Sunday
May102009
A Vision in Magenta
Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 12:22 AM 
Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Mrs. O attended the White House Correspondents Dinner this evening wearing a fitted fuchsia sheath dress and bejeweled statement necklace. Pictured with the First Lady is Doug Mills, a photographer for the New York Times.
Update: Mrs. O wears a magenta double face stretch wool crepe scoop neck sheath dress by Michael Kors.
To hear the President's remarks -- and see Mrs. O flex her fabulous arms -- watch the video below:
Happy Mother's Day everyone!
tagged Michael Kors in Outfits
Michael Kors in Outfits
Reader Comments (236)
For those who are uncomfortable discussing race, I appreciate your feelings; but I think that in an atmosphere of mutual respect, it can be a great learning experience. I love the fact that some of our AA sisters (and brothers?) on this blog feel comfortable discussing the subject openly. I know this is supposed to be about fashion; but since fashion is such an expression of everything else that makes us who we are--personality, culture, and yes, race and ethnicity--it may be unrealistic to think that we can stick to just commenting about an outfit. I know there have to be parameters, but I for one have appreciated this discussion.
Christina, your response to Leah's point was beautiful - simple, clear, and loving.
To everyone who doesn't want the issue of race discussed, or any other issue, this is about people on this group getting to know one another. Just like you'd get to know any new friend and ask about their life experiences. It's inevitable both for any Net community (and this is one, not "just" a robot-like fashion blog) and because the Obamas are the first Black first family in America.
I am white, but I have both black friends and black members of my family. If I told them I didn't see they were black they'd think I'd lost my mind.
I think there's been as much if not more space taken up by people saying it shouldn't be discussed. If you don't want to discuss it, you don't have to; just post on fashion.
FLOTUS needs girdling? Oh dear lord, no. When I first say that silhouette I was green with envy.
I agree with other posters. I really like the dress, but upon reflection, I think it would have worked better as knee-length. The neck adornment, so creative, a work of art.
About the tummy "issue," I have often wondered if her wide belts, which I for one, would like to see in the White House dumpster--LOL--are an attempt to camouflage the tummy. As one who obsesses about any protrusion in that area, I understand! I have to say, though, that even though she's young, she's not a teenager, and she has had two pregnancies. So I'd rather see her embrace the more mature figure--as I think she does in these fitted sheaths which are my favorite look on her--than to create other "problems" by wearing the belts with everything. The corset on the Michael Kors dress was a perfect solution, IMO.
Oops, yes, Willow, I meant to thank you for being brave enough to bring the whole subject up in the first place and for following through. I feel like I know more people here at a deeper level.
@ Jazz - yes, you should replace periods with "dot" or else it will go to moderation for Mrs. T to approve, and that could take some time if she's not available.
I didn't even notice her tummy at first, I was focused on their hands and faces. I'm not in my 40s, nor have I had 2 kids, but I don't expect a flat tummy at someone Mrs. O's age, with 2 kids. There is something inherently sexy about Mrs. O - tummy and all. I hope she just continues to do what she wants and wear what she wants.
Jazz, regarding your question, you are free to post as many links as you want, but all comments with links are automatically moderated and since Mrs. T cannot sit around approving comments all day there may be a lag time for the comment to appear. Which is not really a big deal, but if you prefer to avoid it, you can "cheat" and disguise the website address by writing (dot) etc,
Mrs. O is in great shape. I am surprised by the comments about her abdomen. We have seen her wear a gazillion closely-fitted dresses that wouldn't be very forgiving if she needed a girdle. But she has a tiny waist, a toned body, and a slightly rounded belly AND she always looks great in her clothes.
I think her body must be a lot of hard work to maintain and she does a superb job.
Thanks gals. I've been away this weekend at a wedding, which has made the posting and moderating a bit tricky. Thanks for your patience.
