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)
I've come late to the party - and I just finished watching POTUS at the WH Press dinner and assessing Michelle's outfit.
I love Michelle in form fitting sheaths, and the color is perfect for her. When I saw the necklace my first thought was that is was custom designed for her.
Just a fabulous look, and that exchange over "the right to bear arms" was just the cutest thing ever!
Love these 2 amazing people!
@Leah D and @ Willow, when adding a link, just copy and paste the URL without typing in "(dot)".
Hi Jay,
Posters spell out the *dot* to avoid moderation, which can sometimes take lots of time.
Have a good Sunday evening, Everyone. Thanks Mrs. T and posters for the discussion that takes place on this board. It is always interesting. I had lots of catch-up reading to do!
@ rachel: I really appreciate your thoughtful comments, especially your very astute reminder that it is very true that not all black people agree about some of these topics, too.
@ Ginger
I think gloves are not really in style any more but, I remember a few months ago when the Jackie Kennedy comparisons were really frequent, looking at many pictures of Mrs. K as first lady. And one thing that always stood out were the gloves that she would wear on formal occasions. When did gloves go away, and why, I wonder? I think they're lovely, especially the opera-length style. And think about how many colds you would avoid if you wore gloves during occasions when you might be shaking a lot of hands!
InHerFashion @ 7:59 - It appears to me that the necklace is all of one piece. The bright pink flower appears to have some very tiny beads that also appear to be used in the white areas. I don't think this one was added to by Michelle. It's a fabulous piece.
Christina: I suspect the necklace came first...Lol...
Lilly: At some point, it's okay to back-off...really!
You've posted the same thing over and over again on this blog and the one before;
We get it! You don't like the look; and you love being the contrary voice to the swooning, fawning, "unrealistic" ones-
I think because of her long lean frame gloves would not look good. It does bring a since of regalness to a 1st lady such a Jackie O, but this is a new time and I say no long elbow length gloves for the new Flotus, unless maybe she is attending the opera, otherwise she can stick to the short winter gloves
And spot on Toni...you said it well!
Certain angles and colors in pictures, will always add on weight...Angles, illusions, color, fitting & lighting always informs the resulting portrait...
I've seen women with "tummies" and goodness me they'd give their lives for this woman's body!
Thanks, Christina! Also, this is sort of stupid, but I just reread my post and realized how random the "ivy league" thing might have seemed (if I read that somewhere I'd probably roll my eyes and think the person was showing off). So, just to clarify (for the, like, three people who made it through my post!), I was just trying to convey that it not only was a majority white institution but also had a distinctively "old (white) boys' club" vibe to it. If no one noticed or cared, sorry to be silly.
Ginger, that is so sweet of you to want to send her a present. It's true that, as people said, she may not be a gloves person, but it would be a very sweet gesture either way. However, the Obamas are actually not allowed to accept gifts, so you might just send a heartfelt card or letter instead.
bmb: You are right about the first lady's hands...always beautifully manicured and yet subtle...How refined!
There are very lots of nice photos of Mrs. Obama at
http://michelleostyle(dot)blogspot(dot)com
Check it out.
Elaine B: Yes, Glenn close is a very lovely woman, but I bet you're absolutely divine!
Rachel, I read your entire post.:) I must say I don't know you but I got good energy from you. I thought what a sweet thoughtful, positive person.
bmb: her nails do always look perfect!
Willow: Her necklace looks like a one piece to me as well.
Woah! I missed a lot.
@ Rachel - I really appreciated your post. I'm like your black friend, in terms of my experience in college with my white best friend who was also my roommate all 4 years and beyond. We had one of those moments too, which she indicated really enlightened her.
@ whomever mentioned Mrs. O's nails - I have always noticed Mrs. O's hands and nails. They are very delicate and pretty and she always seems to have them placed very nicely, like she's modeling them.
IVA...I've thought the same thing about her hands. It's something in the way she moves them.
A lot said today ladies! It's always so much fun to read everyone's posts - the good, the bad and the ugly! I just wanted to add that Mrs.O's definitely added the WOW FACTOR with that fab necklace and I am convinced that pinks & purples are her colours. She looks absolutely ravishing in fuchsia.
She is so on point whenever she has to do these big, fancy occasions - always just right, never over the top or pretentious. And let's not talk about that full length side profile pic of her in the dress! DAMN!!! I am simply amazed by this woman's body - her legs are like a giraffe's - long, strong and lean. PHEW!!! You go girl...
