The Belt of the Season?
Monday, June 29, 2009 at 5:00 PM 
Photo by Mandel Ngan / Getty Images
First Lady Mrs. O spoke at Unity Health Care's Upper Cardozo Center in Washington this afternoon. She was at the center to announce $850 million in Recovery Act grants to upgrade and expand community health centers across the country. To read the first lady's full remarks, click here.
For the event, Mrs. O wore a stone colored, belle sleeved jacket, paired with a wide, silver Givenchy belt and black trousers. A stack of beaded and tassled braclets finished the look. Mrs. O last wore her silver Givenchy belt for a D-Day event in France - might it be Mrs. O's belt of the season?
Mrs. O wore the same ensemble to attend the White House reception for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month later in the day.
Reader Comments (124)
Christina - Thanks for providing the right description for this jacket-- kimona-style. I really like it.
In my 60 years of life, I have lived in 24 countries. My father was a missionary doctor and my late husband was a missionary doctor. You learn very quickly that what offends in one culture is the norm in another. You learn very quickly to appreciate differences and emphasize commonalities. You learn to judge people by the content of their character and not the color of their eyes (or skin).
I think that Michelle Obama is beautiful. I love her high cheekbones and her beautiful smile. My brother loves her crooked teeth and thinks that she has the greatest pair of legs he has ever seen, "bow legs" he says, prized in many cultures.
I recently started reading the "Audacity of Hope" where the President describes his wife this way. "She is also very beautiful, although not in a way that men find intimidating or women find off-putting; it is the lived-in beauty of the mother and the busy professional rather than the touched-up image we see on the cover of glossy magazines". In the Acknowledgments, he states that "with each passing day, I understand more fully just how lucky I am to have Michelle in my life, and can only hope that my boundless love for her offers some consolation for my constant preoccupations".
I will never get to meet Michelle Obama and get to know her personally but I do admire her from afar. What I can gather is that she is a genuine person and that what we see in the media is what she is. I am satisfied with her the way she is. I think that her young children say a lot about her also. They seem well behaved and well adjusted to their new station in life. Did anyone catch the President's comment recently that he might not have run if they had been older?!?!
As I understand it, this is a fashion blog and we are free to like or dislike what she wears. Like me, she is not a traditional dresser. I like that. I loved her Wantanabe sweaters and next week I will try to visit the Isabel Toledo exhibit at FIT to see her inaugural dress, which I absolutely loved. To criticize her smile, her wide hips, her high waist or any other part of her anatomy is the exercise of free speech, in this country, but absolutely futile, it won't change anything, It won't eradicate world hunger or bring Michael Jackson back.
All of this said, I ain't crazy about her latest jacket, I am neutral towards the belt but I loved her mumu.
Peace......
FASHION DISASTER
I don't mind when people say they dont like an outfit. But when people suggest that Mrs. O needs a stylist over one or two outfits when most of the time she is on point....it really gets my goat. It makes it seem as if this grown professional woman just jumped off the turnip truck. As if she is so dumb that she cant dress herself. It seems condescending and I as a woman would never suggest that another professional woman should dress to please ME. I guess Mrs. O could throw herself at the mercy of some stylist...and she will look perfect wearing a Jackie O sheath dress for each day of the weak along with an appropriate blazer...but perfect and the cult of perfection is BORING. I like that this woman experiments...sometimes it works, sometimes it does'nt but it is never boring. I guess she could wear safe and boring black sheath dresses but thats not what fashion is about...its about fun and personal style.
The other jenna - Thanks for sharing some of your multi-cultural background with us, as well as your lovely description of Michelle and her loving husband.
Michael Jackson's death is an incredible tragedy. He left way too soon -- for his children -- for his family -- for all of us.
Julia, that is how those types of belts are to be worn...NOT thru belt loops! LOL
All the criticism re her belts is silly. If we know anything about fashion we know that the belt is one of the biggest spot on trends right now...and the way MO wears them is point perfect. They are MEANT to be worn the way she wears them.
Check out any fashion mag & you'll see.
Love her bracelets too! So young & fresh.
I love MJ too; you never know how much you would miss someone until they're gone!
the other jenna,
I really enjoyed your post. Thanks for sharing! It's so nice to come here and enjoy wonderful, positive stories. Sounds like you are living an amazing journey.
