A Grand Welcome
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 1:36 PM 
Image by Jim Young / Reuters
The much anticipated state dinner festivities have begun! The president and first lady welcomed Mexican President Felipe Calderon and First Lady Margarita Zavala to the White House with an outdoor arrival ceremony earlier today.
First Lady Mrs. O dressed in a classic raspberry coat and dress (confirming designer), paired with a statement bib necklace and black pewter heels. The turquoise and orange flecks of color in the necklace certainly pop against the pink dress - gorgeous!
The first ladies later visited New Hampshire Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland, which was awarded the USDA's Healthier US School Challenge Silver Award in 2009. Note Mrs. O's change to orange-gold flats!
Update #1: Mrs. O wears a carmine viscose jersey dress with carmine silk nylon coat from Calvin Klein Collection, Pre-Spring 2010.
Update #2: Mrs. O wears a necklace by Erickson Beamon.
Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP
Reader Comments (72)
OMG!!! She finally did a one shoulder! I've been waiting for her to do a one shouldered gown because its perfect for her body and toned arms and shoulders!
She look other worldy! What a beauty!
I can't find a live stream anywhere.
It is confirmed by AP to be a Soronen gown!
Just saw the new pics of the blue gown........... HAVE MERCY!!!!!!
Huff Post has the closeups on her and on the earrings! Double WOW! And she lined her eyes with blue! I wish she would line them with black instead of white on a daily basis - that "tired" look she often has would disappear completely! The softness of the hair around her face is so flattering!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/michelle-obama
Here is a picture of the East Room of the White House set for the state dinner. Hope the blue of the table setting and the blue of the dress don't clash.
http://twitpic.com/1p7qmc
Live Stream on whitehouse.gov starting at 7:10 pm!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/19/michelle-obamas-state-din_n_582579.html
See the state dinner gown up close! How do they GET these photos?! It's like you can touch the material!
Hi all,
FLOTUS looks fabulous. Here's a link to a picture that's on twitter. http://twitpic.com/1p8how
I cannot get over how small Mrs. O looks in normal pictures like the twitter picture Doc Shasue provided.
IVA- she actually is much smaller than most pictures and TV make her look. When I saw her last year in person, I was quite surprised at how thin she really is. She's very tall and well toned.
IVA, if you happened to watch some videos with her greeting some white house visitors, they always told her that she is much smaller in person.
The FL is out of this world tonight.FANTASTIC! FABULOSO! MAGNIFICO!SUPERB!
Did I say that I LOVE. Phooey!!!
@Mrs S: I agree: How odd it seems to me to have been noticing many of you americans like to call them royalty! That is almost an insult though I know it's just a way of saying. But a wriong way of referring to an elected president and his family. Call them nice, refined, chic, fine, interesting,comely, graceful, smart, elegant!
BTW Michelle is actually gorgeous tonight, but the blue single shouldered dress is not! Never mind: she attracts all stares the same way! Congrats!
Where can I find the necklace Mrs. O is wearing in this pic? I love it!
Beautiful!!! Mrs Obama's necklace is amazing! I want it!!!
Moi, thanks for that link. Mrs Obama looks so sexy and amazing. When was it taken? Who is the Johnson guy?
I agree with whoever said it was a relief to see Margarita Zavala without a shawl. I have read that she does it to draw attention to crafts in her homeland and it certainly does, BUT, the shawls do not always accentuate her lovely figure, not do they necessarily go with what she is wearing. A statement piece or a statement look only works if it *works*. The persistent shawl does not always work. It may be that the Mexican first lady is shy and not sure about this whole being-a-public-figure thing. Well, get a stylist in for one session. Get them to sort out ten outfits that can be worn ten different ways each. Ask them to let you know if they see anything that might be your style. Job done. Really! She's a beautiful woman and I'd LOVE to see that shine as it deserves too.
OK, rant over.
Love everything about Mrs O's look except her hair. Beautiful coat and dress. (Now, is it me, or does the coat have a weird hitch at the hemline???) As I have boringly said before I don't like it this short and I do feel it looks a tad harsh straight off her face like this. Having said that, her entire look is so sixties it does kinda work today. The necklace is oustanding.
LOVE the necklace. Any idea the maker?
Did I miss the designer of the bib necklace?
Michelle Obama is wearing an Erickson Beamon necklace.
LOVE everything, the colour, the cut and the accessories. This is the kind of easy, luxe stylish pieces that suit her best.
the color of the coat on Mrs. O is absolutely stunning on her. I love this look.