Friday
Apr092010
Walking on Sunshine
Friday, April 9, 2010 at 2:32 PM 
Photo by AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
Between the White House Easter Egg Roll and multiple magazine covers, what a week for Mrs. O! Today the first lady visited the Pentagon, where she thanked military personnel and civilian employees at the Defense Department. Mrs. O was hosted by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his wife Becky Gates, shown in the photo above.
For the appearance, Mrs. O wore a floral and ombre print dress, paired with a sunny, mustard yellow cardigan. We had a first peek at this dress when Mrs. O visited Miami last October, seen here. How great to discover the interesting change in pattern through the skirt!
Reader Comments (74)
Mrs Obama is a picture of Spring sunshine. Her dress is lovely and the cardigan compliments it very nicely. It still amazes me how she co-ordinates the colours in her wardrobe. Simply beautiful. Is that the cardi that she wore as part of her inauguration outfit ?
LOVE the dress. Wonder if a blueish/lavender cardigan might have gone better against the FLOTUS's skin tone than the mustard does. That aside, it is a great, active shot, with the FLOTUS in all of her unmistakeable glory, and the wind blowing like crazy, too. She is too cool.
very springy! there is a beautiful picture of her at DOD website behind the podium, with arms stretched out and wind in her air.she looks gentle and powerful at the same. i wish i knew how to link it.but Mrs.T can post it for you. i guess given that is was shot by the DOD, it doesn't cost a thing.
defense secretary Gates and his Wife have been married for 40 years. i would love to sit down with them over a cup ofcoffee so they can tell what they secret is given how with secretary gates career, he must have been away a lot. very inspiring.
there is even a full-length picture of her on DOD website and many more.what a week! she has been juggling so many roles and still manage to look presh and upbeat.and next week is also going to be a busy one. i hope she and the president take time to rest.
now i think i've written everything i wanted to.
have a great week-end you all.
I love this look, very fresh, very flattering. After a long, hard winter I am yearning for color!
I like this look...her hair seems freshly done and she is exuding brightness and sunshine
I was really impressed with the color matching of the cardi and dress at the Miami event so this mustard cardi feels so...wrong lol.
MS T
THE VIDEO OF THE FIRST LADY IS ON DOD WEBSITE.
THE FLOTUS LOOKED GREAT ALL THIS WEEK. LET HOPE HERE AND THE POTUS GET SOME REST
HAVE A NICE WEEKEND EVERYONE.
An unusual border print - with stripes along one selvage and the wide floral pattern along the other, running the length of the fabric - cut across the grain to utilize the total effect. V. interesting.
Its funny how Mrs. O is like the presidents unofficial ambassador to the US. He's sealing a deal with Russia as she charms the Department of Defense and has a new PSA on miliatary families. While he was working on Healthcare, she was pushing Americans to choose a healthier lifestyle and child obesity issues. When he was fine tuning a jobs bill, she was on the working mother track. I love a tag team marriage. She looks lovely and springy here! On a higher note, any presidential administration after this has to be as interesting or more because the O's have us all o n this fantastic voyage and I just can't get enough!
Cool dress, good look on her!.
I wonder if this dress might be Tracy Feith? Trying to confirm, but it's often difficult with this particular designer.
Nice dress for spring.
I noticed that beautiful ombre effect at the bottom of the dress the last time she wore it. So pretty. I like this mustard cardigan with the dress too.
I love how she makes it her business to visit every Department in Washington to give her support and show appreciation. That was very smart of her and the East Wing. It subtly allows her to dip her toe into all parts of Washington and make her presence known. It's been two years and she still has more departments to go. I think this makes number 14 or 15 since the inauguration. She really is getting to know her new neighborhood and giving back.
I"m with you Ari. I remember the multi-color ombre from before too. It showed up in a few pictures but was kind of tucked away behind a podium. I loved it in Miami, and I love it today!
It does look like a Tracy Feith. That line often uses bold and oversized "border" prints like this. This one probably qualifies as a double border - floral on one edge, ombre on the other. I am not a seamstress, so I look at a print like this and cannot imagine how it turns into a great looking dress.