Tim Gunn on MO: http://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=1yNx9yjz0Qw
hat tip to Angelar at www(dot)jackandjillpolitics(dot)com
Try again, didn't put in enough (dot) I guess:
Tim Gunn on MO: http(colon)//www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=1yNx9yjz0Qw
hat tip to Angelar at www(dot)jackandjillpolitics(dot)com
Aw, you guys are so nice! Seriously, such kind words. What a great blog.:)
@ Willow at 9:33 - Thanks for your close observation of the necklace. It is, indeed, a fabulous piece!
With all due respect, Audrey, I posted twice here and once on the previous thread as opposed to your 5 posts on this thread alone. Also, my last post was a reaction to a topic that other bloggers had posted. As long as it's OK with Mrs. T, the moderator of this blog, for me to post my opinions and responses, then I will posts as many times as necessary within reasonable limits to get my point accross. I am sorry, but just because you disagree with my opinion of this particular Mrs. O look does not give you carte blanche to tell me how many times I can post. Thank you
I was out from a lovely day with the inlaws and get back and it seems it's Mayhem. With 169 posts to read, I don't even know where to start. But something tells me there was a catfight... again!
About Mrs. O's manicures, I read an article before where Desiree described that Mrs. O LOVES her manicures. So only makes sense that her hands always look perfectly manicured.
Was not a fan of this dress. I think she would have been better with a size bigger. It made her boobs look flat and did her stomach area no favors, from the pics I am seeing on the Huffpost.
I think the dress itself is fine, just not the fit on her body, which could have been better in a larger size. JMHO.
Mrs. T - I do hope that in your magical, resourceful way, you will be able to find out for us who created that big statement, asymmetrical, bold yet feminine necklace. I like his/her artistry.
Thank you.
Sadly, because of my schedule, I'm always posting at the end of discussions when the subject has been almost been done to death. But I still want to comment based on thoughts that came to me when I read the thread just now. . .
@ glammie and Christina, I loved your posts (and those of many others). I am a fair-skinned black woman who used to straighten her hair. I stopped because I was tired of people thinking I was Latina or Indonesian or something else. I wanted everyone to know just what the deal was! And even with my natural, perhaps because I'm Ivy-educated or due to the way I carry myself, there are still people who think I'm a white woman with a tan. Go figure. But I have plunged ahead and actively examine blackness in my art as it is an important part of who I am and of what I feel needs to be said.
@ Leah D, I do know the discrimination Italians have faced in this country (and in some areas continue to encounter). When my mother first emigrated here from the Caribbean, many of her girlfriends were Italian. And so were many of the girls in my prep school "gang." There was a level of comfort there. Like my Italian-American friends, I hate mainstream media's romanticization of the Mafia. But unlike them, I can't just say I'm Jamaican-American and end the discussion there.
I agree with the posters who have responded to you that race is not irrelevant in discussion of Michele Obama. It's not all she is. But it is an important part. And it's certainly part of why we love her as a "fashion icon." You are right that there were wonderful, successful black women before her. But this is the first time in the history of the planet that a black woman has been the "ideal" woman. Because that is what the First Lady is. It is more than a real woman, it is a mythic concept. And neither word, "first" or "lady," has often been applied to a black woman, let alone both at the same time.
@ Willow, I love your attitude! You seem to understand the blog is part of something larger, a gigantic "teachable moment." The way you benefit from that is admirable. I also agree with the point you originally made, that many of the things people think of as Michelle's problems or faults are part of her being a black woman. And we've seen it on this thread. Comments by both black and white women about her size, her butt, her tummy, etc. And she herself goes back-and-forth between accepting and disguising them. That's why the "aspirational" models presented in fashion magazines are a worthy object of dispute here, not just for black women, but for white women too. We all need to get smarter about this industry and its methodology.
And back to the matter at hand: the dress Mrs. O wore to the correspondents' dinner. . . I loved its color, its sleek, simple lines. I loved the way her body looked, too. (So Josephine Baker!) But re the necklace, I have to disagree with everybody on the blog. I always HATE Mrs. O's jewelry and find it Bougie with a capital B. But that's because my own style has a much harder edge. Little pearls, big pearls, even precious "gems" and gold --- to me those are the course of least resistance. I'd like to see her in older art jewelry, in silver by the American or Scandinavian Modernists, even brass pieces by Alexander Calder. Or pieces by contemporary artists who use jewelry as a medium. But perhaps for her, my taste would be too "far out." She has to wear what works with who she is. But I can still grit my teeth.
Wasn't Tyra Banks' outfit a bit Mrs. O-ish?
http://i39.tinypic.com/2dweo05.jpg
Wasn't Tyra Banks' outfit a bit Mrs. O-ish?
