An Encore Perhaps?
Friday, March 27, 2009 at 10:13 PM By request, we thought we'd revisit two popular ensembles that Mrs-O.org readers would like to see the First Lady wear again. The first, a Maria Pinto coral-red silk crepe sheath dress worn by Mrs. O to the White House a few days following the election. The dress features three-quarter sleeves, an empire waist and a high neckline with a burst of sunray pleats emanating from the collar. 
Photo courtesy of the White House/ Chris Greenberg The second ensemble is a striking black and camel skirt and coat combination designed by Narciso Rodriguez, which Mrs. O wore for the "We Are One" celebration at the Lincoln Memorial during the Inauguration. At the time Booth Moore, Fashion Critic for the L.A. Times, described the look as "strong, elegant, and above all, modern." 
Image via Flickr user Presidential Inaugural Committee / Creative Commons Let's discuss. What other looks or accessories would you like to see make a second appearance? (Personally, we would love to see one of those fanastic feathery pins by Carolyn Rosenberg resurface soon.)
Maria Pinto, Narciso Rodriguez in Outfits
Reader Comments (88)
ABDOLUTELY LOVED those two outfits. I might have added a third one, which put her on the map as a fashion plate: The Maria Pinto purple shift worn in Minnesota with the Black belt and pearls.
I LOVE WHAT THE FRIST LADY WEARS SOME PEOPLE JUST DONT GET IT THEY THINK THAT HER STYLE IS NOT ALL THAT THE DESIGNERS SHOULD TAKE A LESSON FROM HER ITS DOESNT MATTER WHAT YOU WEAR AS LONG THAT YOUR MEN SAID YOU LOOK GOOD IN THEM HER MEN ALWAYS SAIS THAT SHE LOOKED GREAT.
I'd like her to re-wear two of the most beautiful but underplayed outfits-- her blue sheath on day 2/3 of the DNC Convention, and the white three-quarter sleeve outfit she wore on day 2/3 of the DNC Convention. The blue sheath had her pretty flower brooches too. Stunning pieces, but completely under appreciated.
I would like to see Mrs. O wear the dress wore for Saint Patricks day festivities at the White House...
Every photo I saw was just her and the President with their heads floating above the crowd...I dont know who it is by...it looked like she may have had on some pins...
Anyway...was that photo ever on this site in a full length shot?
The fist-bump dress. I loved the entire look and the fact that she wore cute heels with it.
http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/06/20/gal_michelle_xcel.jpg
Sorry Michelle, I have to disagree with you. Guys are the last persons I would turn to for stye validation :) If at least you had said "as long as she feels confiden in what she wears" I would have understood. And when the world is your stage, it does matter what you wear.
I personally would love to see her in many ensembles that have been seen before. In this economy, it is important for her to show that you should be able to wear clothing multiple times. There is not a thing wrong with wearing a garment more than once. She always looks great and she is a great role model for all American women.
MS, I am with you! Great picks.
I don't think Mrs. O should re-wear anything on the upcoming trip...this is just too high profile for her to recycle. Either way, I just hope she wears something she's 100 percent comfortable in. If she succeeds in doing that with every outfit - she'll dazzle.
That red dress was the business. I remember when I saw the picture for the first time, while I was at work. It was so striking, and I had everyone come to my computer to look, and everyone was just taken back. She really stole the show in all of the shots we saw for that meeting.
I have no idea what Michelle will wear overseas just like everyone else here on this website, but I am going to guess that whatever she wears will be very 'classic', not very daring, and NOT sleeveless - she will be making 'her first impression' over there. I hope she takes the camel ensemble with her and that the other outfits will be similar (in respect to class) to that one.
Btw, The Obamas will arrive back at the White House at 1:30pm eastern time Sunday. There'll probably be some photos of them getting off of Marine One, hopefully.
Just look at how fabulous Mrs. Obama looks in the red dress she worn when meeting Pres and Mrs. Bush. She looks really tall, very thin and with a real elongated figure - NO BELT!
She is (as I am) short waisted and belts do not look good on us. The red dress look is a dramatic look and as beautiful as the strapless dress she worn for the first formal White House dinner with the governors. (Back to the belt issue....!)
