Thursday
Jan212010
A Zag of Button Detail
Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 6:47 PM 
Image by Jim Young / Reuters
First Lady Mrs. O was greeted with a warm welcome as she arrived to speak to employees at the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. today. For the event, Mrs. O wore a gray sheath dress with three-quarter length sleeves, featuring a row of buttons that create a diagonal empire waist line. Quite inventive!
Update: Reader JW writes: "This is Alexander McQueen, Fall-Winter 2008-09. He did this dress in black as well as grey." I've confirmed that, indeed, this dress is Alexander McQueen from the "last season prefall collection."
tagged Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen
Reader Comments (66)
Yum. I LOVE that detail. How cool is that design??
I love this dress! Mrs. O looks smashing. What a smart design -- this is one of my favorites.
Fierceness. Unadulterated fierceness. Very architectural and very Chicago. From the slanted bob to the asymmetrical buttons to the gray menswear fabric. Just fierce.
I'd like to see her in something like this for the State of the Union.
Anyone else noticing an asymmetrical trend for FLOTUS lately?
This outfit is FIERCE even in this half pic. I don't even know what the bottom looks like but I know it looks good. It reminds me of rhe gray origami dress she wore right before the stae dinner.
hadn't seen that cute hair cut before! she looks smashing!
This is a great look on Mrs. O. The buttons at an angle make the dress interesting.
Drool, I love this dress!! and as always Michelle's hair is flawless!
I notice how the arms of this dress fit her--just perfect. The 3/4 length sleeve is most always flattering on most women but she really nails it--she looks strong, fit. I have to see the rest of this dress! I burst with pride that she is our FLOTUS---class--all the way.
LOVE! I want it
Now this is one amazing dress, and as always she wears it with such elegance!
The neckline, the diagonal empire waist, the sleeves most of all the fabric....FLOTUS...has me drooling..so yummy!
LOVE HER DRESS AND OF COUSE I LOVE HER NEW CUT SHE LOOKED GREAT I HOPE SHE KEEP IT UP NEXT THING YOU KNOW SHE BE BACK WITH A BUN AGIAN I DONT THINK SHE CAN MAKE A BUN RIGHT NOW BECOUSE HER HER IS A LITTLE SHORT MAYBE THE SUMMERTIME. WE ALL BE SEEING THAT BUN AGIAN. LOVE HER SHOES TO.
WOW! Mrs. O has looked great all this week, but this one is outstanding! Could the designer be the same one who did the purple tweed from the Red Cross appearance?
Love, love love this dress with this hair. Mrs. O is a modern first lady in every sense.
She makes 46 look so good! I am really loving the look and the new cut too. Keep doing it Mrs. O!
The detailing on this dress is awesome. This has all the elements of the type of dress that FLOTUS wears so well. Tracy commented on the architectural feel of the dress and I could not agree more...it does remind you of Chicago. Well done!
This dress is real YUMMY!!! Loves the butttons.
I really, really like this dress! I want one, too!
So chic and stylish! I love it, another 1 or should I say 10 for Mrs. O!
One of her best looks yet. Love the neckline, the soft dove gray......she really looks great. I've said before how well I think she wears 3/4 length sleeves. She just looks fierce! I am dying to see the whole dress! I have yet to find a full-length photo of the black cap-sleeved Moschino she wore the other night. Dang!
Faboush!
This is one fabulous dress....the button detailing is quite inventive. I am liking the color grey and 3/4 sleeves more and more within my own wardrobe, so I am guessing that I might be on the right track. Wish we could see a longer pic. Does anyone know who designed this dress?
is this a jil sander dress? and yes, who DID design the purple tweed? love the new hair, tho i agree in hoping she can still do the updo which is a fav
Michelle has stepped into her new life and new role like she was born to do it.
Looks fresh.
She looks like a modern working woman!
Man, that is an awesome dress - she definitely keeps herself in shape. You can't have flabby arms, rocking sleeve like those. I'd love to see the entire ensemble.
I too like Mrs. O in three-quarter length sleeves. But then I have always liked me in three-quarter length sleeves! A stylist once told me that it's a flattering sleeve length for most women and subtracts 10 pounds from their look. I only ever heard that once so don't know if it's true. And I'm certainly not implying our gorgeous Mrs. O needs to shed 10 pounds but maybe a helpful tip for the rest of us!
Nice fit but the color doesn't enhance her nice complexion at all.
One word: Hot!!!!!!!!!
