Wednesday
Mar312010
Spring in Her Step
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 3:10 PM 
Image by Jason Reed / Reuters
After a much-deserved week off for Spring Break with her daughters, Mrs. O is back to her first lady duties today, speaking at the White House Council on Women and Girls' Forum on Workplace Flexibility. We missed you Mrs. O!
The first lady appeared at the event in a fresh spring ensemble, wearing a short-sleeve jacket and pencil skirt by Narciso Rodriguez, created from cream organza with a black ribbon jacquard weave and chiffon trim. The suit was paired with an orange camisole, beaded Moschino brooch and black kitten heels. Fresh and lovely!
tagged Moschino, Narciso Rodriguez
Moschino, Narciso Rodriguez
Reader Comments (45)
I like this! Very classic, with a pop of orange. Welcome back Mrs. O!!!! She's also doing a groundbreaking for the WH garden this afternoon too. It'll be livestreamed on cnn.com.
welcome back Mrs.O! she looks so presh( not a sp error).i bet her whole ensemble is Moshino.
WELCOME BACK FLOTUS. LOVE THOSE JITTEN HEELS.
PS CHRYSTELLE I THINK THAT IS MOSHINO.
HI IVA
What an amazing assett to the White House. Mrs. Roosevelt, Mrs. O and Hillary were the three brightest stars to shine in the role as first lady. The others were basically housewives which is not a bad thing. But, to see the first lady on the front lines wielding her power to bring change to the families and country is so refreshing and inspiring. I think if anyone can replace Oprah in her retirement, its Mrs. O. She should consider a talk show when the 8 years are over. She's brilliant!
Another full-length photo - thanks Mrs T!
Love that brooch, good to see it again.
I do like the movement in Mrs O's hair. Good photo.
I'd like to see that skirt just a tad shorter, two or three inches. That mid-knee length isn't flattering to anyone!
Welcome back Mrs. O! You look fabulous. The healthy lifestyle shows in every aspect of your being-vibrant hair,glowing skin, healthy smile, etc. You are truly beautiful and brilliant. The epitome of what my mama always said, "pretty is, as pretty does". It is obvious you are a a beautiful person on the inside because it shows on the outside. What an asset you are to our President (Proverbs 31: 11-12) and to our country.
IVA, cnn live is really starting to get on my nerves. They flodged us out once again by listing the event and not actually airing it.
Anyway, Mrs. O looks divine. I must say though, on the live stream the color of the shirt was brighter, like peach or coral or something.
Hi CMB, lol.
@Nyon - I don't know what was up with that. I'm at the library and got up to get some fresh air and when I came back the POTUS was talking. I knew I couldn't have missed it! Well, maybe there will be a WH video or at least some pictures. The weather is nice, so I can only imagine how joyous an occassion it was. From what I read there was going to be a whole lot of people there, including the kids from Bancroft!
LOVE the outfit!
DANG!!!! FLOTUS IS HOT. A WEEK OFF SEEMS LIKE AN ETERNITY.BUT I'M SURE SHE ENJOYED THE TIME WITH HER GIRLS.
I TOO THINK THAT THE SKIRT COULD'VE BEEN A WEE BIT SHORTER; BUT ANYWHO....ITS NICE.
MRS. T THANKS FOR THE FULL LENGTH PHOTO......LUV IT!
That shade of warm orange looks so nice on Mrs. O's skin. You know what'd be great? That color for her dress at the State Dinner for Mexico in May. Here's hoping!
She looks great. It's nice to see her agian. I hope she had a good time withe her girls. Can't wait to see what she wears on Easter!
The skirt would look hot if it was shorter, and in black. The long skirts are giving me grandma.
Mrs. O always dresses to "suit" the occasion. Isn't this very feminine, yet professional skirt suit ideal for this occasion? It's something I, as a working mom, would wear to the office.
Love me some FLOTUS!
I like the suit dress she is wearing...however, the orange blouse underneath takes away from the beauty of the outfit.
too barbara bush-like.
Ohhhh! Mrs. Obama is wearing my favorite colors! The brooch sets the ensemble off just right! So very CHIC and CLASSY!
The top reminds me of a lipstick color that I wore some years ago...Cadillac Red (a reddish-orange color)! Any rich, jewel-tone color blouse would set this outfit off. TWO THUMBS UP FOR SPRING!!!