At least from her top half.
Alsace - Thanks so much for the compliment. I hadn't really thought consciously about this as a teachable moment, but I guess you're right. We've got the first black couple in the White House. They are both gorgeous outside and fabulous inside, and most of the country is smitten with them. What a great opportunity!
About the necklace - I had to ask Google to define Bougie (smile), so I may have a notion what you mean by that...Bourgeois?
I think Michelle is a very "girly girl", and she likes flowery, round pins and such. This necklace seems very much to her taste. I find it interesting because it takes very traditional elements like pearls and circles, and then adds elements which are not usually seen with pearls -- tiny beads, asymmetry, jewels, that bright flower that may have a background of shiny sequins or some such. Within Michelle's tastes, I thought it was bold. And I'm fascinated by it's construction.
I think I know the kind of more edgy jewelry you would like to see her wear -- metal pieces that might be more angular (like Calder's mobiles and abstracts) -- the kind of things I drool over at Art Fairs and Art Galleries, but cannot afford to buy; the pieces I envy on other women. I find the mixing of metals, shapes and finishes very exciting. But, that doesn't seem to be what Michelle likes.
It's good to meet you. I feel so rich having met so many wonderful women here in such an honest way in the last few days. There have been incredibly well-written, insightful comments by some amazing, accomplished women here. What wonderful richness for us all!
Thank you to all who dared move toward greater discloser and honesty. I think that with continued respect, we could enjoy a wonderful depth, using fashion as a jumping-off place, but going much deeper and broader than that.
I'm looking forward to it.
Mrs. A, why would you use words like "mayhem" and "cat fight" when you admit that you haven't read the comments yet? I'm the first to get disgusted over the rude, catty threads, but I didn't see that yesterday. I found it actually one of the most interesting discussion days we've had. Perhaps it's best to read first, then comment.
@ willow: Yes, if I can speak for her, Alsace meant bourgeois. "Bougie" is common slang in the AA community for people who put on airs, act better than and promote conspicuous consumption.
@Alsace--While I understand and can appreciate that the necklace is not your taste, I certainly would not characterize it as "bougie". Bougie in this case would have been dripping with oversized diamonds or something that screamed Tiffany & Co or whoever the high end jeweler of choice is (I have no idea!). The necklace, to my untrained eye, looked like an extremely well made piece of costume jewelry, not a piece worthy of a Links or Girlfriends soiree!
Good Morning,
I missed some interesting discussion over the weekend. I, too, have close AA friends, and I made great connections with several men and women of color while working in Barack's campaign. I also have had "teachable moments" while working with students of all races and I have been humbled by how limited my life experience is in the grand scheme of what makes this world go round.
Rachel, Iris, Christina and other posters all gave me food for thought, and I learned from what you all wrote. The only point I have to add is I see Barack and Michelle as remarkable people who are healers. Race and religion are two constructs that carry life experiences that we may not share. Barack's voice of reason, his eloquence, and his compassion towards people who came from all backgrounds and circumstances sparked a mind set that steadily grew among those who united on his behalf.
I like to think that this mostly civil and open discussion that has evolved over Willow's interest in the thoughts and feelings of women and men of color is possible in part because the President and First Lady are helping all of us by modeling diplomacy in relationships, whether they are with world leaders or with fellow bloggers.
It's a minefield out there. I remember every day that a significant portion of the voters in this country did not vote for Barack, and I know that of those voters, an unfortunate number of them withheld their vote because Barack is not white. I hold the Obamas in my heart every day, because there are way too many people who seethe at the thought that Wanda Sykes and the President could engage in social and political satire on a national stage.
Race has been a divider of people in this country. My fervent hope is more people will see the President as a person who by his daily actions proves that he is the same person in public as he is privately: good hearted, intelligent, self-confident, compassionate, reasonable, fair, a good listener, and realistic.
The President and Mrs. Obama's calm demeanors, their ability to have respect for those whose opinions differ drastically from theirs, and their dignity seep through the consciousness of this country. It feels like a cleansing that we desperately need as a nation and as individuals.
Funny, I'd never have pegged Leah D as Italian! And by the way, Italians are considered white and never "other" or "in-between" as leah would have us believe-
Even funnier then the idea that she feels completely entitled and has the temerity to school black folks who consider Michelle THE role model, on all "the other black role models that came before her."
Leah D really does presume to know how blacks feel because she "grew up paying attention to Sidney Poitier, Sammy Davis, Cicely Tyson, Aretha Franklin, Dorothy Dandridge" etc.
