Petites Robes Noires
Friday, April 3, 2009 at 1:56 PM 
Photo by Pascal Le Segretain /Getty Images 
Photo by Michael Kappeler/AFP/Getty Images
First Lady Mrs. O and President Mr. O pose for photos with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, her husband Joachim Sauer, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy at the NATO summit. Both Mrs. O and Ms. Bruni-Sarkozy have chosen little black dresses for the event. Mrs. O's dress features a fitted bodice and full skirt - a shilouette we've seen her wear throughout the week.
Update: Mrs. O has added a black bolero to her ensemble.
Update: For those wondering about the designer - Mrs. O wears a knit dress by Paris legend Azzedine Alaia, the New York Times has confirmed. (We must also acknowledge our own Mrs. A, who observed similarity to these Alaia dresses and came to the same conclusion. Well spotted Mrs. A!)
One can't help but draw reference to Camelot here, as Mrs. Kennedy famously wowed the French by wearing Givenchy during her 1961 trip to Paris. Was Mrs. O's choice a thoughtful gesture in respect for her host nation? Based on the amount of planning and thought that has obviously gone into this week's wardrobe, we're of the mind that the answer is almost certainly, yes.
Outfits
Reader Comments (281)
"The thing is, I think Michelle looks great, I am proud of her….but I want Carla’s purse and her Dior coat! "
Majority of people in France cannot even afford what Carla is wearing. To pricey for me.
"The thing is, I think Michelle looks great, I am proud of her….but I want Carla’s purse and her Dior coat! "-nonpasserat
Majority of people in France cannot even afford what Carla is wearing. To pricey for me.
If the designer is Alaia, she may have added the tulle underneath later like she did with the isabel toledo dress yesterday. Just a hypothesis though.
Reminds me of the tiered Toledo dress she wore for the Lincoln event.
If anyone has a problem with this outfit then they are either jealous or blind. This is the absolute best I have seen Mrs. obama look. Beautiful. I'm almost speechless. She is doing women well and especially dark skin black women who are ususally considered homely or ok. It is great to see a black woman look so good online for a change. Very well educated, two kids married and beautiful. Everyday Mrs. Obama is helping to break stereotypes and peoples perceived notions about black people.
According to Politico the dress is an Azzedine Alaia design.
Ooolala. Just gorgeous!
I think Mrs. O looks sexy fabulous (as does Mrs. S)... For those of you nitpicking over this that and the other -- When you become First Lady, you can dress as you deem appropriate... Ah, but for the moment, the gig belongs to Mrs. O. and you'll just have to find some way to deal.
I am 6 feet and my previous boyfriend was shorter than me (think Bruni Sarko)and while with him I always wore flats or kitten heels. That said when *not* with him I wore a 3 or even 5 inch heel with nice dresses. Michelle is regal and would have towered no matter what so good on her for the heel. When it was one on one this morning she wore flatter shoes for politeness sake but in a huge group no reason for her to pull back.
Cute photo!
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/85790154/AFP
I just wanted to chime in and say that Mrs. O looks gorgeous. I am 6'1" and I wear heels ALL of the time. I refuse to let anyone tell me how tall I should be or present myself even though people offer their unsolicited opinions all of the time. I wear shoes that are cute and stylish and because I like them and they make me feel good and they look good with my outfit. Boo on anyone who tries to make a tall girl feel small. why should Mrs. O try to hide in the crowd? The answer is that she should not. My boyfriend is 6'2" and when I wear heels I am taller than he is. He LOVES it and never feels insecure. In fact, he thinks it is sexy. I am positive the President feels the same way about his wife.
the dress is gorgeous- and her arriage impeccable!
Also, Angela Merkel looks wonderful. I want to steal her jacket!
that photo is incredible!
@ Melony
I too am tall (6'0), and I must say, I wear heels all the time. I did have to relent and buy a pair of 2in heels for the office (I'm a lawyer as well, in fact), but that's only because I take the subway to work and don't want to walk the half mile to and from the stop in 3 inch heels. And to your final comment, wearing heels or not doesn't have anything to do with being elegant. If you feel "huge" as a tall woman with heels on, than that is more likely a personal opinion. I, on the other hand, have learned to embrace my height and feel very glamorous in high heels towering over the majority of men around me. *smile*
This dress is beyond marvelous...I can't stand how beautiful it is. She looks phenomenal. I'm just floored. I love how she is just a non-traditional beauty.