Honestly I think it is the side shoot and maybe the dress because when you look at other pics of her she has absolutely no stomach, she has said it herslef she "works hard on her abs". I must admit when I saw the side pic I said wow she looks pregnant but I dont think so, it is just the way it looks. Look at her other pics and her stomach appears to be really flat
@ Iva, Jenna - Thanks for the feedback
@Iva. Agreed. I also had not paid any attention to her tummy in that photo because that brief touch between them was so striking and so telling in its ease. When I read the comment that was made about the need for a girdle, I went back to find the photo that showed any tummy. Just had to make a comment about her obvious self image and his obvious opinion.
his gets beyond Mrs. O, perhaps, but I like to celebrate the parts of my body that are womanly -- and that includes hips, breasts, and a softly rounded tummy. I have these traits and I can't change them, so I might as well love them. I've had a rounded tummy since puberty days, and I can't even explain it away by saying I have kids!
(And also, I'm not suggesting that women with a different shape are somehow less attractive. I'm only talking about myself.)
It's tough because I feel like we're all bombarded by body images that are very difficult to achieve. It's quite hard to have a very flat stomach as a woman who is not already genetically predisposed to that body type.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Spanx or the like just to smooth things out in unforgiving dresses. But I also think that curves are good.
I also meant to add -- one way to conceal the abdomen is to wear softly draping, full skirts. But a lot of people don't like her in those ensembles. Thank goodness she dresses for herself.
I can't help but laugh at the people justice noticing the stomach issue. It seems Michelle unfortunately has a left over baby bump. Its no big deal and "No" exercise will not get rid of the extra hanging fat left after a baby. Most women with Michelle money would get it nipped and tucked.
But she has chosen to go the workout method way. This option is not really reducing the problem but it's helping to her with arms and legs. I still say the dress looks nice on her even with stomach and all. Oh, yeah and as she wears more dress like this one the stomach issue will keep coming up. You saw how people talked about Jessica Simpson they'll do the same to Michelle.
Christina,
Your right the dresses she wore was to conceal her abdomen. I told my husband that when he asked why she keeps wearing those huge skits.The same thing with the belts over the sweaters it's all to cover her stomach. She seems to be having a hard time getting rid of it through exercise.
Elaine B at 1:11 Thank you for your appreciation, and you are most welcome. My intention was to bring an honest discussion which could bring us closer, not to divide or to turn people off.
I do not think Michelle wears belts or skirts to "cover her abdomen". She seems to have zero hangups about it or she wouldn't REGULARLY wear these tight sheaths that don't hide a thing. I think she wears belts and skirts because she enjoys those items. When she does wear sheaths, you can see she is quite slim and toned but has a softly rounded belly. But again...she looks amazing in her clothes. And she's a very confident woman. I doubt she is going around wearing belts to try to camouflage anything.
I don't get the obsession with the `tummy'. You'd be hard-pressed to find a woman who doesn't look like she has a `tummy' from that angle. Mrs. Obama looks fantastic in that dress, the simple classic lines of the dress along with the necklace was perfection.
One of the reasons I admire Mrs. Obama is the embrace of her femininity and sexuality. Its there is every outfit she wears. There's always a certain sexiness even if very subtle. She shows you don't have to go very short, very tight, or very revealing to be sexy. Her husband continuously shows that he's very attracted to her. He always looks like he can't wait to get her home to get all into her business.
She carries a small tummy, but we have to realize that is a natural body, for all we have seen are celebrities who are perfect, even at age 100. Flotus does not have a tummy tuck nor lypo. So, enjoy this natural woman, for she is more like all of us.
To me she has the body of a former athelete, she is toned but not body builder muscular (which is not cute). I dont think she is trying to conceal anything, i think she wears certain things because she likes them. Every woman has a little insecurity about there body but I dont think Mrs O tries to cover up
I agree with a lot of the above comments regarding Michelle's little "tummy" (for me, I think I have a big tummy). Most women in the limelight with her money would have gotten a nip and tuck and the fact that she hasn't makes her more appealing to me---much more appealing. The way the President looks at her says it all to me. There are so many pencil thin celebrities and politician wives that look miserable and have unhappy marriages. Michelle's husband only has eyes for that woman and seems to love her curves...gracious, there's more photos with his hands on her hips, butt, waist, you name it. She's a natural woman with, as was mentioned, a very athletic physique and she still doesn't look 45. And she's fierce and confident enough to still wear body hugging clothes.