How very silly, insulting & arrogant!
Leah D is either not being honest about something or she really has a nerve-
I really like how this dress looks on Michelle---the color, the necklace, etc. I would prefer this particular dress in a shorter length however. That is just me. I recognize that Michelle does not have a perfect model figure--but then, neither do most people. I think she looks great in this dress.
@ Camille: I don't think Leah D was being insulting. I think she was expressing her honest opinion. And I think those are the best occasions to try and share with each other.
I know it's uncomfortable for some, as they made it clear in this thread. And as I said in the beginning, maybe this isn't the right venue...but then I think to myself, what IS the right venue? The right venue is when people of good hearts and good minds try to come together and listen to each other.
I remember, during the campaign, hearing a radio story about white volunteers for Barack working in Pennsylvania, and having to confront the overt and covert racism of their white friends and neighbors every time they went out canvassing for him...
Race is out there. It's a real thing. It's not merely an notion of skin color that can be dismissed or ignored if you'd rather not talk about it. It's complicated and thorny and sometimes it seems like we take one step forward and two back. But if those good people of Pennsylvania managed to get past their own discomfort at having to talk about this topic because they supported Barack, surely we can handle a peaceful discussion in between comments about jewelry and dresses. It's not as if there's been a lack of discussion about the dress and the jewelry here.
But to that point -- @Alsace, I'll admit that I don't have much of an idea of the kind of jewelry pieces you're talking about it. I'd love to see some links to some examples, if you have the time to share them.
Beautifully put Bevi.
I will add only that I think Mrs O looked FABulous at the dinner - not least for her irrepressible laughter.
Dear Willow, I strongly suspect the necklace is Erickson Beamon but am waiting on confirmation one way or another. Will keep you posted!
The above post is right. This dress is too tight on her. If you know you going to eat dinner, you should wear a dress that gives you a little bit more wiggle room. Plus I think the speeches were before dinner, so we can't blame the fit on the food. I don't like the necklace, it looks costumy against the classic lines of the dress. Do you know that ting about "taking one piece of accessory off before you leave the house"? She most definitelty can benefit from it because sometimes she seems to try too hard to be original and whimsical.
Darn it -- I was thinking Erickson Beamon, didn't say it, and now I won't get credit if that turns out to be right. (I live for credit)
@Christina - My son spent his fall weekends in central Pennsylvania, where he was assigned to canvass by the Obama campaign. He canvassed in neighborhoods where residents sat on their front porches, cleaning arrowheads and guns, and aiming them at my son while he tried to engage in discussion. He said it happened often enough so as to feel like a strategy of intimidation.
He did feel afraid and intimidated, but he stayed on message and shored up his courage to try to open up discussions with the residents of that area. Many people would not speak to him, or said awful things, but my son did not feel his time was wasted or poorly spent.
Some people will not change, and prejudice might not be eradicated in those who hold to it steadfastly. But as Atticus Finch told his daughter Scout in one of the best novels of our lifetime, To Kill a Mockingbird, we never really know someone until we have walked in their shoes. My son walked in those people's shoes, and when he left the neighborhoods he did not feel hatred or disdain. He felt he experienced their anger firsthand. But he and millions of others kept on working for Barack and what he stands for.
The hate is out there, but it does not mean that we don't try to move forward, and you are right, what venue is the right place for this discussion?
With a new week and new fashion we'll have plenty to discuss, but this weekend blogging felt very fruitful.
OOO How annoying!! Wake up another morning to catch up, what do I see again? The same tired arguments about race that never ends. White, black and others are looking to explain their own mindset, which is all good, we ought to have an honest conversation about race but ladies and Gentlemen, not here...Let Mrs T open up a post about race. but this is not it.
I Think there are people like me when they look at the Obamas, they see succesful human beings that worked their way up to the most powerful. And that alone makes us curious and interested. Of course we know they're black,ITS OBVIOUS but to be obsessed about it to the point where the first qualification of the obamas is being black is ridiculous...
Anyway, I wish Mrs O will save my day and have a public event today, so we can open up a fresh series of conversations (if not at least I won't have no excuses to concentrate on my finals)
@ Ms. G
I scanned the comments before I posted my comment about the "mayhem" and "catfight." I didn't just make it up. Turns out I was right. Have a nice day!
Mimi,
Who said their being Black was the first qualification? It is a description and it shaped their world view. Why is that not important to mention? People are eager to talk about their time at Harvard, the fact that they are both lawyers. Well, I would venture to guess that they ahve both been black longer than they have been Harvard Alum or longer than they have been lawyers!