Love the complete outfit...looks great on Ms. Obama. Are there not any pictures available from her New York getaway? I would LOVE to see the vacation fashions.
She looks great! I like this suit on her. With her figure....I also think it could be a little shorter and taken in a bit. Maybe, there was no time for alterations. We've all been there!
I was in DC last week and was able to go to the Smithsonian and see the inaugural gown. It's beautiful! Much more in person than it appeared on camera. The train is really beautiful and I was one that thought it kind of got in her way. If you are ever in DC....go see it!
I love Mrs O's outfit. She is gorgeous. But as I have posted several times to this site, I am so pleased with her caring for people. We all are so busy and balancing work and kids is a challenge. Her compassion for all of us little people on that issue brings me to tears of joy. Yeah, she is pretty and gorgeously dressed but her soul is gorgeous. She is the first lady that I have yearned (sp?)for all of my life. Barack is the pres. that I have wanted for decades. We are blessed to have them. I'm crying again.
Come on now ladies, wasn't her skirt too tight and short the last time now it is too long and loose. Good thing FLOTUS wears what she wants. This suit is very college town preppy, conservative thank goodness for the pop of orange. Perhaps she was dressing for the seriousness of the event. I think she looks nice, not stunning but nice. Her hair is so alive, wish I could get mine back to that, pregnancy took it toll and my cutie has the most magnificent head of hair instead. Love her kittens
Agree the skirt could have been shorter but overall a nice, fresh look. I am SO glad kitten heels are stylish once more! Try them, ladies. Your feet will thank you at 5 pm!
I might very well be in the minority, but I like this skirt length on FLOTUS. I saw this suit on style.com's website. It's in the 2010 Resort collection, look #14. If she'd worn it straight from the runway, she would've been burned at the stakes (rightfully so). I know there can be a HUGE difference between runway and real life, oftimes garments are re-worked by the time they reach retailers. This one came out nicely (IMO). She looks beautiful and well rested. We've missed her this past week!
i don't think the first lady cares about her critics and she has demonstrated it in multiples occasions. i just think she wanted the skirt with that length. and i don't think like you Charlène that people criticizing her if her skirt was shorter would be rightful to act like that. and she is older than the runway model and over 40s. short skirts are for the youngest among us in my humble opinion, on a grown woman it just screams desperate and Mrs.O is anything but that.
i'm still waiting for a pic with her and carla.i'm not giving up hope that it could surface.
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This is a perfect suit, well cut and the skirt length is perfect. The orange blouse gives a burst of colour that made this classic look more contemporary. Together with the cute brooch and beautiful smile this whole ensemble is a winner.
I think the suit and the wonderful brooch look great. However, the orange blouse underneath makes the outift look a bit Halloween-ish.
@Chrystelle, I agree with you that our Michelle is far from being desperate nor overly concerned with what critics say about her attire. What I was thinking, yet may not have conveyed, is that she has been ridiculed in the past about her skirt and dress lengths. There is always some who feel that she shows too much skin. With her legs being as long as they are (and I'm quite envious of that), had she worn the skirt the same length as what came down the runway, we would've seen the entire graduating class of the "appropiate police" screaming in anguish, pulling out their hair and gnashing their teeth while running through the streets like torch wielding villagers. Their criticisms would've been well founded, yet their delivery would've been over the top, as usual. I did not mean to imply that I'd ever sanction character indictments of FLOTUS. I apologize for my choice of words because now that I've re-read them, I can see where it does give that connotation.
I know some women who think that particular length (breaking in the middle of the knee) is not flattering at all, but to me it is. I think this is just a matter of individual taste. No harm, no foul on this one!
"we would've seen the entire graduating class of the "appropiate police" screaming in anguish, pulling out their hair and gnashing their teeth while running through the streets like torch wielding villagers...."
Ha ha !!!! Charlene, that was so funny. I needed cheering up and you have made my day !!!!!
Fabulous suit with that splash of orange beneath. A gentle reminder that its Spring!
That is such a gorgeous brooch.
I love the black patent leather kitten heels. Buying two pairs of those shoes would be a great investment.
