Leading Ladies
Friday, April 3, 2009 at 9:20 AM 
Photo credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images 
Photo credit: Sean Gallup /Getty Images
In their tour of Europe, the Obamas have traveled to Strasbourg, France for the NATO summit. This stop has been one of the most highly anticipated events of the week, as it brings Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and First Lady Mrs. O, two of the stylish women in the world, face to face, ensemble to ensemble. For their first meeting, Mrs. O wears a custom Thakoon Pixelated Floral Silk Jacquard coat with a coordinating, reverse print dress underneath. The transparent trim on the hem and sleeves of the dress is black mesh elastic. Mrs. O paired the look with her signature Jimmy Choo black kitten heels. How interesting that both women have chosen ensembles featuring a tie neck detail - a coincidence, or perhaps a sign that they're stylistically in tune?
Update: By request, here is a fantastic photo of Mrs. O's dress and coat combination in full effect.
Reader Comments (189)
I have to echo meta. I only saw the Today Show appearance but Mrs. T was great! It must be a lot of fun to do these interviews. You're famous now! And you are slowly becoming the go-to person for tv producers who want to discuss Michelle's style which is awesome.
Stunning! All of them . . . with perhaps the exception of Mr. Sarkozy. Poor chap, he looks a little out of place beside the other three statuesque and youthful people. Dowdy and dated? . . . I rather think not. Stunning . . . whoops, said that already.
I hate this coat, and LOVE that dress. Its the first thing by Thakoon that I haven't despised, to be frank. I have not liked the way any of his previous designs fir Mrs. O.
But this is fantastic!
MO's dress is absolutely luscious.
I think Carla Sarkozy graciously deferred the spotlight to Michelle by choosing an understated outfit, as a good hostess should do.
I understand the concept of multiculturalism and all, but you must admit thaty we do have some struggling young American designers without the international followup that the designers she selected for this trip already have (not Michael Kors) because of their international backgrounds, and some of whom she has worn before (so we know that she does like their work) who do amazing work who could have benefited from the exposure of the world stage. She could have mixed it up at lest a little bit more.
I don't mean mainstream dowdy, but mainsteram urban and ecclectic. She has done it well in the past; I just wished she had done a little bit more of it on this trip. Remember that cute Stevie Wonder green dress; that's what I mean.
Your comments were not mature if you have to resort to name calling.
We give constructive criticism on this blog without bashing each other. We may agree to disagree, but we do not get personal.
Yes, I took offense to you calling Jojo an idiot. That was totally uncalled for. You could have made your point without being insulting.
Whether you stay or leave is up to you.
I love the band of black trim along the sleeves and the hem. This dress is a beautiful color for Michelle. I am wondering if she will keep it on into the evening. What's on the agenda for later tonight. I know Jenna posted the activities in an earlier blog - I'll go check.
@ jannelle
Here the link you asked me for her yesterday's dress without the cardi.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25286570-662,00.html?from=public_rss
Thank goodness they both did not overly glamorous on us. They were simply and sweet, so there will not be any media drama.
The dress and coat are beautiful and entirely appropriate for the occasion. Mrs. O today is dressed like a FLOTUS, but with her own special twist on the classic silk coat and matching dress tradition.
As an earlier commenter mentioned, Mrs. O is over 40, and she is representing her country before the world; mature elegance is called for. I fail to understand how anyone could call her outfit dowdy. I wonder if Mme S. intentionally toned her outfit down in deference to her guest, so it would not look like she was trying to compete for attention. If so, she is a very smart hostess.
And praise the lord, no cardigan! I loved the J.Crew outfit, the argyle, not so much (a bit too edgy). But the point is that these sweaters do not flatter her figure. They make her look short-waisted and paunchy (which we know she is not). And they are not dressy enough to wear to Buckingham Palace, even at teatime.
I think that Mrs. O and her style advisers are still feeling their way toward choosing outfits that she likes AND that photograph well from a distance. For example, the dress she wore to meet the Queen was lovely up close (again, not a figure-flattering cut), but from afar it just looked like a skirt and blouse. On the other hand, her Inauguration Day ensemble was a knock-out, even a hundred yards away.
And as far as I'm concerned, Thakoon, Wu, Toledo, and Goldman ARE Americans. How ridiculous would it be if the first woman of color to serve as FLOTUS vetted her wardrobe choices based on the designer's place of birth?
Jojo, some of the designers MO wears may have been born elsewhere, but they are Americans now. That's, um, sort of an American tradition.
Also, the designers you cite are very much young entrepreneurs. Jason Wu is only 26 years old. I doubt most of us had heard of Toledo, Wu, Pinto, and Thakoon until MO started wearing their clothes.
Of course, there are more American designers that Michelle could be wearing, but she's only just gotten started!
OMG - that dress under the coat is VAVAVOOM !
Mrs O looks fabulously vibrant - that color glows on her - the fit sublime.
I love that the this sexy fitted dress is worn under a flowing coat, whose floral print matches the color of the dress, and that the clean, trim lines of the dress are only revealed once the coat is removed - and then WOW.
