Sunday
Aug232009
Arriving in Style
Sunday, August 23, 2009 at 4:37 PM 
Photo by Jewel Samad / Getty Images
The O's much anticipated week of vacation in Martha's Vineyard is finally here. The first family was looking perfectly island chic as they landed at Cape Cod Coast Guard Station this afternoon. Mrs. O is rewearing a striped Sophie Theallet dress, last seen during the Os trip to Ghana, paired with her signature metallic ballet flats.
Have a good vacation Os!
tagged Sophie Theallet
Sophie Theallet
Reader Comments (64)
the Obama's look so relaxed
i hope they have a wonderful time
She looks great, and Malia looks more like her sister every day. That child is so tall!
I know I will eat these words, because I get antsy with no news and pictures of them so we can chat about the clothes, but there is a part of me that wishes they could just disappear for the next week or so and completely leave the press and everything else behind. They so deserve a real vacation away from prying eyes - like mine!
Safe travels, Os!
Malia looks so grown-up, and Sasha looks charming. Mrs. O, perfect as always. What a lovely family. I hope they get plenty of rest and peaceful family time, because we need our president to come back with a clear and determined head and heart.
I agree OpFan -
It would be nice for the family to get a rest from the press - but it isn't going to happen.
It's great to have a go-to dress like this for warm weather. They all look great!
Date night! Date night! Date night! Date night! Date night! Date night!
What will she wear for date night! Cuz, y'know, THEY ARE HAVING ONE!!
*swoooooon*
The "girls" all look lovely!! I wish the President would just wear chinos and a golf shirt...it is good geeky to wear a long sleeved shirt and dress pants. Forget the critics.
the Obama's look relaxed
i hope they have a wonderful vacation
Just enjoy yourselves you all look beautiful and it will be wonderful to spend time in a relaxing environment together! Do not think about the HealthCare for when you come back everything will be fine and appropriately in place! Those who are sincerely having reservation will be directed to have civil dialogues and come to resolutions to know the country needs Universal Health Care and they will keep control of their own choices. And thsoe who are causing adversity will realize we are awake and watching and will pour knowledge to create more awareness and power to the people for this too come to pass and America takes on the path of self healing and excelling in a united more healthy, balanced and mature way to become example of the world!
Great description of the utility of the dress, Bevi. It is a perfect "go-to dress." They do seem very relaxed. I wonder who of their crew is going with them, like Valerie, or Reggie Love, or his sister, or his Chicago crew.
Also, Mrs. O's back is just as fit as ever.
They're already looking more relaxed, aren't they?
Nice Yahoo pix from Andrews Air Force Base, today. Mrs. O and the base commander's wife are always laughing together. Too cute!
@IVA,
I just finished reading over at msnbc.com that Valerie Jarrett and her daughter rode over on AF1 with them. Valerie owns a house on Martha's Vineyard (Oak Bluffs I believe) so she'll be close by. Also, the President's sister, Maya is there with husband and two daughters, as well as Dr. Eric Whitaker from Chicago.
There's apparently about 10-12 smaller homes on the estate which seems like a lot, but I can see how the homes could get all gobbled up with Secret Service people posted and staying round the clock as well as a lot of White House staff that come too ahead of the President. A lot of times SS stays in a nearby hotel, but they'll be on the property with the First Family this time. It's a big property, but I don't know about really being "private" with a boat load of WH people everywhere. 28 acres is a lot for most of us, but maybe not so much if you have to transport the WH wherever you go. The SS rejected 20 properties before approving Blue Heron Farm. I'm sure it's very self-contained.
P.S. No word on Reggie Love though.
P.S.S. Mrs. O's back makes me want to work out bright and early tomorrow morning!!! Dang she's ripped!
Would love it if Mrs. O could note where the girls' clothes come from!
@Janelle
Thanks for the info, its seems like their regular vaction posse came along for the trip. Reggie probably is off for the week, and Eugene probably is going to step in.