Like this - the bateau neckline looks great on her, and the diagonal detailing is interesting and flattering. This is one of the few things she wears that I think *I* could wear. She's got a better figure for her style than I have :-)
AND FOR EMPHASIS..
Create a dress with a diagonal line that gives the illusion of movement and a small waist.
Mission accomplished!
Tall and confident, Mrs.O is rocking this dress. She is aware of her best assets and smartly accentuates them with this style. Not only do the buttons on the dress create interest, but they add an air of excitement and move your eyes from "all the way down here, to all the way to up there"!
I hope we get to see an image of it from the back - curved chic!
Dear All, Apologies for being a bit quiet this week -- things have just been nuts! And for the life of me, I can't sort out who is responsible for this dress, or the purple tweed number worn earlier this week. I've gone to my regular sources. I wondering, as someone suggested above, if there might be a new designer in the mix? Have a great Friday everyone! Mary T.
@C.Terra: I have got to disagree with you. I think Mrs. Obama's complexion looks great in this dress. But you have every right to express your opinion. I wish I could wear more gray but it washes me out. I could wear it when I was younger. There aren't many colors the FLOTUS doesn't wear well, to be honest.
@Mrs. T - hope everything is ok. Do I sense some stress? Hang in there. Thanks for this site. It's a happy respite from my busy work day. I have tried to find additional photos and info about the purple tweed, the black Moschino and this dress, to no avail. Maybe someone will have some luck doing that today. Back to work now.....(sigh!)
She is the queen of the diagonal detail, the button detail, the flawless detail. I love this dress. But I still don't understand how she wears virtually every color beautifully. I like her better in brighter shades, but she wears this grey well.
Michelle is stunning with every color she wears. It's so refreshing to observe a woman with so much joy and courage!
I think this and the purple tweed dress could very well be result of new designers. And it they are, I'm liking it.
In the words of Stevie Wonder, "Isn't she lovely!"
Oh wow...were the first words that came to mind. Fly...was the next word. Get it Mrs. O. You are making 46, the new 36.
Mrs. T, I got my money on Pinto. Either this or the tweed or both is her creation. Her, Toldeo, Wu, and Kors are the designers that really do her well. Out of those, this has a Pinto feel.
I want this dress. She wears it flawlessly, and her great attitude shines through.
That diagonal detailing is the cat's meow.
Sha-ZAM! Can't remember a politician's spouse (except Bill and Hillary) ever being able to produce such energy though a simple picture. She's on fire, and the dress and entire look is fab.
FLOTUS is killing me! Thank God I am a dressmaker! She is so inspirational to me. One killer look after another. I received your book for Christmas, Mrs. T! I love it.
She doesnt wear much gray--and it looks great on her. My favorite color this year.
I love this site - thank you for spending your time posting pictures and comments about Mrs. Obama. I admire her confidence and fierce style. Not many of us could so consistently radiate such energy and happiness.
P.S. Perhaps a reminder to post in lower script, not "Capital" letters, as it is a more accepted way of leaving comments. Capitals are usually read as the equivalent of shouting. Guess I can't escape my grammatical roots.
She just looks plain hot in this. The hair is great. I mean, this woman just has "IT"! So proud that she is our First Lady.
I love the gray dress but think that Mrs. O needs some proper under-pinnings. I have had this thought before but no longer remember the outfit that she was wearing. There is a reason why some stores still refer to this as 'foundation' . . .
This dress reminds me of the one Jackie Kennedy used to wear. Pull out your book "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years" and turn to page 48 - Givenchy slate gray wool jersey. It looks like we have a ringer - and a winner at that.
EVERYONE, PLS VISIT THIS SITE - ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS PICTURES OF
MRS. O'S RECENT EVENTS IN PAST 2 WKS AND MORE - G R E A T - YOU'LL LOVE
EM TRUST ME. Great close up pictures with POTUS, shows her hair style beautifully,
make up, shoes THIS IS THE MRS. O we love. Take a look and questions answered IMO.
I just decided to look for more pics on the purple tweed dress and clicked on that site.
MRS. T, no worries mate, we can wait. No rush.
http://politicsandstyle.blogpost.com
I love that she wore this with knee high boots. That is so modern and so Vogue. The predictable thing to do is wear a nice heel, and that would have been great in itself. But the fact that she decided to go with a boot to me just emphasizes the modernity of this dress and her style as of late.
She's so PHINE!