I've always felt like the cut of the red dress made her look like she has NO waist, and all legs...which is not a bad thing at all. So, if the intent was to give her an elongated torso, I think it elongated her legs actually.
I love these two outfits and feel they have become deservedly popular looks for Mrs. O, especially the Narciso camel. Would like to see pics of MS's choices to be reminded of them.
About the upcoming European trip, it would be diplomatically impossible to wear a new outfit in one country and a previously seen one in another. The country where an outfit was repeated might feel snubbed. But we are in economically straitened times. What a burden! While it's true the Obamas are financially comfortable, they don't have anything approaching the wealth of JFK's father, who paid for all the outfits Jackie wore when she dazzled Paris. Now is the time when First Lady Mrs. O could use an official clothing allowance!
I would love to see her follow in the footsteps of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and showcase an American designer, or a group of designers, on her overseas trip. (Carla wore exclusively Dior on her visit to London as a newlywed, and it lit up the French fashion world).
Beyond that, I'd like to see the Narcisco Rodriguez election night dress make a return, only without the cardigan. Not necessarily in Europe, but on one of those warm Washington evenings that are surely approaching.
Alsacce, I hope Mrs. O is getting some of those outfits at cost, although I am not sure if that would be considered a gift and so maybe not acceptable.
Jackie's clothes were usually, I think, high end designer clothes. Michelle mixes in less expensive ones, and I am thinking the designers she favors usually are not as outrageously expensive as the equivalent of Jackie's.
I also wish she would be seen more often in the same clothes. It must be an expensive burden to have so much variety, and the never-seen-in-the-same-thing idea has always struck me as idiotic. I am just now thinking it maybe goes back to when people didn't bathe.
It's just as idiotic as when people get worked up about two women showing up in the same dress at the same event.
For the overseas trip, she probably does have to wear new stuff. How long is the trip, hopefully not too long.
I think the camel and black outfit is just perfect, as was the Inaugural gown.
Going slightly off topic, there was a news item about some Republican wanting -any- meetings the First Lady goes to to have their agendas published in advance. I was thinking, besides none of his business, if they are going to regulate her like that, they should pony up a salary!
p.s. I also would like to see what the St. Patrick's Day dress looked like - no full length photo anywhere that I can find.
From what various have said over the past months, Michelle owns stacks of clothes she has not yet worn.
... designers ...
Could we please stop using the word "recycling" to refer to wearing a garment more than one time? I would call that having a wardrobe that works for multiple occasions! Of course, my life is far different from that of the First Lady; but when I reach into my overstuffed closet every day for something to wear, I never think of myself as recycling. I think that I have over time accumulated a wardrobe of pieces that fit and flatter and which I enjoy wearing and occasionally adding new pieces that go with the older ones. I love the fact that Mrs. O seems to have done the same thing, albeit with a few more high-end pieces than would be found in my closet! :)
Oh, yes, I love love love the black and camel outfit and every sheath I've ever seen her wear--especially the sleeveless ones.
Hello all,
Both outfits are hot. However, I hope she rewears none of them in Europe, "the Mecca of Fashion." I know times are tough, but it is her first trip abroad and we are the United States of America, surely our first lady can find for a few not-seen-before pieces in her closet to dazzle the world.
For those interested: this is a take off of the green Stevie Wonder cocktail dress with black belt for those on a budget on smartbargains.com. The shade of green is different, but is is really pretty. It is the "Carmen Marc Valvo Moss Chiffon Cocktail Dress"
I love the Black and camel number. I think it is my favorite look on her so far. However, I was not a fan of the Red Maria Pinto dress. It looks like the dress is strangling her.
I saw this and enjoyed reading it.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-cara-barker/what-makes-michelle-obama_b_178802.html
Enjoy
I just cannot get over the tailoring on the red dress. It is so flattering. I also love the DNC blue green dress with the brooch. Both dresses are so stunning, and they set off Michelle's figure beautifully.
I'd like to see the turquoise Maria Pinto dress she wore for her DNC speech again - she was absolutely stunning in it and I had to know who made it as soon as I saw it. That was the dress that led me to this site and I've enjoyed checking in every day or so since to see what's new. Love the site - keep up the great work!