I'm 5'8" and my husband is 5'6". I wear heels in the 3"-4" most of the time because I like the way I walk in them. Flats are mostly for casual occasions, and also, I have flat feet, so they look really flat! My wonderful husband doesn't mind at all.
Not that anyone of these first ladies will hear me.... but when sitting at receptions, stages, ceremonies, you NEVER cross your legs. You can only cross your legs at the ankles, legs remaing at an angle. OH well! Just a comment.
Mike Smith we are >>>><<<< on your comment. That dress is first class. I don't like to trash one person just to uplift another. Carla looks stunning but next to Michelle she looks like a little girl on that stage. Truly !! Michelle looks like a statesque beautiful WOMAN.
Michelle is a very overdue wait for women of colour, For years, they have been overlooked. But black women can now see that an educated woman does not have to be intimidating, she can be a wife, she can have a successful career, she can have beautiful kids, she can wear beautiful elegant clothes and have her husband fawning over her at every available minute and most importantly she can be first lady.
Personally, I can't get enough of her. I have all the main websited dedicated to her on my favourites page on my home and work PC. How refreshing to check out what she is doing and wearing and meeting in such doom and gloom depressing times that we currently find ourselves in.
What does LBD stand for?
I also wanted to add that I am thrilled that Michelle is setting new standards such as wearing a sweater to meet the Queen and crossing your legs however you wish to do so. Change has come!
I love that Michelle wears crinoline under some of her dresses. It gives such a feminine look to her and the dresses 'move' so lovely - I love it. When I was a girl I used to play dress-up in my mother's formal gowns that she had packed away from the 50's and the swishing of the crinoline makes you feel like a princess.
Wow Melony. That's an interesting thought. I'm 6' tall and live in 4"+ heels. I don't feel huge; I feel like myself. People's reactions to me can be funny, but I just keep it moving.
Mrs. O looks absolutely beautiful! I love this dress...one of my favorites so far.
Naomi-You took the words right out of my mouth! If anyone has a problem with our height, it's THEIR problem, not ours. I refuse to hide my light under a bushel to cater to others insecurities.
I'm also tall, 5'9", not as tall as some of you ladies, but after I came to appreciate my height, I wanted to be taller. My daughter is 5'11" and to my delight,wears the height and the 4 inch heel well and comfortably, just like I taught her. She has no trouble attracting men of all heights.
MJMR,
That used to be a common rule for astronaut's wives and military wives in the old days, but WHO said that a first lady can not cross her legs? Seems to me that the First Lady is the one that sets the standard and we are the ones that follow her lead - not the other way around.
I think Melony is projecting some of her height issues. It's ok.
Anyway - Michelle looks AMAZING. I just knew she'd bring the heat in France. If you can, check out an upclose picture of her shoes. They're lovely.
I just read the nonsense from the usual suspect high-end designers, and I have to say it was funny to read the jealousy coming from them. Well, Donna Karan and Vera Wang seemed to just come out and say they wanted a piece of the action. Oscar sounded downright like a hater. I think they just solidified the fact that she will never wear their clothes.
Clothes are supposed to be fun, and Mrs. O clearly sees them as a way of expressing herself and boosting some little known talents. If she went to them, especially after their statements now, it would seem so commercial, and they will use her in a way that the designers she chooses now don't.
I think Sarah Brown is not interested in fashion and frankly if my infant daughter had died at 10 days old of brain hemmorage and my second son was diagnosed shortly after birth with genetic cystic fibrosis (most folks die of CF by age of 30), I might have thrown myself body and soul into charity work as she has. That said, I think there should be somebody to just figure out the clothes for her, and tell her what to wear. She needs to wear longer skirts to disguise her legs and lose the colored stockings. Frankly, she has beautiful natural look to her face, magnificent skin and pretty hair. No point in even comparing her attire to Carla and Michelle. Sort of like comparing amateur golfer to a pro.
TBG!!!
I think Oscar de la Renta needs a hug from the Queen.
Is Carla Bruni wearing hose or are her legs really that ghostly pale? I like Carla's dress and purse, but her scrawny legs look bad in flats. Flats go with her dress nicely, but I think flats look funny on scrawny legged women. Just my opinion. And poor Sarah Brown. It really wouldn't be that bad without the stocking and the shoes.
I'm glad to see Michelle were a really high heel. And she's not towering over the president, as she has about two inches of height in her hair today. I think anything other than a really high heel would have looked funny with such a statement making dress.