@ Tia
" She seems to be having a hard time getting rid of it through exercise."
You can't really get rid of it through exercise. I don't doubt that she has rock hard abdominal muscles, which are covered by a soft layer of fat. For women who are predisposed to carrying fat in the abdomen, you cannot get rid of a belly without changing your diet. The body wants to store fat in the belly and the hips, and when I have been forced to eat less (because of illness) the belly fat was the last to go.
She chooses to exercise and have a cheeseburger now and again, and from my perspective, that's a nice balanced way to live. I don't think her stomach is a "problem" at all.
As I mentioned before, this look does not wow me. The fit of the dress is a little off. And yes, I do love the color and agree with the poster who said in that regard, she is very much like Caribbean women who love to wear color. Also, as fit as Mrs. O is, she can benefit from Spanx when necessary; even Halle Berry wears them sometimes. The glare of the media is very unforgiving; why not do everything to look you best as much as possible? As far her "bump" making us regular folks feel better about our body image, it's a commendable thought, but is that not the same posters who were oowing and awing about her arms and how it's inspiring them to hit the gym? Let's at least keep our critique and motives consistent. One more thing, why do we assume that Mrs. O tones her look down to take the focus off of herself? Come on! If the look is too simple and understated for our taste, let's just say so and not try to find hidden meanings.
I don't get the obsession either. I wish i had her so called problem of a "little tummy". If a woman is too thin we criticize, if she too big we criticize. It's no wonder women have so many issues with their body.
Im a single woman and I tell you whenever I see them together, the way they look at each other. the way he hugs and holds on to her, I think to myself, that is what I want. He loves her, and I think it is a good image for young men and young ladies to see!
I dropped in to see what's new and I'm seriously disappointed at all this "tummy" talk. The woman's real. Like me and you. I've got a "tummy" too. You should see it when I'm pre-menstrual. She's not some air-brushed model or movie star in a magazine. SHE'S REAL.
Just sticking around long enough to say that. Hope y'all find something more substantive and meaningful to discuss...soon.
Ciao.
For what it's worth, here's a quotation from March 29, 2009.
"The 45-year-old, who is almost 5ft 11in tall, has candidly revealed that she has a thing for hamburgers and chips, and is concerned about her hips.
"I have hips, she told The New York Times, and I have them covered up with these pleats. The 45-year-old first lady admitted that she was not naturally slim and, like countless other mothers her age, had to be careful with her exercise and diet while choosing her clothes carefully."
I include this not to criticize, because God knows I'd be HAPPY to look like MO, but to point out that EVERYONE in the world--regardless of how confident we may be--has "issues" with certain body features. Of course, MO is conscious of her features because she's HUMAN. We all keep saying we love her because she's like us, and guess what! She's like us in this regard, too. She likes some of her features more and some less--just like us. And she has her style tricks to deemphasize those she likes less--just like us.
@Leah - To my mind (and I am a dark-skinned Black woman married to an equally dark-skinned man), announcing that that one doesn't see my colour is just as inappropriate as making sweeping generalizations about me because I am a dark-skinned Black woman. The essence of racism is making a determination about someone, positive or negative, based on their race.
The opposite then of racism, then, is not to *ignore* someone's racial makeup. Instead, embrace it! Acknowlege it, be respectful of it, be considerate of it and open-minded. Telling me you don't see my colour isn't doing me or any other Black person a favour. Being Black isn't a handicap that you politely look away from. It's part of who I am.
I agree marabout40. She isn't a model or actress. I seriously get aggravated when people dissect Michelle into clothes, body parts, makeup. She's a real woman and not an experiment. I understand the need to want her to always be at her best, but I get disgusted, I admit at myself sometimes as well as others when we project what we want her to be.