Regarding the skirt length - if Mrs. O were to wear higher heels with this suit, the overall effect of the skirt length would be different; or if the hem were to be raised to just above her knee, the pattern of the suit might appear more balanced above and below the waist. It's tricky.
The flash of orange is great. She can wear just about any color camisole with this suit.
@chrystelle
I am certain Mrs O doesn't care about her critics, but I am also certain that when people offer constructive criticism about a skirt of Mrs O's or the color of her sweater, that they too know she doesn't care and are doing what you are supposed to do on a fashion site, love it or offer polite suggestions on how to make it better.
That said, I love the color combo of orange and black and white. The pop of color is nice and isn't something I would have thought of if I wore that to the office, as I would have kept it safe and simple with a black or white top. She's so creative.
The First Lady is looking classy and chic in this beautiful ensemble! I, personally, like the length because if the skirt were any shorter, it would rise up too high when she sat down! Then, here comes the fashionista patrol! LOL!!! Go, go, go Mrs. Obama!
Lovely. Where can I find those shoes?
@Heather, try Tracy Reese. She had a shoe named Milonga that looks almost identical to these. Last time I checked, ebay still had some up for auction around $80.00. These shoes that our Michelle has one are Jimmy Choo's, if I'm not mistaking. Also, Bandolino carries one @DSW called Berry that is similar, I prefer Tracy Reese though. Happy shopping!
Love seeing the brooches getting worked out on different jackets and outfits. I would never have bought a brooch this big or dark, but seeing Mrs O work it makes me look at big corsages and brooches in a new way. Very nice suit, if a teeny tad matronly? My view anyway.
Bevi - I agree with you any colour camisole can be worn underneath the suit.
As always, great eye for color!
Maybe I'm from another planet, but IMO this suit is a knockout, unforgettable look. One of my favourites for this year. Very firstladyish. Eye popping and perfect for Workplace Flexibility event and gives women in an office environment a great style choice with the abbreviated sleeves. Love sleeve length, fits her arms nicely. Fresh unexpected colour, coral is very big this year 'in colour' and yes designers combine pastel shades with black and white. Also the black piping is ideal as buttons are not visible.
We don't always see her purse,maybe it has colours to go with her top. Skirt length right on,
with her great legs. She reminds me of a young college professor. (smile) I would love to see her in more of these light weight suits. Personally, I wouldn't wear coral with black and white, I get very hot, and if i remove that jacket.......!!!!!!
I swear, if the First Lady paid any attention to all the so-called "polite" suggestions of what she should wear and how she should wear it everyday, she wouldn't have any time for the constructive things she's doing like addressing the epidemic of childhood obesity, her kitchen garden, supporting the President's initiatives and taking care of her family. Instead she'd become so paranoid and obsessed in pleasing all the fashionista patrols out there that she could conceivable find herself in a padded room somewhere. I guess that's the burden of being the First Lady, she has to put up the nonsense of these highly opinionated, faceless, nameless people, who think they have the right to tell her to "jump" and she should ask "how high?". But not THIS First Lady. Oh, no, she's going to continue to do what any self-assurred, confident, and well-grounded woman would do. She's going to continue to follow her own consel and do what she darn well please. So to all those who continue to criticize, and lament why the First Lady wears this and not that, I say quit projecting yourselves on this lady, she is not you! If she wears something you don't like, then don't wear it. You probably don't have the body type or have the panache to carry it off anyway. So instead I suggest you take your own "polite" advise and check yourself in the mirror before YOU leave your house so you don't run the risk of committing a "fashion don't". But then again, even if you do, who cares! Finally, keep in mind that if the First Lady wears something on Friday you don't like, if you hang around long enough, by Monday she'll probably wear something that knocks your socks off and you'll be happy and effusive in your compliements once again.
She looks hot and I like the contrast of the orange with black and white. If the skirt were a few inches shorter, she would look even sharper.
Simple, feminine, smart, modern, fresh - Our lovely first lady Michelle Obama!!
LOVE HE SUITE AND SHOES SHE WILL BE LEAVING IN APRIL TO MEXCIO CANT WEIT TO SEE WHAT SHE IS GOING TO WEAR NO OUR PRESIDENT WILL NOT JOIN HER. GEAT SPEECH
I think she looks appropriate.