Thanks for the 411 Janelle! I love that Maya and her family are with them. She has 2 daughters? Since when?
Malia is looking quite stylish herself! Seems like there should be somewhere (maybe a site for tweens) that follows her outfits :o)
@ IVA,
Maya's other little one was born sometime after the inauguration. Her name is Sevita I think. I saw a picture on getty or yahoo when they were about to board AF1 in Arizona. Maya's husband had her strapped to the front of his body as they were walking. Suhalia was there too. It was a cute picture.
Also, since we may not see much of the Obamas this week (though I think the Prez at least will get restless after about 3 or 4 days), here's a couple of videos I ran across about their arrival that just put a smile on my face:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHSVpnwzeEw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcGUgPKfq6k&feature=channel
How cute that his sister has 2 girls now too! Times like this I bet they wish their mom and grandmom were alive to enjoy the extension of the family.
Janelle, those videos were adorable. Just watching made me excited for the people who got to see the motorcade. I know he wants this to be private, but I think he's going to venture out amongst the peeps. The welcome mat has really been laid out for him, so I think he has to make an appearance somewhere and spread his Obama vibes. And how funny was the black woman from the second video? She was so giddy she almost got hit by a cop on a bike!
Videos of them leaving and arriving at MV!
http://www.realitychex.com/
I IMMEDIATELY saw the dress and recognized it from Ghana, I still love it and someone needs to knock that off with a quickness! LOL! But I have been on the hunt for a similar dress or at least skirt. But look at that back!!! I need to get on my game to look like that!! But the girls look so cute and grown with there big bags and flats like mama, especially Malia. Even though they're on vaca I will still be stopping in to see if there are any new pics and re-reading old entries...
The White House has asked the press to leave the girls alone this vacation and just let them be. Amen.
Wow, this is a great photo. So much love.
how tall is malia? she is only 11?!
Mrs T: In the current New York magazine, the Fall Fashion Issue, there is a belts feature. In the opening spread, here, Mrs. Obama is wearing a light pink dress and coat. She looks gorgeous. I don't remember seeing this. Just curious about the details; was it on the site:
http://nymag.com/fashion/09/fall/58327/
Whoops, my mistake. That ensemble isn't pink; though it does have a pink cast in the magazine. It's the white outfit she wore to commemorate D-Day with Carla Bruni in Caen, France. Apologies!
MO looks great in this dress. I liked it in Ghana too. She wears dresses so well, comfortable and easy. I think I have the same white jeans Malia has on. (Gap?)
Janelle,
THANK YOU for the heads up regarding the photo of Obama's sisterMaya's family.
I've been wondering about Maya's new baby. I read awhile back that she had a new baby but at that time that was all the info that I could find.
I found the link:
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/89843309/AFP
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/89843159/AFP
Maya Soetoro-Ng, a sister of US President Barack Obama, and her husband Konrad Ng with their children Suhalia (2nd R) and Sevita (L) walk on the tarmac at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland
check out these pictures of nancy! she seemed so much fun! and here smile was incredible
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/photographs/large/c31038-2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/photographs/mrs.html&usg=__Tab3sKF_mZbXOhaw66jNSbeqUvQ=&h=500&w=750&sz=74&hl=en&start=20&sig2=XZHfvXlz_J0BTivNEtXebA&um=1&tbnid=brDZ6S7mldgNZM:&tbnh=94&tbnw=141&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djohn%2Bgavin%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1C1GGLS_enUS321US321%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=yzOSSr_jPI2CsgOyjs0G
Amen, RoseProphecy. May they be well and have peace. What a beautiful family. I too straddle the fence in wanting to see pictures of them and giving them their privacy.
Thank you for the links Janelle and Leah D. Lovely. I too have been itching to see Maya's new baby. I didn't think she was expecting at the inauguration, but now it makes sense. She was super emotional and kept sobbing.