Mrs S looks groomed but demure by comparison.
This entire look is just so classic Mrs O - the confidence to wear a bold print, the poise to wear a dress so curve fitting and the joy of bright unexpected color - FABULOUS and tres' chic.
Jana I think with the jet lag (Fance should be 6 to 4 hrs ahead of us) Mrs O is starting to get tired. Must be very hard for them
I thought I should repost this link, from the other thread, to an amazing, amazing close-up picture of Mrs. O in yesterday's Isabel Toledo dress. You can see here how delicate and beautiful it is, a quality that just did not translate to TV or many of the photographs we saw. Replace the (dot) with real dots of course.
img (dot) timeinc (dot) net/time/photoessays/2009/obama_europe/obama_europe_09.jpg
Oops. I mean the Isabel Toledo from Wednesday, not yesterday.
Good grief Lara the man just LOOKED at her-he was getting ready to greet her. If somebody has a crush just because they LOOK at somebody I gotta whole lotta boyfriends.
Mrs.O's choice of Thakoon rocks once again!! I absolutely love the duster look on her as she is tall enough to pull it off while accentuating her curves beautifully. Huffington Post has a great close up of the dress underneath sans the duster and it fits like a glove. Carla Bruni is chic in the fabulous gray dress as well.
Awesome. This dress is a winner. It flatters her figure and is worthy of the occasion. IMHO looks a lot more engaging then Carla's.
Hello all!
I have been lurking on this blog for quite some time, and this outfit is finally bringing me out of the closet (perfect pun, I know). LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! Mrs. Obama is simply a beacon of shining confidence in this entire ensemble.
I am happy that she chose Thakoon for this day... what a way to make a statement! I started reading this blog about the time that the Thakoon line was leaving Target, and I was so inspired by Mrs. O's look and confidence that I went out to Target and bought up every last piece I could find (luckily for me, they were all on the sale rack by that point!).
And for the record, loved the cardigan yesterday! I would love to find something similar (albeit more my price range) - the (de)construction is something that few women have the confidence to pull off, and I would certainly love to try!
Finally, a huge shout-out to Mrs. T for such a wonderful blog and also to those who post such constructive and insightful comments! You really make the long work days much more pleasant! :) For those of you who may not see eye-to-eye with the fashion choices of our First Lady, that's fine; however, please check your snarkiness at the door. This blog is about a woman's style choices, not politics and certainly not race.
Alright, back into my meek (yet *inspired*) closet... for now.
As others have said, Mrs. O's dress is a knockout--great look, great fit, and very much her style. The duster not so much. A little too unstructured for my taste. Seemed a little bathrobey, despite the elegant fabric.
Mme. Bruni-Sarkozy looks very European and very elegant. An understated, well-made coatdress. Perfect fit and high-quality material. Very elegant.
Leah D actually posted that the Obamas are headed to Baden Baden for dinner and a concert.
This discussion about getting "American" designers is going nowhere. I am sure POTUS appreciates the melting pot nature of what constitutes "American" with his heritage.
Quickly:
1) Carla's grey color did nothing for her. She also looks like her grey hair touch up needs touching up. I do love the style of the dress and or coat.
2) Michelle's dress is stunning. Love the color and the playfulness yet classic feel. My opinion is still out on the coat, I always seem to change my mind after the first photo.
3) Michelle's HANDS are so beautiful. She could be a hand model.
4) I can't wait for the COFFEE TABLE BOOK OF "MICHELLE GOES TO EUROPE".
5) Where are the pearls? (add smiley face) My guess is that some day Sasha and Malia will each get one of those strands from the first big outing on the international scene.
I don't care for the coat, but LOVE the Thakoon fuscia dress.
Also completely agree with Jenna's first post above. Mrs. O is using fashion to get our attention, then directing it to bigger things: healthcare, nutrition, education, and other social issues. Another sign of her brilliance and intelligence!
I agree that Michelle looks like a woman, W-O-M-A-N, in these pics, and Carla looks like a girl. Not girlish, but like a girl. Not because she looks "young", cause Michelle with her good skin actually looks younger, but because Michelle just has such presence. It's like she's the First Lady of the World.
That said, I don' t think the picture on this site shows the coat in its glory. You can't see the shape of it.
Oh, and someone mentioned Carla's flats. I don't like them on her. She does not have shapely legs and when women with scrawny legs wear flat, it just looks bad to me.
Wonderful pictures of Mrs O and the President:
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Michelle-Obama/ss/events/pl/050108michelleobama#photoViewer=/090403/ids_photos_wl/r2532757452.jpg
JoJo - Mrs.O dare not wear American designers exclusively for fear of being outted for her protectionist fashion policies. ;o)
Mind you - J. Crew might be American, but I bet next week's paycheque those clothes are manufactured in parts other than the USofA. Don't go there.
On the Carla flats: Isn't this purely because of her husband's height? He is literally standing on his tiptoes in some of those photos and she is still taller. If he was a Bam type height she would be in stilletos I'll bet.