Anyway - essence of Spring!
Mrs.T i was also leaning towards Tracy Feith because the fabric looks very hawaian and the bottom with the playful colour is kind of smilar to her Tracy Feith's " lei dress".
Mrs.t can you post the full-length picture of her that is on DOD website so we can appreciate her pea green pumps? ( not that i want to tell how to run your website). i just love how it spices up her outfit.
thanks.
What is the DOD website
operafanatic, this is undoubtedly extra-wide fabric and the floral part is fairly wide. Rather than the pattern's being laid out lengthwise on the fabric (the conventional direction), it has been laid out crosswise. The skirt is cut favoring the ombre stripe edge which forms its hemline area. The bodice is cut from the wide floral portion. This fabric is quite interesting.
This cardi is SO much better with the dress than last time. The fabric, color and fit works really well.
Very pretty and springish! She looks great.
I think I would rather peek into her skincare/cosmetic drawer than her closet! Her make-up is ALways perfect!
Wonder if a make-up artist does it on all public appearance days or she does it sometimes?
I have never seen her have a bad make-up day.
Easy and comfortable piece after a very busy week. She lights up the picture with enthusiasm, sincerity and commitment.
Love the dress she wear this sweater before.
Mrs. Obama is really embracing Spring in this outfit.
Lovely to get to see the full look. And with a better color tone to the photo, too!
Lovely and fun. Spring is here!
Mrs. T -- Darn it!
Now I can't get that song out of my head.
Isn't that her inaugural cardi? The one she wore under the coat dress ... or am I mistaken?
This print reminds me of southern Pacific and SE Asian swathes of cloth that have different areas of interest from selvage to selvage.
The colors are great and the cardi works well with the dress.
Here is a top to bottom photo where you can see Mrs. O's shoes as well
It's a beautiful dress. But the floral pattern ends and the ombre stripe begins right at the widest part of her hips. To me, that's not the most flattering choice for her.
DOD refers to Department of Defense.
Great outfit for any busy day.........love that she does not give a rip if the wind blows through her hair!
I just snapped up a few inexpensive sundresses that I will be throwing on with cardis this spring and cardi-less this summer. Ladies, buy them now. When it gets hot, all the pretty ones are gone in a flash. Don't wait until it's hot! Then it's too late (just like bathing suits - if you wait you get the remnants and unwanteds!).
Walking on Sunshine yes indeed!
Bevi's second picture was taken at her second event of the day, a Childhood Obesity forum, that appeared to be run by Melody Barnes. Michelle gave opening remarks that were delayed by more than a half hour from their originally scheduled time possibly because they coincided with President Obama's return to the White House from Prague. Her speech was good, but to me she appeared to be somewhat distracted and her exit immediate. Lots going on in the Oval office then with the President preparing to give public remarks on the Supreme Court Justice Stevens upcoming resignation and on the West Virginia mine disaster. .
she looks great. you can see a bit more of this look in this adorable video of POTUS & FLOTUS running into each other upon their return from their respective events. they are too cute for words.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/09/obamas-share-private-moment-in-public-eye/?fbid=laXISRpEKi9
This is one of my favorite dresses, ever since our Michelle wore it last summer in Florida. The olive pumps and cardi is a nice touch, it brings out that subtle chartreuse color in the dress. This is such a unique and interesting print. This dress could be worn with so many colors and look fresh and stylish.
@moja31, I REALLY enjoyed that little video that you linked...good looking out! That was just darling and I've forwarded already to 12 people. They are such a wonderful couple and we are so enriched to have them as our President and his First Lady. I don't mind gushing...I just love them to bits!
Mrs Obama is sunshine personified - A really great first lady.
I am thinking along the same lines as JMH. I would have loved to have seen the cardigan matching the pinkish/orange, the blue or the purple of the dress. Since mustard is one of my least-favorite colors and doesn't exactly say "spring" to me, I wish the wide band of the dress was also one of the aforementioned colors. The top of the dress with the floral print is beautiful!
@ ann #1 - I too, would love to know Mrs O's skincare and make up range, Simply flawless.
