I really like is NO MORE NYLONS! Our first ladies always look so frumpy with their lame nylons. Noone real wears them anymore.
Did you see her today in the red top and the green bows?
http://www.daylife.com/photo/012I7n247mgBF/Michelle_Obama
Hi Mrs. S, That photo is actually from the Presidential Debates
Jenh wrote:
The outfit is cute, but what I really like is NO MORE NYLONS! Our first ladies always look so frumpy with their lame nylons. Noone real wears them anymore.
Who doesn't wear nylons in the dead of winter? All of my friends (of various ages, 20-50) all wear nylons. When I go to purchase my favorite color in nylons, most stores have sold out. So, there are still those of us that wear nylons. I am not understanding this look at all.
Call me old-fashioned, but you are not totally dressed without nylons!
I confess, I still wear hose. Not that often, though. It's more depending on the shoe, and the temperature.
Well I've just sat through that wonderful footage with tears streaking down my face. Very moving indeed,
Second to that I liked Mrs Obama's outfit very much. That's a beautiful colour on her, and although I much preferred the bow when it was on the magazine cover (to the side of the neckline), obviously it couldn't go there with the jacket of that suit on. Maybe as a clasp for the jacket? It just felt a bit big to be right under Mrs O's chin. Anyway, I don't care, she looked beautiful, and proud, and those women were extraordinary.
Just not lovin' that ditsy bow. Wouldn't it have been much more striking to have worn a really chunky turqoise stone toursade? I am as tall as Mrs. Obama and wear higher heels than those pictured here today, height be darned! Higher heels make anyone's legs and ankles look sleeker. The inch or so she "saves" does nothing for her legs.
A couple of nice, close-up shots:
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/85384364/
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/85383751/
I still wear nylons, too, especially if I'm wearing a business suit. In fact, I love them in different colors, textures, patterns. Paired with a fabulous pair of heels, it can make quite a statement.
Mrs. O looks fine with or without them. It's a personal choice to wear them or not, but wearing them doesn't mean there's anything "wrong" or "unreal" about a woman.
Dear Hillary, the country is pronounced Neej-her. Not Nai-jer.
As others have mentioned, Michelle's outfit looked better on TV than in pictures, but she should still have gotten rid of that stupid bow or placed it elsewhere. I think she sometimes caves in to the pressure to be a fashionista and tries too hard. That is what it looks like here, anyway. I think she actually looked really sharp with the exception of the bow.