I wonder how she feels, to have people notice her clothes and ignore her words and acts.And her body. I don't know I don't feel right about this. No other first lady had to deal with this type of scrutiny, I hope it doesn't impact her in a way that she feels she has to change for anybody or become self concscious. I am not attacking anyone, I'm just being reflective.
I found it! A good close-up of the necklace. I was surprised to see that the reddish flower is actually beaded, like some other parts of the necklace. It seems clear that the reddish flower is a part of the necklace and not something Michelle added. It's quite an interesting work of art. I like its sculptural quality and it's intricacy. It's too busy to wear with anything other than something as simple as the dress it was worn with. You can see the close-up here:
http(colon)//www(dot)daylife(dot)com/photo/02GH7HFcOEfBh
I am so pleased that Michelle unapologetically displays her curves, both front and back. I'm grateful that she is setting an example of celebrating the full feminine figure. I am deeply pained at the thought that our society has managed to convince many women that having a slightly rounded stomach (womb) is something that one needs to have surgically corrected. What a tragedy!
We surely do need women like Michelle who will help all of us celebrate the full flowering of our wonderful femininity.
Glammie, your comments are very enlightening. Thank you!
@ edwina - thanks for the link to the Sally Quinn piece.
I just posted a link to a great close-up of that fantastic necklace on D__life. I wrote out the colon and the dots, but my comment still went into moderation.
It's clear the reddish flower is part of the necklace, not an add-on. The flower is partially beaded, as is some of the white parts of the necklace.
I think thats why she is so guarded and she seems to have a bit of thick skin because alot of people have an opinion about everything she does, whether it is positive or negative. Which some of us have to do and we aren't even in the spotlight
Yayy for no spanx. It's too darn hot for that stuff. She looked great and real.
glammie,
I am sorry but to me the color of a person's skin is insignificant - it's no different than how tall or short they are if they have red/blonde/black hair or if they are bald, or have a big mole on their nose. Of course we as humans notice what people look like when we first meet them, there is no denying that, but that has nothing to do with 'who they are' and noticing physical traits doesn't necessarily mean that a person is using those observations to judge a person positively or negatively. I have never stereotyped people into 'groups' but rather accepted everyone as 'individuals'. I understand that not everyone does. Perhaps it is how I was raised and where I was raised, perhaps folks that interact on a daily basis with people of different races and cultures see people for who they are as individuals and not as a 'representative' of a whole group of people which in my opinion makes no sense at all to me.
Anyway Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there all over the world.
If you watch the CSPAN version of the President's jokes from yesterday, there's a cute exchange between the President and First Lady when he talks about her "right to bare arms." She flexes at him playfully. It's cute.
Fraiche comme une pétale de rose...
here is close pic of FLOTUS....I want her body!
http://i44.tinypic.com/2ujp3cg.jpg
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/4931/610xj.jpg
the pink broach is just magical.
You can't get a more close-up photo than this one of the necklace
Photo #9
h t t p (COLON) //journals(DOT)democraticunderground(DOT)com/Jackeens/226
That necklace is just so neat. I wonder if she saw that piece and then found a dress that could go with it, or if the dress came first and then she was searchng for the perfect piece of jewelry.
the funny thing is this the raison d'etre of thid blog itself consists of dissecting every little bit of what she wears and does. So it is a bit counterintuitive to say we should not do what we are in the very process of doing. Whether our comments are positive or negative, we ARE talking, posting and writing about her.
And race is a part of her, too. I mean, I don't think it's any great thing to act as if being African-American, which is an entire rich and valid cultural experience that goes far beyond mere pigmentation of skin, is non existent.
I don't want anyone to say "I know your name is Christina, but I'm calling you Chrstn because I don't see vowels." (smile)
I think the First Lady looks gorgeous exactly like she is. I understand that some people have hangups about the way they look, and Mrs. G, you're absolutely right that she might too and she's entitled to that, but I honestly wouldn't change a thing.
I also want to say that I think the discussion of race is interesting and important. Anyone can skip posts they don't find interesting, but I'm glad they're there. I understand that this is a fashion blog, etc, and there are other venues for such things, but at the same time I'm not sure it's realistic or fair to expect race not to come up in discussions of the first black First Lady's appearance and impact.