Indeed a very handsome family.
I agree. This is a "go-to dress." It fits and moves well. We will, undoubtedly, see this dress again. Under a cardigan, perhaps?
I have to agree, Barbara. Mr. President would look great in what we here in the NW call khakis and a polo shirt. Maybe it would help him relax a bit more easily.
I wonder what Sasha keeps in that back she always seems to have with her? I think it's her blankie, and if so....CUTE!!!!!
A blankie? Goodness. That's quite an assumption. What happened to schoolbooks, stuff to do on the flight - book to read, something to write in, puzzles, a game, a cardigan, a drink. The usual stuff that children take with them when travelling?
BACK TO BASICS - X marks the spot
Not only do you see a superb set of back/ shoulder muscles on Mrs.O, but she's got a tan! Good grief!!! And Ms.Thang - Sasha is looking so adorable in her white dress. These two are always hugging and clowning around. And I don't think Sasha has any books in that bag (ok perhaps just one) but it's more like:- ipod - check, laptop - check, video games - check, colouring book - check, ugly dolls - check and oh yes, some suntan lotion...TRIPLE CHECK!
I hope they have a blast! And here's to date nights uninterrupted.
I like this choice much better than the hiking outfit (shorts). I realize it is 2 entirely different occasions, but I like formality for the First Lady.
Love the dress. And it must be said- nice traps, Mrs. O! The first lady has clearly been doing her rows. So great to have a first lady with a commitment to real fitness!
That is one of my fav dresses of MO's. LOVE Malia's outfit. Navy & white are so fresh & cool. And little Sasha - TOO cute - her sandals are adorable, Oh, & the Prez looks cute too! ;-)
@river rush
Two different ocassions, NO ONE hikes a mountain in a damn dress, get real.
I love the fact that anytime those young girls are in arms reach of their parents, they are holding hands, they have their arms around them. Family values; people talk about family values, this is a family that demonstrates it all the time. These gilrs know that they are loved and the parents also know the girls love them. When was the last time you walked with your child of that age and held their hands, had them put your arms around you.
So no matter what she has on when she is with them; she looks great, because all you see in the picture is "LOVE"
i know this is a fashion website--and i usually enjoy it-- but i think referring to the first family as "Os", as in "happy vacation, Os" is a little too casual. "Mrs. O" is obviously fine, but when she's with the President of the United States perhaps you could be a little more formal. [i apologize for not at the moment coming up with a better suggestion--i'm drawing a blank.] thank you.
Glad someone caught the nice tan Michelle's got going! I don't think we've seen that suit, have we?
Link us, if we have....God Bless this Family!
@EW - the website is called Mrs.O. Would you have that changed as well because it is disrespectful?
The familiarity to which you object arises out of a sense - by most of us - that this is a sisterhood* of fashion fanatics who are following the sartorial moments of a down to earth woman who often talks about the "fun" of fashion. I seriously doubt that Mrs. O, whether she is in the presence of the president or not, would object to the tone of discussion and address that is used here.
* since there are male voices here on occasion - and we love that! - perhaps we should acknowledge a "siblinghood" for them.
I was one who didn't think the shorts outfit was either attractive, flattering or appropriate. Those of us who have spent a lot of time outdoors know that there are various kinds of outfits depending on the situation.
To clear up some misconceptions, there was no hiking involved in going to this lookout point on the rim of the Grand Canyon. If you have a look at the photos you will noticed paved pathways. Even people in wheelchairs have access. And the Obamas were flown in by helicopter to a point near the viewpoint. The temperature high that day was 84 degrees so no blistering heat to contend with.
It is possible that someone gave Mrs. O some wrong information.
What's done is done, but this would have been a great time to show off some more of J. Crew's casual line. Walking shorts, a cute top. Much better. Much more appropriate.
HI Mia,
I've been "real" all my life and my short statement acknowledged the 2 different occasions. If you think short shorts are the only thing available to wear hiking, then maybe you need to get real and get a current fashion magazine.
