In Basic Black at Ft. Bragg
Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 2:47 PM 
Photo credit: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images First Lady Mrs. O treated a group of preschoolers at Ft. Bragg in Fayetteville, NC, to an animated rendition of Dr. Seuss's "A Cat in the Hat" this afternoon. The visit to Ft. Bragg was part of Mrs. O's first official trip out of Washington as First Lady. Earlier in the day she entered a Ft. Bragg dining facility where she had a private lunch with 20 military family members and Ft. Bragg volunteers. The First Lady was also scheduled to speak in downtown Fayetteville, NC, later in the day. (Stay tuned for more on that front.) Style wise, Mrs. O chose an understated ensemble for today's events: a french cuff white shirt underneath a black cardigan, belted at the waist and paired with black trousers. The most notable part of the look was the return of Mrs. O's black studded Azzedine Alaia belt - a gem of an accessory that was ubiquitous on the campaign trail, and one we're delighted to see back in the mix (also possibly worn by Glenn Close on last night's episode of Damages). Additional images, and a clear view of the belt can be seen here and here. P.S. We heart the lifesize Kermit hanging out behind Mrs. O.
Reader Comments (69)
Indeed. Just a nice outfit, which is why I was focused more on TBG. But I have a legitimate fashion question that I hope doesn't sound silly: like Mrs. O, I have a somewhat narrow high waist and curvy hips. I wear my pants a little bit lower than my natural waist, because if they were pulled all the up to my waist I would look a bit like Steve Urkel from that old TV show Family Matters.
Anyway, I was fooling around with the the cardigan-and-belt look, but I'm wondering-- if I wear a belt over a cardigan at my natural waist, then what do I do about the belt loops in my pants (which are being worn slightly lower?) I guess you just go without a belt in those pants...but what if you need the belt for the pants to fit appropriately without drooping?
I hope this question makes sense.
Christina, it sounds like you're short waisted. I am too. That's the problem, not the relative size of the waist and hips. In that case, emphasizing the location of the waist is not great. I avoid belts that show and when wearing separates wear tops that cover the waist.
Hmm. You know, I have had a friend tell me that I am long-waisted, but I have to admit that I"m not sure I know what that means, really. (And my friend might not have either!)
I like the idea of emphasizing my waist (not that it's so VERY narrow or anything, just that it's smaller than my hips) but I'm not sure if the belt and cardigan thing is the way to do it.
Christina, I've read about something called an "invisible belt" in fashion mags. Apparently, it loops through your belt loops but doesn't add any bulk. So you can still wear the belted cardigan, but have something underneath to keep the waist of your slacks snug.
I have the opposite problem: I'm long-waisted but have short legs. I tried the belted-cardigan look after Mrs. O wore a similar outfit to the Dept. of Education and found it very difficult to pull off. My cardigan wasn't long enough to belt around my natural waist, when the shirt is tucked in and a cardigan is belted, it tends to make the slacks bunch up and become bulky... it just didn't look right. Really pointed out how Mrs. O's outfits may LOOK effortless, but in reality, they're not.
Oh, and I'm officially calling TBG "Kermit" too... did you see the interview on GMA this morning?
Understated, common and looks like Walmart specials...Mrs O needs some dental work with her overbite and could use a more becoming hairstyle and better makeup applications.
"katti" indeed! LOL I'm sorry, I know, don't engage. But the combination of the name and the comment is hilarious.
Chicagoan, I've never heard of the invisible belt; I'll definitely check this out. I know that one issue for me is that my cardigans tend not to be very long. I think to make this work you have to have a cardigan that comes down a bit.
It's funny, the last time I ever thought about wearing a belt over my clothing was back when I was in high school in the 1980s -- remember the big shirts, wide belts and stirrup pants? Very "Square Pegs." Thankfully very few pictures exist of me from that time.
Perfect outfit to go and visit military families - can move around easily, not too flash when talking to families on a limited budget, fits perfectly, can crawl around on the floor with children. Tick all of the above.