Christina and glammie and others, I think it's great for you to say what you did, because a lot of white people are in fact trained by very well-meaning parents to aspire to complete disregard of skin color, which may seem like a nice idea except for the fact that many people of color don't have the luxury of disregarding it themselves. I'm white and was definitely raised with this idea, and only in the last few years have I realized that the issue isn't as simple as I thought. I went to an ivy league college and my roommate and best friend throughout was black, and it never once occurred to me how isolating an experience it must have been for her at times; I just assumed that since she had lots of good friends, etc, it must be as much of a non-issue for her as it was for me. Recently I realized how wrong I must have been and asked her about it, and we had a great conversation about that aspect of her experience. Anyway, I'm rambling, but I guess my point is that while some people might truly not think about race, a lot of people have no choice and we may as well be honest about that, and also that, as glammie said, non-white racial identity is a really positive thing for a lot of people, and white people shouldn't try to dictate what is or isn't an acceptable source of identification. Okay, sorry, ha, I'm on a roll now, so two more things: One, I think maybe one tricky aspect of this issue is that it doesn't make any more sense to assume that all black people feel the same way about discussing race than it does to assume that all black people are the same in any other way, so while I think it's important to acknowledge the issue, I also think it's important to remember that some people of color might NOT want to get into it, which is obviously fine too. Two, I would think the Obamas were awesome if they were white, too, because there's a lot that's great about them that has nothing to do with race, but the fact is that they're America's first black first couple, and that's a real and important and exciting thing for all of us as a country. It doesn't mean racism is cured by any means, but it's not nothing, and it definitely deepens my attachment to them--it just does, and I don't think that's a problem.
Whew! Sorry to go on like that.
oops, sorry, Ms. G. all the "Mrs. O" talk has be inserting 'r's where they don't belong!
I personally do not appreciate the color , too much for me ! i would go for a soft color, i dont like either the classic cut of this dress but Michelle Obama has her own choice.She looks fine with herself and that is the most important!
oh! the necklace? its beautifull,i am curious to know if it 's made by precious or semi precious stones, hum! wish to know the names of the germs ( diamond, tourmaline?).
Precious germs will enhance Mrs O charms, i hope she will wear some around her neck or her arms like emerauld, black diamond, or tanzanite... HUM!!
i have no lesson to give but while dressing in a long lenght outfit, a lady should carries purse at least to gather her small botlle of perfum etc..and she could accessorize all of that with a pair of glove( fine laces would grace her long fingers and arms)
is anyone out there know the name of MRs O' perfum?
i am preparing to send a gift to Mrs O family and i would like to offer a pair of gloves, do someone knows that size she is!!
I dont think she needed any gloves, she has a more youthful, refreshing look but she still looks graceful & classic, even in fuschia. She has her own style and I don't think she is trying to be the poster child for 1st lady of fashion, I think she brought her style to the white house and covers of magazines! Daring, Darling Michelle
I'm sorry, the expression his face in the photo. It's hard not to giggle. I do love this look though. I wish the dress was shorter though. I love the necklace
I also thought the dress would have been better short, but it worked long as well, only certain people can pull that off & Flotus is one of them!
I'm so inspired by Mrs. O, by her love of fashion (and her admission -- as an intelligent woman -- that she loves clothes), and by her as a "real woman." This dress/necklace was a knock-out. I just get frustrated that the name of the designer doesn't emerge immediately! (I have new respect for Michael Kors!) And am frustrated by the still unanswered question, referenced above -- a one-piece necklace or a creative combo by Michelle?
MO looks lovely! MO at 45 with two children really looks lovely! The necklace really gives the dress a youthful look.
I like that about her style.
I appreciate the good discussion on this website. Sometimes I think that race, weight, age, gender, religion, household income are made too much of an issue.
At what point in our life do we stop checking boxes??
Happy Mothers' day to all the Moms'. Don't forget to call your Mother! That's an important box to check.