A Print with Intrigue
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 12:13 PM 
Image by Win McNamee / Getty Images
First Lady Mrs. O met with 11 students from the London borough of Islington at the White House this morning. The students were rewarded with a trip to the United States sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in London for winning an Islington Black History Month essay competition.
On the fashion front, the first lady wore a sheer, printed blouse with a tie neck and billowing sleeves. I'm curious to know what others see in the print. To me, it reads of an underwater world, populated by jelly fish and bursts of coral.
Also of note is that we've seen this blouse once before, in the very early days of this blog. Mrs. O wore same patterned top for a campaign appearance at the Minneapolis Club in October 2008, below.
Photo used with kind permission from photographer Kim Ellison
Update #1: The blouse appears to be from Alexander McQueen's Spring 2008 collection. Several of the Alexander McQueen pieces we've seen Mrs. O wear in the past originated from this same collection. On the runway, the blouse can be seen here, and a similar version, here. As reader 'parisbreakfast' has noted in the comments, Alexander McQueen was praised for the digitized sea-reptile prints used in his Spring 2010 collection. Perhaps we see an earlier iteration of the print in the blouse above.
What a tremendous, thoughtful gesture by Mrs. O to honor the late designer. Fashion as message is the most inspiring kind.
Update #2: Reader 'CRD in LA' writes: "the print also evokes a signature Liberty of London pattern: Ianthe, created in 1900 at the height of the Art Nouveau movement." Fascinating!
Update #3: Thanks to 'ouapiti' who directed us to the White House photo of the day, below. We can see that Mrs. O paired her Alexander McQueen blouse with a navy pencil skirt and boots.
Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson
Alexander McQueen
Reader Comments (44)
Ya know, I love this blouse. When I first signed on, I was like um no. But, it grew on my. Plus, she is always so raiant and genuine that she makes the clothes.
It's Alexander McQueens last collection don't you think?
His digitized underwater prints..nice
I find her so fascinating that I just love whatever she wears.
She makes me so proud!
I really don't like how she style her hair. Her syle doesn't look good for her face shape. I also don't like her outfit today.
Really cute. And I believe she wore it with a purple pencil skirt. Love the design of the shirt. She really looks great in purple!
I immediately thought "McQueen" when I saw it because it looks like a dress I saw in the (AMAZING) March issue of In Style.
love the print. The runway models look scary though.
Poor Lee. What a nice tribute to him. His line will continue, it was announced on Thursday.
@parisbreakfast, it wasn't his last collection, but you did send me the right direction. What an incredible gesture! I am just amazed over and over again by our first lady!!
I saw her outfit briefly on a video earlier. She looked quite jazzy! Looks like she had on a pencil skirt and some knee high boots...Sexy!
Here is a link to a video that shows Mrs O briefly
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8523087.stm
Doc Shasue, where can I find this video. I'd love to see a brigthter picture of blouse.
The Students were blessed with the opportunity to meet Mrs. O and be in the white house.
They get to witness first hand, that knowledge is power and has endless possibilities. They
can take this unforgettable moment back with them and inspire others. Love her blouse -
very thoughtful.
Lovely gesture by Mrs. O. Quiet acknowledgment of McQueen. I hate speculating on reasons behind why she chooses to wear certain things at certain times, but I think it's safe to assume she was paying her respect to McQueen.
Anyway, this is my kind of blouse. I wear suits almost every day, and I think this suit would look lovely underneath a nice gray suit I have. She gets a thumbs up from me!
Very feminine blouse. Love the versatility of the extra fabric on the cuff. Great gesture.
The print also evokes a signature Liberty of London pattern: "Ianthe," created in 1900 at the height of the Art Nouveau movement. Another thinly-veiled tribute to the Islington students' home country...?
What a lovely blouse to wear out of respect for McQueen and also her guests from London.
Very beautiful blouse. Mrs. O. looked great today.
Thanks Mrs. T for the close-up of the print of this blouse. I love the deatils, it reminds me of some of William Morris' wallpaper. He was a master of unusual prints, color, and design. It fits well that Alexander McQueen would utilize those same sorts of graphic artistry in his work. I like that the blouse is sheer with a camisole underneath, makes it sorta sassy for our FLOTUS. I'm sure this was a really nice experience for the young ones that they'll remember always.
Mrs. O looks great in this bouse. I love the fact that she has really developed her style and confidence over the last couple of years. She's wearing the same blouse from 08' , but she looks like a different woman today. Kudos to our First Lady!
This is a lovely way to honor Lee McQueen.
Thank you, CRD in LA, for that great scoop. This is a great blouse and could be paired with a skirt, suit, pantsuit, or pants. Great!
i LOVE LOVE LOVE that Mrs. O is so thoughtful and so appreciative of the art of fashion to honor McQueen. I love it!!!!
If you click on this link, you can see a great photo of Mrs. O in the same blouse and skirt, during a mentoring event. The sleeves look great! (It's the White House photo of the day)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/february-2010-photo-day-0
Thanks everyone for all of the great builds on this! So much dimension and meaning - I love it!
OMG! Just when I was going to comment on how dynamite that blouse is, I scrolled down some more and saw the books and my heart skipped a beat.
First, before I knew it was Alexander McQueen (God rest his soul), I fell in love with the colors of the blouse and that neck tie. Look how beautiful those different patters and eye soothing colors blend together.