Christina and Chicagoan - GOOD discussion! It's not that easy is it? You have to have a tailored shirt, a cardigan that's fine enough to fit but not so fine that a shirt shows thru', cardigan also not finishing at widest point of body or that gapes when buttoned, flat front trousers with pockets that don't pull, a belt that's in proportion to your chest, waist AND hips, and that doesn't shift about, and no spare weight! God bless control underwear and Trinny & Susannah, that's all I can say!
Interesting comments Katti...these changes you recommend to improve her looks. I would think she wouldn't be Mrs O anymore with a 'perfect' overbite, hair and make up? To me she looks better and better as a woman evolving and growing in the public eye and public service. I would think it distracts totally from what she is trying to achieve and trying her best to give if she were to look too perfect.
Posh Tater -- true! It all looks so easy on the models in the J. Crew catalog. As with the "stovepipe" jeans that are almost as narrow as leggings, this may be one of those trends I'll have to sit out.
I love Trinny and Susannah.
Ah, yes, Christina... and don't forget the feather or bead clips in our hair! Thank goodness those haven't come back!
Posh Tater, aren't Trinny & Susannah great? You're right... it's like the 'perfect storm' of fashion to have this all come together and work as well as it does for Mrs. O.
I just love her. Not for the clothes she wears or the way she looks, but for her spirit.
I really like the topics MO has decided to champion. I also appreciate that she does it all with great style.
I follow this website daily and never realized how busy and public a First Lady can be. I wonder if there was a site like this for Laura Bush or was she so uninvolved that nobody followed her daily activities?
River,
I'm a Democrat who voted for Obama, but I don't feel a need to denigrate Laura Bush. From everything I've read, she was an exemplary First Lady too. She was involved in many things--including the plight of women in Afghanistan. Perhaps she didn't get the attention Mrs. Obama is getting, but she was a very involved First Lady.
I second Susan.
I couldn't stand Bush but Mrs. Bush was very involved, Mrs. O just has more of a spotlight one her. Plus Mrs Bush took more time to warm to such a public role, not everyone is as out going and a people person as Mrs.O is. I know if I was First Lady I would find the social aspect a bit difficult because although I'm confidant I'm also shy
river rush,
Laura Bush was very "involved". In addition to what susan mentions, she, as a former librarian, did (and continues to do) a lot of work with literacy campaigns and promoting libraries. (She worked with the Library of Congress to create the National Book Festival.) She's also involved in women's health issues.
As to why there wasn't a site like this about Mrs. Bush, well, this is a fashion site. Although Laura Bush dresses quite well, she is, perhaps, not as "fashion forward" as Mrs. Obama, and so there was not the same interest in her clothing choices.
Also, hard as it is to recall all these years later, but blogs generally were not as common eight years ago as they are today!
HEY EVERY ONE.... DID YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THE FIRST LADY, MICHELLE OBAMA APPEARED ON HER FIRST INTERVIEW WITH ROBIN ROBERTS ON "GOOD MORNING AMERICA"? (IT WAS SHOWN THIS MORNING... AND IT WAS GREAT....SHE EVEN MAKES A JOKE ABOUT HER EXPOSED ARM!)
HERE IS WHERE YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE VIDEO:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Politics/story?id=7067528&page=1
(JUST SCROLL DOWN AND YOU WILL SEE OTHER PARTS OF THE INTERVIEW... IT WAS A COOL INTERVIEW)
ON THE WEBSITE, IT SAYS THAT YOU CAN:
"Watch more of Robin Roberts' interview with first lady Michelle Obama on "World News With Charles Gibson" at 6:30 p.m. ET and "Nightline" at 11:35 p.m. ET"
Mrs. Obama smile is breathtaking. Check out this photo!
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/us_world/Michelle_Obama_First_Lady_in_Action.html
I am just coming in from work and catching up with all the chatting here...Christiana, I am so glad you mention ed "Tall, Bald Guy" HAAAAA!!! I have noticed hime since the inaugaration! He really does stand out and truly takes his job SERIOUSLY. I hope whenever we spot him, someone will make a comment for me...to laugh!