No First Lady has ever had a clothing allowance or a salary.
I would not like to see the First Lady of the United States repeating dresses when she is overseas. Mixing some items here and there --- of course but no formal dresses or dresses for very high official activities. After all - the designers allow a reduced price and the Obama's are millionaires! Please remember the payments for the books both of them have published and the costs of the housing and most of their expenses, WE pay. Come on - let's be reasonable here!
I confess I loved that red dress, it was so flattering to her long legs and minimized the shortness of her waistline. It's hard to fit women shaped like her with the small but short waist, ample hips and long shapely legs, but this dress did it to a T! I would like to see her wear that again, along with the Maria Pinto from the DNC-she also looked great it that too. I don't think it would be good for her to wear those in Europe next week-they're too fresh in people's memories. I confess I'm a little anxious that everything goes off without a hitch in Europe and that Michelle shines as I know she can. I was encouraged to read that the Obamas are being briefed on etiquette, etc at Camp David-along with great attention given to the exchange of gifts to the Queen et al! This is very important! I'm sure there will be scrumptious pics all week for us to dissect soon!
MJMR-
Well that might change if the republicans get their 'first lady amendment' passed. (See my comment with link toward the end of the comments area in the previous post - "While We Wait for Mrs. O’s Return" on this website). If the 'first lady's amendment regarding the status of the first lady 'employee/non-employee' passes then we just might see Mrs. Obama being considered an employee entitled to compensation and benefits - and she just might demand those benefits since the passage of the amendment will mean that she will lose her privacy.
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I am not sure what you are referring to when you say that 'we are paying for most of their expenses', WE the people are NOT paying for the majority of the personal expenses of the Obamas. Their Chicago mortgage, home insurance, property taxes, children's school tuition, music lessons, income taxes, dry cleaning, personal meals for family and personal guests at the WH, clothing for President/First Lady/Sasha/Malia, hair stylists, personal items, etc. are paid for by The Obamas.
I agree with a few of the commenters who suggest that Michelle probably won't recycle on this tour. During the trip the president will be having all kinds of meetings, it will be interesting to see what public activities Michelle has during those times. Like having Prince Charles show her around his organic gardens or meeting the wives of the various leaders. I'm sure that the Obamas will be well versed on all the etiquette.
It's going to be a fun and historic week. All three of the network news anchors are broadcasting from London next week.
Here are links to the two DNC outfits I mentioned earlier.
the Peter Soronen dress on Day 2: http://www.mrs-o.org/?p=95
The sleeveless blue sheath on day 3, with the lovely flower brooches. http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0fdka0ZbP564z/340x.jpg
Now that I think about it, that Kai Milla outfit she wore to the Stevie Wonder Gershwin ceremony was also lovely.
And so was this lovely green suit: http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j4/cnrward/Style%20and%20Clothing%20pics/Picture8-1.png
She clearly has some fantastic clothes, so she can recycle a lot.
The bill would not make the first lady a "paid" employee. It would require a greater degree of transparency in the policy issues she is involved with. It has both good and bad sides; it restricts the number of isssues that FLOTUS would be able to freely engage in; on the other hand, it would prevent lobbyists with bad intentions from trying to get too close to the first lady and land her in hot water as they did Hillary Clinton. And yes, the Obamas are qute wealthy, paying her, particularly for clothes, wold negate the entire "public servant" concept. We do indirectly pay some of their expenses, as wee pay to run the WH and foot the bill for the President and the salary of his staff.
Anyway, Mrs. O had great clothes before she became first lady and will be more than fine in the style department.
JoJo,
Correct.
The bill has nothing to do with 'wages and benefits. It has to do with the definition of the status of the First Lady and the status of particular things that she does. If her status was to change from voluntary public service to 'employee' in some circumstances (as outlined in the amendment) then the issue of salary and benefits would come into play. This is not something I am making up - one of congressmen even mentions that in the video. The amendment opens up a whole can of worms. For now Issa has withdrew his amendment but it has been said that the issue will be coming back on the table in a month or so - something to keep an eye on.
I am soooo ready for the Obamas to head overseas so that the photos will start to flood in!