And then the boots! That lady steals my heart every time. Mrs. T. I need to know more about the "bottom" of this ensemble.
10.
CELTIC ECHOES
For someone who has studied graphic design and some art history along the way, this blouse is definitive. The organic shapes also remind me of the circular patterns of leaves, flowers and animals often associated with Celtic mandalas. Heck, you can pull this out 5/ 10 yrs from now and it'll still make a statement!
And that's just the thing about good design, it's timeless. Mrs.O gets 10pts on this for her sensitivity to the culture and traditions of the British and for just being so darn thoughtful in the simplest way!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT...
Here's the video:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/michelle-obama-meets-black-history-month-essay-winners-9877289&tab=9482931§ion=2808950&playlist=2808979&page=1
Great look! Nice nod to McQueen. I agree with o'Coutoure...when I saw the pencil skirt and hot boots, I liked the look even more.
I can't help but notice how Mrs. O has really come into her own. Look at the photo from the campaign trail and then compare it to those taken today. She is thriving in her new role as FLOTUS!
In that video, the First Lady herself said the Governor's Ball is on Sunday!! A new formal gown will be debuted, ladies!
I'm hoping for an asymmetrical neckline. I wanna see something different than the usual strapless.
LOVE HER BLOUSE EVAEV IF SHE WEAR IT BEFORE LOVE HER PENCEL SRIKT AND HER NEW BOOTS THAT EVERBODY SAID THAT SHE SPEAD 500.00 FOR A DOUBT IT IF SHE SPEAD THAT MURCH ON IT IT COULD BE A OLD BOOT THAT SHE NEVER WEAR UNTIL TODAY. LOVE HER HAIR EVERYBODY THINKS IS A WIG BUT AM SURE IS HER REAL HAIR.
Love it!
Also, I was googling a Michelle article for research and saw a a full length pic from the bipartisan meeting Michelle had before the launch of Let's Move.
I automatically assumed she wore the matching red and white skirt like on the campaign trail and was suprised to see pants:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2010-02-09-1Afirstlady09_CV_N.htm
A wonderful choice in so many ways.
I know this is a tad indiscreet because we're dealing with FLOTUS, but I would LOVE to know what she wore underneath that sheer fabric. I have a couple of blouses in chiffon like this, and I struggle with whether to risk looking like a "bad girl" teenager and wearing only a bra, or wearing a cami that completely ruins the ethereal quality of the fabric and adds bulk around my waist and hips. I'm sure she solved the problem perfectly, but how??? Has anyone here solved this pesky dilemma for themselves? Share please!!
@Mica
Thanks for that fabulous shot from USA Today. She looks fab, I just love how she mixes and matches her outfits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfysJg8l9GQ Video from ITN showing her moving around in this ensemble. Looks comfortable but feminine and tough at the same time. @operafanatic: Looks like maybe the FLOTUS is wearing a white camisole-type undergarment under the blouse? Anyone have any thoughts about wearing a black belt with navy? It somehow works here. Were the boots and her hose black, too? Interesting.
I can't stress this enough. Ladies and gents, we should all take a page from her book and shop our closets!
Someone a few threads ago declared that Mrs.O would soon be spotted in McQueen shortly atfer his untimely passing. She delivered.
CRD in LA: Thanks so much for pointing out the similarity between this print and the Liberty of London print, "Ianthe." Thanks also to Mrs. T. for refreshing my memory in regards to the "Ianthe" print. Liberty of London prints are so timeless. I am also reminded of the great William Morris when I look at that beautiful blouse. As I stated earlier, McQueen's designs will live on....in good company.
Operafanatic: Take a look at www.spanx.com. They have some new nude-colored camis that would look great under sheers.
Oh my god she looks great. I'm so glad you showed the picture of its first outing, I was sure I'd seen it before. Love that coral effect, yes, I'd say coral.
LOVE the print. Very sassy and feminine. I love the boots too. Everytime I think I am starting to get used to Michelle Obama's signature looks, BAM!! a great new stylish outfit.
@ operafanatic
I have a black satin camisole that I purchased from Victoria's Secret a couple of years ago. It's like a staple item in my closet! I usually find that a nude vest (satin) instead of white also works well during the day - this one I found @ Macys. The smoothness of the fabric for the undergarment also helps keep the structure of the blouse and not make it seem heavy or lose it's softness - negative bulk here. Good luck with your search though...
I like this posting, the images, the content, and the narrative. And I appreciate the nod to Alexander McQueen!
She is lovely isn't she!! The warm hugs for the kids, the quiet tribute to Lee McQueen and the ever attentive mentor qualities - what a wonderful First lady!!
Thanks to all of you who gave me good ideas about undergarments for my sheer blouses. Now if I can just get my hands on a print as fabulous as the one MO is wearing here!
@canyongal - I think navy and black is just about the world's coolest combination, so I have no problem with it. I am playing around right now with a brown skinny belt (embossed like alligator or some such beast) with black trousers, or even over a black sweater or dress. I think of the belt like a small accessory like a brooch, and use it for a very quiet pop of color. So far, no one has said "what the heck are you wearing?"
She is doing such a good job as first lady. I'm sooooo very proud of her!
Isn't she lovely! Mrs Obama is a terrific First Lady indeed and God's unending blessings upon her and President Obama.