Willow,
Very sad about Michael Jackson. I think they should lay the poor guy to rest and quit making a circus of it all. He was an amazing, gifted entertainer/performer.
Happy 4th of July!!!
Thanks, Leah. I have Flashblock on (it gives me a headache when ads hop all around), so I didn't even see the registration panel until you told me where to look.
Mrs O does it again. Love the jacket, love the belt and especially love the bracelets. Find similar styles in-store @ Frockaholics http://www.frockaholics.com/main.php?mod=Shop&file=By_Designer&id=40
This is completely unrelated to this article but something I think needs to happen. Since Lady O is THE fashion icon in Washington, wouldn't it be nice if she wore a classy hat to some event or to church. Can we start a petition to get First Lady to wear a hat.
@teachrqs - I, respectfully, couldn't disagree with you more. I don't even know what I'd think if she showed up somewhere in a hat - even to church. It just doesn't seem like her style.
Mrs. O returning from Camp David this afternoon! http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/88819062/AFP
I personally do not like the high belt look. Its make your waist look large and short waisted.
She should flat out dis the belts. They make her waistline look like it's as high as her ribcage. They choke her. She looks uncomfortable. She needs to get Calvin Klein to do some pieces. He knows a thing or two about casual, easy breezy elegance that's not broken up by harsh horizontals.
Another photo of return from Camp David, Mrs O has to have her pop of color.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/photos/8/83dba172-857d-445a-b5d6-dffdc658e88b.html?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Here's some video footage of their return today from Camp David before the WH fireworks tonight:
http://necn.com/Boston/Politics/2009/07/04/Obamas-return-for-White-House/1246734957.html
Janelle, thanks for posting the video. I feel torn watching this type of footage. On one hand, I just love seeing them, but on the other hand, I feel like a voyeur or like I'm intruding on their private lives. And I know they struggle to maintain some semblance of privacy. Oh well. Comes with the job I guess.
I did not know that an ambulance is part of the Presidential travel "caravan." I guess that makes sense. Hope they never need to use it.
Mrs. O looks really laid back in a black and white dress (black top, white bottom) for the WH cookout and fireworks viewing, this evening. I hope there are pictures soon. Her hair is slicked back...no doubt she's resting it for the upcoming week of public outings abroad. The girls were all in white, and looking cute and restless as ever! I doubt they'll come out for the next part, but here's the link for the event: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/
Terrific outfit and radiant smile :) love
I love belts worn on the natural waist not holding up the breasts. Ms. O looks short waisted, which make these wide belts look like bustiers. Love the jacket an the belt, just not together.
I realize that this is a style blog. But I still have to say that the belts are clearly a part of her signature style. Some women do bangles, some women do great bags, some women always have on a great piece of jewelry. Our FLOTUS loves belts.
Because this is a style blog, I feel that perhaps we need to accept the fact that she has chosen to love and embrace belts. I am not saying we have to like it, but I am saying we should move on! I would love her to wear high heels, but if EVERY post was about her wearing high heels, it would get old, would it not?
I would much prefer to talk about the style and cut of the jacket! We haven't seen a first lady rock anything that modern in a long, long time. Nancy Reagan was arguably the most fashionable first lady since Jackie O. Now we have Mrs. Obama and she is bringing a whole new sense of style. We haven't had little kids in the White House either! I just think it is a great time all around and there are so many other things to talk about, other than her belts. Which are not going anywhere! Clearly!
I have to say that I am loving this belt and jacket combo! One of my fave looks on her to date!
I just watched the clip of the President being interrupted by a ringtone - I laughed myself silly. I'm so sorry other people didn't look at that, or if they did, didn't comment. Ohhh, that was good!
anne - I'm sorry, I missed the Queen asking for more money. I hope she got laughed out of the room seeing as she owns I don't know how many estates. She only started paying tax on her income relatively recently due to pressure from the public so I think it's time to batten down the hatches. Asking for more money? For goodness sake. SELL A NECKLACE!
Um, I came on to say that I was a little sorry to see that only one event got mentioned for this outfit. it was in fact worn also for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender reception as well as the school event. It would have been nice for that event to be acknowledged as well.