Looks like you will have to wait at least 1 more day for the convo to be on another outfit. I do not think MrsO has any public appearances today, but tomorrow the WH is hosting a Poetry Slam in the East Room. THat should be a great opportunity for MrsO to wear something interesting, edgy and funky. Cannot wait!
OO Brook, unfortunately I'll have to wait until tomorrow.
"Well, I would venture to guess that they ahve both been black longer than they have been Harvard Alum or longer than they have been lawyers! "
Brook, it's like talking about Hillary and referring to her as a "white woman"..It doesn't happen often, does it?
I love coming to this site just to see the First Lady's fashions and read some of the comments which are usually positive (I love when women uplift, rather than tear down, each other). I usually just read some comments then slip off to another site without leaving any comment(s) of my own.
I simply couldn't leave today without saying the following:
Ms. G, I appreciate and commend you on your open-mindedness and the ability to embrace, rather than shy away from, an unfamiliar point of view.
To my AA sisters whose comments were so eloquently and wonderfully written -- Brook, Anon, That Other Mimi, Dee, Christina, Mara, and Glammie: Thank you for putting into words exactly what I was thinking but sometimes get so tired of trying to explain. To each of you I say Brava, Brava, Brava!!
And, Glammie, girl, you have got a way with words- I love it!
Mimi, it's unfair for you to characterize a conversation you don't wish to have as "tired," just because it's not what you'd prefer to talk about or read. I've been told a million and a half times by people that if I don't like what someone else says here, I should skip it. I'm trying to put that suggestion into practice.
I am sure that if Mrs. T wanted to stop such conversations, she would say so. Do you really think we didn't talk ENOUGH about the dress and the necklace? Instead of saying what we *shouldn't* talk about, why don't you just add what you DO want to talk about? I am positive that someone will respond -- I would. But after people said all they wanted about the dress, the necklace, the jokes, the other people at the event...the conversation just drifted to other topics. It happens when you get a large group of people together. I don't see why race has to be segregated to a specific thread on this board any more here than segregation is allowed in the real world.
I know you find it annoying, that's clear. But it really has been mostly positive.
I'm not sure what you mean by "obsessed about it to the point where the first qualification of the obamas is being black" and I'd love to ask you to expand a little bit on that. But I don't want you to talk about what makes you uncomfortable.
I am sorry for causing bad feelings first thing on a Monday. I missed out on the discussion over the weekend and felt inspired to contribute a few thoughts that I had mulled over in response to all the feedback. I was really surprised that people allowed the conversation to be so expansive and extended over the weekend b/c there are many people on this blog who just want to stick to fashion and style.
Thanks for letting me stick in my 2 cents.
I hesitate to even respond to this...but I think the point that Mimi was making, and which I also made yesterday, is that it's not really the place to discuss race EVEN if these conversations have value. And some of the comments on that particular tangent have been really thoughtful and smart (Particularly Christina's, Alsace and others).
Is there ANY resolution between the "This is a FASHION blog!" and the "But I have XYZ observation about race!"? I don't know. And actually, I think people should get to discuss WHATEVER it is about Michelle Obama that they find interesting. It's a free country and you guys can do what you want! But still, since the focus of this blog is fashion and style, then we should really try to keep the focus there, even though tangents are inevitable.
At the risk of being scolded by Audrey, I want to add my 2 cents about the "race" conversation. It's funny, I can't seem to wrap my head around this topic as being discussed above and be as upset about it as some posters seem to be. I strongly identify with some aspects of Mrs. O (youngish AA woman, ivy league, life/family balance, etc.) While I am aware of the influence of race in our society, I do not let it dictate my choices and how I live my life. I embrace the positives and do my darndest to clarify the negatives one explanation at a time. I do not know what drives Mrs. O, but she seems to approach this issue as I and many others have, excpet at a much higher level. Certain aspects of the African American experience and culture are still very much foreign to the bulk of "mainstream America;" they do not fully understand that it goes much deeper and is more complex than the alternative "realities" portrayed on TV, magazines, ect. Having Black friends alone does not mean that one understands or have "transcended" the race issue. We should take the time to understand each other, to explore the history, culture, traditions that make AAs unique and vibrant; and AAs should be open to sharing that culture as well, without always being on the defensive about past hurt. The goal should not be to transcend race and be color blind; it should be to explore race and embrace its defining characteristics and use it enrich our "human" lives. That is what President and Mrs. O have done so well thus far and why it is so amazing to have them and their family in the White House.
"Follow the fashions of Mrs O: What and Who she's wearing."
Oh I thought I was on the wrong site for a moment.