@ Melony, I don't see anything wrong with the heels, and believe me, Carla Brun-Sarkozy seems to not mind upstaging her husband, she just does naturally. First Lady Michelle isn't uspstaging her husband at all, I just see a nicely dressed woman, she looks polished and primped. Nice.
Michelle has put on a little jacket over her black dress!
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Michelle-Obama/ss/events/pl/050108michelleobama/im:/090403/481/8bd7455c65ff4678a667d2e44113709f/#photoViewer=/090403/ids_photos_wl/r1174661907.jpg
New group photo has Michelle wearing a shrug-like cardigan over her dress.
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Michelle-Obama/ss/events/pl/050108michelleobama
Both First Ladies have held their own, each has her own distinct style and have wowed us with their ensembles.
But the French First Lady has prooven to be a great disappointment, in her lack of warmth towards the Obamas.
There is clear tension here and closed body language in countless pictures taken today. Carla B's aloofness and public snubbing of POTUS, and overall lack of warmth towards Mrs O; shows her desperately lacking in diplomacy education and class.
Yes, YYES , YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSS!!
this is absolutely fabulous ! tonight she shows us how stuning , elegant , classy she is !!this black dress and the emerauld one are the best outfit i ve seen on her since.
i appreciate the diamond bangles
its make my night better after seeing that watabee bleu with strange cartigan!!
Thanx you Mrs O,
u are carry our image as a black woman!!
i am going to love you Mrs Obama. If i get rich one day, i will offer you a diamond necklace with emerauld in it !! so you will look like Cleopatra!!
Carla Bruni 's dress is also beautifull.
thanx , you made my day!
take care
WOW! I love it love it loveeee it!!!!!!!! So fab!
huh? Bruni snubbed the Obamas? I wonder sometimes if we are all watching the same movie...
now this is how a 1st lady should look, she even makes model turned politician's wife, Carla Bruni look like a bore. Michelle Obama sure looks elegant and regal here.
To Martin: I agree! If you have long legs, flaunt them! She should wear heels whenever she feels like it! She looks beautiful and I'm glad to see another great outfit!
For the "group" photo of First Ladies, FLOTUS put on a bolero (?) jacket.
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//090403/481/vlm12904031809/#photoViewer=/090403/ids_photos_wl/r1174661907.jpg
On another note, my President is statuesque and HANDSOME. I know this site is dedicated to Mrs.Obama, but President Obama is looking GRRRREAT!
The alleged "snubbing" by Bruni is yet another hyped-up,distorted meme brought to you by our beloved MSM who have way too much time to fill. Nothing to see here folks,keep moving.
My link is in moderation up above at the moment but there are TWO new photos on Yahoo - Michelle has put on a short jacket(or)sweater over her black dress.
She is tooo adorable! Absolutely flawless...
Check these out! Please update with more Mrs. T
http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/85790001.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1937219EE721E785E4A18B65C5D29513CBFE30A760B0D811297
http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/85791695.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1937219EE721E785E4A210DE6CDFE15F076E30A760B0D811297
http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20090403/i/r1174661907.jpg?x=400&y=280&q=85&sig=RKYXDTplNDMo0c6cEvanjw--
Love, love, LOVE the little black bolero she put over this dress... no cardi tonight!
I loved this dress on Michelle. But I've had enough of the cardigan sweaters. If you go here, you'll see that she covered up this dress after the concert. A silk wrap or something would have been nice. But I LOVE HER!
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Michelle-Obama/ss/events/pl/050108michelleobama#photoViewer=/090403/481/vlm15404031952
Bruni is wearing very sheer, very pale hose. Very European. Very proper.
Unfair to call her pale. Michelle has an advantage in that department, wouldn't you say? Better pale than looking like lizardy Donatella Versace.
I do not think that Carla snubbed Michelle.
Here is a photo of them kissing at the concert in Germany:
http://www.daylife.com/photo/04JX9pZdZrd44?q=Michelle+Obama
Last post lost something:
Better pale than looking like lizardy Donatella Versace from too much sun.
I knew those weren't her diamond bangles! The bracelet is a cuff with 5 rows of clear stones. And whoever did her hair for this deserves a medal of honor... she looks absolutely divine in the close-ups!
Both dresses are absolutely stunning, and I want the purple clutch as well!
I love the detail of Carla's bodice.
the bolero looks a lot like a cardi except in different proportions. love it though.
and i have seen a few pictures of carla and michelle chatting it up.
The dress seen with the jacket, in the group picture, is fabulous as well.
I think Mrs O will conquire everyone with her sleeveless style. She's gorgeous...