While we're obsessing over Mrs. O's appearance and about what designer she's wearing, the GOP and their ilk are trying to silence her, intimidate her and to diminish her, rendering her virtually invisible. And what are we going to do about it? Hopefully, demand that they leave the first lady alone, even if it means taking it to the streets. A threat against Mrs. Obama is also a threat against all women and future women and we've got to start somewhere, so why not now?
http://divalocity.blogspot.com/2009/03/is-gop-attempting-to-muzzle-first-lady.html
I can't wait until next weeks overseas trip, all the outfits, i'm excited
Both outfits are fabulous, but I especially love the Narciso Rodriguez. Mrs. O. looked just wonderful in it. The Maria Pinto could use a great brooch!
Spot on on everything Leah D!
I am not sure I understand the amendment. If Mrs. O has her clothes paid for by the government, then that will draw attention to the amount of money she is putting into her wardrobe. She may find herself in hot water as Palin did when her clothes were paid for by the RNC. Isn't it better for Mrs. O to foot the bill for her wardrobe and avoid the criticism?
The true fans of this wonderful site are looking forward to pretty fashion pics of the First Lady next week. But be prepared for the haters to converge when there's a pic of Michelle and Barack, oh for instance -meeting the Queen. They will trot out their usual negative comments and V. Baker made up nonsense with a vengeance. I hope Mrs. T is prepared this time so that they don't take over.
Bevi-
Don't worry about the clothes issue. The government will not be paying for her clothes if the amendment were to pass or not. Michelle would still have to pay for her own clothing, personal meals in the WH residence, etc. Even the President's clothes are NOT paid for by the government he has to pay for them himself.
The amendment would deal with the status of the First Lady, volunteer vs. employee - it has to do with how transparent her private meetings would have to be. If the bill passed then the first lady would be considered an employee when working on policy issues and when meeting with certain groups/individuals and the meetings would have to be made public and transparent, then in that case she would be considered and employee. That would bring up the next problem: government employees must be compensated 'with a salary, health benefits, etc.
It is going to be a very complicated issue because even the congressmen are not sure what they should and should not do, that is why Issa withdrew his amendment so that the lawyers can have time to review all the aspects of the issue.
Thanks Leah D. I guess my next question is why now and why this first lady?
My sense is that as a lawyer Michelle has her own take on this situation, and so do the legal brains in the administration.
I am sitting on pins and needles waiting for the Europe trip. I agree that we will see some new outfits. I also think they will come bearing more gifts for the prime minister and family - I am assuming they will meet up with the Browns again in London.
Now, those two outfits looked good on Michelle Obama. I also liked that purple Maria Pinto dress that she wore with the black belt. I think it was when Barack Obama secured the Democratic nomination. The turquoise Maria Pinto dress was good too.
However, I agree with the person up top who said that Mrs. Obama should wear new outfits on her European trip. I hope Maria Pinto outfits will be in her luggage...
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20626.html
This trip is going to be so nice! I can't wait. I'm nervous for the meeting with the Queen.
Attention Mrs. T .. Attention Mrs. T
The on the link that IVA posted above, in the sixth paragraph, the Mrs-O dot org website is quoted!
Congrats!
I wouldn't be surprised if Mrs. O wore something by Sonia Rykiel--possibly a coat, jacket or accessory?--while in France. The tribute to the French designer would be nice and we know she already likes and wears Rykiel. Also, like others, I expect some new clothes but I also expect some re-use of some accesories or some mixing things up, with some past fashions paired with new items.
It is such a coincidence - but all this excitement about clothes and foreign trips remind me of Mrs. Nancy Reagan's era as First Lady! She really loved beautiful, expensive, high-end clothing and great jewelry.
The Obama are picking up the tab for the White House residence make over. They are NOT using the $100,000 allowance that other presidents have used.
Here's the article link:
http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/55679/
I miss seeing how Mrs. O is going to grace us with her presence and style. I may be young but, she has definately infulenced my choices in clothing and how I introduce myself to others.
Thanks Mrs. O
Hurry back
Great link IVA! Thanks, enjoyed the article.
The Obamas will not be using public money to renovate the WH living quarters:
http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/55679/
This is a departure from established precedent.