I have to defend Mrs. T, though I know she can defend herself. This is her "house," and there's not a thing that she's written, ever, that I thought was disrespectful of the O's (yeah I said it).
It'd be interesting to get an age breakdown on shortsgate. I'm sure that this isn't 100 percent true, but I have a feeling that the people who thought the shorts were inappropriate might be older than the folks who thought they were no big. But why are we still talking about a weeks-old outfit, again?
Well Christina, I'd say it's because some people keep bringing it up, just to prolong the agony, to insist on being right about "propriety", and to keep banging the same old tedious drum.
I believe that Mrs T has asked us to move on. However, seeing as Su Jay, Nora and riverrush obviously enjoy the tedium of flogging a dead horse rather than letting go, I expect they'll be analysing every photo of Mrs O for a camel toe for years to come. I hope they're happy.
***
EW, this is Mrs T's blog. She has not yet objected to "Mrs O", "the O's", or "Michelle". If and when she comes out and says that she feels that a particular term is disrespectful and she'd rather not see it on her blog, I will tailor my speech as she requests. Until then I feel that posters are mostly expressing a familiarity and love for the inhabitants of the White House that is endearing. I don't know about you, but if I ever get to meet the First Lady, I want a HUG. I don't want to shake hands and talk about the weather. I think "the O's" is a part of that. It's not disrespectful, it's responding to the openness of the First Family.
I agree that referring to the first family as the O's is informal but not disrespectful, and I also agree that it's Mrs. T's place to set the standards since we are her "guests" here. I personally don't prefer to hear the first lady referred to as Michelle, but that's my old-fashioned upbringing, and I admit it; and I have learned that when that frame of reference is used on this site, it's a signal of our affection and admiration for her, not a failure to recognize her position. I do draw a harder line on how the president is referred to; I don't like to hear people call him Barack, as if he's one of their BFF's, and Mrs. T has never referred to the president in that way either.
Times change and the way we show our respect changes, so what may appear to some to be a lack of respect may actually be just a change of convention. For example, when I was a child and a teenager, I was taught to address adults as "Mr." and "Mrs.," and I was allowed a very few exceptions to that rule for close family friends. Today my friends introduce me to their children by my first name; and although it is a little uncomfortable for me because of my own early training, I don't make an issue of it because I know that my friends are not being disrespectful; they're just showing respect in the way that's currently accepted. When I introduce my grandchildren to adults, I introduce the adult as Mr. Bob or Miss Susan because that seems to me a good compromise. But these are all matters of culture and preference.
I admit that I have a saucy mouth, but I would never call them "Barack" and "Michelle" to their faces. I mean, if I had a chance to meet them, after I picked myself up off the floor, I'm sure I'd be calling them Mr. President and, heck, Mrs. President. I wouldn't say anything to Michelle about her belts, either. We're definitely more casual on this board, I am sure, than we would be IRL (in real life.)
I don't really like to be called my first name by little kids. It's not the way I was brought up. But Miss Christina sounds so strange too! I agree that it is probably the best compromise. Some of my very close friends have their children call me Auntie Christina.
Basically, it all goes back to that saying, "there is a time and a place". I am sure if we all met the Pres and the FL we would have manners and be respectful. I don't care what my friends kids call me as long as they respect me and know that I am the adult. A teenager called my friend ma'am and we were all laughing because it is a new thing and we don't think of ourselves as old enough. As far as me, I say yes ma'am and no ma'am to all people that are significantly older than me. Christina, I don't think I would call you ma'am formally (unless you were my boss or professor or something), but I definitely would always say it to MsG, IRL.
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle go to dinner at the Sweet Life Cafe in Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard August 25, 2009. Photo on yahoo barely captures her back---Mrs O is in white.
there are a few new photos up of Pres and Mrs O on gettyimages.com