@ glammie - It certainly looks like her inauguration cardi.
canyongal - You and I are >>>><<<<. I have just treated myself to some beautiful dresses to wear rght through out the spring and summer. Gone are the days when I waited for HEAT to put on a summer dress. Mrs O has made me change my approach to clothes, thank goodness for cardi's.
@ moja31 - That video made me blush. I was tickled pink. I love FLOTUS & POTUS. The love and admiration that they have for each other is so real and sincere. They have made American Politics and the White House look like a real fairy tale.
She wears a lot of things that accentuate her hips, her sheath dresses do too. That is why she looks fantastic in them.
My grandma, who was a seamstress for 55 years calls the cut of this dress "very clever for a clever lady". I heartily concur.
@glammie this looks like the inauguration sweater but it also looks a bit thicker and a little more yellowy. Wouldn't be surprised though she just mixes things up and they look different! Could also be the way it photographed.
Love her shoes too. The flats she wore in NYC look like the same color or similar.
Of note. Mrs. Gates' brooch!! It is beautiful
@charlene in detroit
I'll gush right along with you :)
potus excited to see flotus. but denies cnn videoman a PDA on white house grounds.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/10/obamas-share-private-moment-in-public-eye/?eref=politicalflipper&fbid=_SjFXp0SPqq
wow, the comments are sweet on the cnn page for a change.
Thanks for the video, moja31. Adorable interaction between POTUS and FLOTUS.
I am going to put this link in this and the Good Housekeeping post, but here's her interview with Good Housekeeping. It's nice, but not as well-written as the Conde Nast one, in my opinion.
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/celebrity/michelle-obama-interview-white-house
I love this dress on her ...it is perfect for her body.
I grew up in San Diego. Even though I moved to the Bay Area many years ago, I still read the local San Diego paper each day. This item caught my eye in this mornings issue:
______________________________________________________________________________
Mrs. O is scheduled to be in San Diego on Thursday for an event to promote the White House’s anti-childhood obesity program. She will be in Mexico City Tuesday to Thursday on her first solo official trip since President Obama took office last year. While in Mexico, she will meet with Mexican First Lady Margarita Zavala, tour the National Museum of Anthropology, meet with teachers and students at a public elementary school, address high school and university students and attend a reception of women leaders hosted by Mrs. Zavala.
After leaving Mexico on Thursday she will stop in San Diego for a Let’s Move! event. Details will be announced next week.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Just FYI
She looks gorgeous and this is her real hair now. She has taken out the weave.
I also love the mustard cardigan with the dress. This is not her inauguration cardigan, for those who asked. Yes, she has a full time makeup artists for public appearances for whoever asked. She has said so in countless interviews.
Mrs.A how do you know that? you aren't her hairdresser so you know nothing. so let it be instead of speculating. it is disrespectful towards the first lady and it reinforce those faulty stereotypes about black people's hair.
@ Chrystelle, if you can't see that, then you a blinder than someone who can't see she is wearing a cardigan. I'm not speculating.
I just wanted to say to Shelley that I think it's great that you questioned whether or not the cardigan worked with the dress. I am sure that the last thing the FLOTUS would want is unquestioning adoration. She has created an unbelievable fashion revolution in this country; resurrecting the cardigan, mixing high and low, energizing the use of color, and showing pride in her body which is not model slim but athletic and alive. However, I agree with you about this particular cardigan. Isn't the whole idea of fashion to create the unbroken line? Cardigans have no structure and sometimes obscure the visual flow of an outfit. They are also casual by design and can confuse the viewer when a dress is "formal" and the cardigan too casual. I think the cardigan she's wearing at the conference on childhood obesity, works much better. I love Mrs. O. But like all of us, she's only human. (But always beautiful)
Hi everyone, haven't posted for a while but following the blog steadfastly. Here is a link to a recent encounter and interaction of Mrs Obama with her fellows Americans. It's wonderful -------she is such a role model, she really impersonate simplicity and humility!!!!!!
God bless and keep the Obama family
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=michelle++Obama&sk=&sc=8-14&sort=date&docid=1790144348260&mid=4BA74B538296746F43704BA74B538296746F4370&FORM=LKVR22#