Yes, agree up above that FLOTUS is a presence. Golly a big one, just towering over everybody else in every way ( I am saying this complimentarily)
I mentioned this above I think Bruni's coat is suede so the photo probably does not do it justice. It is an amazing cut. And I understand why she needs to be so understated--when you have posed nude and are first lady you need to play it very very conservative. The flats--I like them on her, her husband (who I find rather sexy in a very different way than our Prez) is way too short for her to wear anything but.
Mrs T.,
I think you need to use a picture of the dress as the main picture, because will the coat was pretty, it's the DRESS that is the star of this ensemble. Mrs. Obama looks elegant and sexy and understated all at once.
It's about the dress ladies, not the coat.
great pic of the dress showing off Mrs. O's gorgeous gams! She rockin it:
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//090403/481/3d972797519c42a3b89b3fec03b13f5b/
Mrs T commented earlier that she WILL be adding a picture of the dress, but the site pays for the pictures and she's waiting for one of the wire services to update.
My two-cents worth? Mrs. Obama looks like my grandmother's sofa in that dowdy, flowered coat.
I LOVE Mrs. Obama's dress under the coat. It's beautiful and looks good on her.
I don't like the coat pattern so much.
FANTASTIC!!!Michelle if you are reading, I am so proud of you- you look beautiful. Your style is evolving very nicely. Now remember, when taking your group photos, please stand tall(that is not hard to do), put one leg in front of the other with your knee pointed inward and keep your hands softly to your side or with one hand towards the front. YOU LOOK GORGEOUS- we are all proud of you!!! CP
OSCAR DE LA RENTA JUST SLAM MICHELLE OBAMA!!!!!!! AND IM ALL KINDS OF PISSED!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/03/oscar-de-la-renta-slams-m_n_182807.html
The pictures on TV are much more beautiful and the dress WOW!
Nancv,
The picture on this site is actually the worst picture of the coat out there. In that pic, it does kind of look like granny's sofa. But I don't even like prints, and I actually found the coat to be attractive. I really do have this thing about pink and Paris! LOL. Seriously, I think with the overcast sky and those beautiful old gray buildings, the coat looks lovely. Honestly, I probably would have not liked it as much if the setting was different. Paris and pink just go together with me.
Not as smart as her black and yellow ensemble.
Note in Daily Mail that Bruni wears her "signature neutrals". Most European women of style wear beautifully cut clothes in solid colors - often neutral - for day. They blossom at night. The exception is in the resort areas.
I do not care for Thakoon. Like Jason Wu, he does not design for a woman's figure. A photo in the Mail shows Mrs. Obama on the street in the dress alone. She is in motion, waving, and the dress looks too tight and constricting at the waistline and through the shoulders and upper chest. A well-designed sheath should skim the body, not hug it.
Now THIS is more like it!!! Beautiful! I love the color and the fit of the dress.
P.S. Are words like "idiot" really necessary in a civil exchange of opinions?
oh whatever tess michelle looks great and sexy the dress show her figure more
Here is the photo I referred to in my last post:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/04/03/article-1166637-04446B12000005DC-86_634x782_popup.jpg
Note binding effect at waistline, across upper chest, through sleeves. Clothes must look good in motion as well as on a standing model. We are not plaster mannequins!
OH MY GOODNESS! Check out the two ladies chatting with their coats off! Michelle's dress is so womanly and gorgeous. I can't believe this woman is 45! (And Carla also looks nice).
i (dot) dailymail (dot) co (dot) uk/i/pix/2009/04/03/article-1166637-0444ECD1000005DC-286_638x437.jpg
I love Carla's coat, it is yummy AND I love that with all the moaning I see about Mrs. O and her flats/kitten heels, Bruni is wearing flats because her hubby is so short.
They both looked lovely, Michelle's coat looked better moving and the dress with the reverse print was wonderful.
Sierra,
The names comes after the comment. I think you may be referring to BeeGee.
LOVELY! The dress fits her figure nicely. Her hair and make-up have never looked better. She doesn't appear to be tired or jet lagged. I guess with all the meetings and the whole security issue...they don't really get to enjoy these beautiful citys.
Jenna, I can't open the link, somethink is off...Please repost
BeeGee, I must disagree about the fit of Thakoon's clothes (though I agree about Jason Wu). This dress is designed to hug the body. I posted a link just now of Michelle chatting with Carla while they both sit and you can see the dress fits so well. It's not tight, at all. It fits her like a glove. Mrs. O has many sheaths that "skim" the body, but this one is designed to fit differently. And it does look amazing, in my opinion.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SHOW THE DRESS UNDERNEATH!!!!!!!!!
ITS GORGEOUS!!!!
Mimi, you're right it was not working! My mistake. But this third posting works. Sorry about that.
i(dot)dailymail(dot)co(dot)uk/i/pix/2009/04/03/article-1166637-0444ECD1000005DC-286_638x437.jpg
The fashion elite are pissed at Michelle. Mrs T., I think it would be interesting to do a post on this issue. There have been rumors that the high end designers don't really like Michelle and it seems like now they are gonna start being vocal.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/03/oscar-de-la-renta-slams-m_n_182807.html