Monday
Jul192010
Opening Act
Monday, July 19, 2010 at 5:36 PM 
Image by Yuri Gripas / Getty Images
First Lady Mrs. O spoke to dance students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the Joy of Motion Dance Center, as they rehearsed a segment from the Broadway show 'Hairspray' at the White House today. For the event, the first lady wore a pale green, lightweight pant suit, paired with an Erickson Beamon techno deco belt.
Update: Mrs. O's matte jersey pant suit is designed by Stephen Burrows. And the official word on the much-debated color? Sunrise Yellow.
tagged Erickson Beamon, Stephen Burrows
Erickson Beamon, Stephen Burrows
Reader Comments (64)
I think I'm in love I really love this suit very cute.
Great suit. Perfect fit, and the colour is lovely. I'm a sucker for wide legged pants.
concert is live streaming now
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
Ehhhh...I think our fantastic First Lady scores a "miss" with this outfit. This pantsuit is too formless (droopy and "slacky")--especially on a lady with such a fit and curvy body. It looks like pajamas! And the belt: thumbs down. ...Still, the FLOTUS is fabulous woman/lady.
LOVE HER PANTS SUITE
LOVE the pantsuit. Classic, but with more flowy fabric. I hate the stiff kind. As usual, the belt serves as a lovely figure definer and as a lovely accessory that does just that-accentuate without being distracting.
I like it, but what's up with the pants length? Is that a new style or something?
I just watched the live stream on whitehouse.gov and it was really nice. I wonder when it will be shown on PBS for the masses. My mom does not have internet service and I really would like her to see it, especially Elaine Stritch! I thoroughly enjoyed it! The First Family looked so nice and well co-ordinated. First Granny, Mrs. Robinson was some kind of sharp. That turquoise was the perfect color for her.
Ok, now to the business at hand....it pains me, but this was not one of our Michelle's best fashion moments. That shade of green was very complimentary on FLOTUS' skin tones, but what happened to the seamstress? The pants are puddling the floor. Maybe this was a stretch material that gave entirely too much in the heat (I know I'm reaching) or maybe she originally had on higher heels and had to make a last minute change. I love the belt and the cause was really worthy, but......I don't know about this one. Oh well, even Hank Aaron struck out a time or two. She's still fabulous!
Not a bad look but the length of the pants does cause me to raise a brow. It may be the look she was going for being she is a bit cutting edge when it comes to fashion. I just don't know. I am on the fence with this one.
On another note, I think when the O-Ad is finished with its 8 year run, she would be a great replacement for Oprah as a talk show host.
The performance is supposed to air October 20 on PBS.
Maybe this suit is a few seasons old? Remember that trend of pant hems puddling?
I will not be surprised if this is something she had in her closet and decided to wear again.
But again color looks great on her.
I love the belt and it's a beautiful colour on her.
Thanks for the link Marchne; I watched the last half hour of the show. Wanted to die for Elaine Stritch <sp?> when she forgot the words to her song, "I'm still here" ... and then that rambling at the end. The Obama's were gracious ... but I was literally *cringing*. Mind you, she's 84 ... and has had an amazing career.
Love Mrs. O, but this is a bizarre outfit. The style, the color, the fit - this is one of my least favorite things I've ever seen her in. Ouch.
Anyway, her hair and make-up, as usual, are on point.
Can't please everybody all the time. I'm the first to admit I don't like everything she wears, but I'm digging this pantsuit.
I have to agree with the previous posters that the fit of the pant suit leaves something to be desired. Doesn't even look like it belongs to her, it's so big, baggy and long in the legs.
It's one thing to be comfortable but another to look worse than if she bought something off the rack. Maybe she's trying to hide some less than flattering body features? Who knows?
I love it...the wide leg pant/over flow leg is tres chic.
The fit of the jacket is perfect! Through the shoulders, across the chest and hips, wonderful. I think having the pants less full and shorter would make the whole suit a knockout on Mrs. O.
Tsk, Tsk, didn't like this one at all. One thing is it's ill fitting everywhere. It's really too big for her and the pants are way too long. I think it was a re-tread. Time to give this one away..
My mom wore that! For New Year's Eve 1977!
Sorry you all! I will risk your wrath: This looks like she threw a belt over some old PJs!
i love it! it makes her showcases the length of her legs and makes them look willowy! nice color too!
Isn't this the belt that she wore with the collar-less Moschino suit on the election campaign? (If I remember rightly one occasion was at a rally in Des Moines.)
I rather like the suit. As to the length, there is a picture of Mrs. O.'s shoes on HuffPost. It would have ridden up so much more had the length been shorter in the first place. We may be falling into the trap of coming to a conclusion on the outfit on the strength of just one photo (remember the Peter Soronen dress she wore at the State Dinner for Mexico whose corsetting divided us?).
The boxy jacket makes the suit look dressy and probably explains the reason why people think the pants are too long. Lightweight trousers are meant to hit the floor. I think either an open jacket with a green blouse or a pair of strappy sandals in a shade of green or gold would have pulled out the beautiful lemon grassy colour of her outfit.
I like the look and I love what Michelle Obama stands for. She is the hardest working First Lady that I have ever known and has certainly raised the bar for future first ladies.
Now THAT is a pant suit I can believe in.
Oh my gosh, I feel like I'm in bizarro land -- my first thought when I looked at the picture is that I LOVE this outfit! I never disagree with IVA or Nyon or Charlene, so I must be wrong. :-) Love the color, Yay belt! And I like what appears to be the flowiness of it.
But seriously, I do see what you all are saying about the pants length. The truth? I wear my pants a little long, too, and that's probably why it doesn't bother me. In my mind, I feel like it lengthens my legs. But I'm 5'5, and Mrs. O's legs don't need lengthening.
The color is fine. The suit leaves alot to be desired. Pants to long and it just doesnt fit well. That being said, it is absolutely remarkable how she is performing as First Lady. These White House series are absolutely the best ever and bringing kids in before is a stroke of genius. I cant imagine how many students' lives she is touching there in D.C.
So the suit is a "miss" but Michelle Obama is a "hit"!
We know Mrs. O is not hiding anything about her body because every inch of it is muscle, as Posh has pointed out. I kinda dig this look as well, but I might shorten the length of the pant leg by an inch. The color is lovely, and the belt is great. I love the construction of the jacket.
The pants are absolutely lifeless and shapeless. 2 thumbs down for the pants.
She looks beyond great. There isn't anything wrong with the length.It is supposed to fit that way hence the name floor-length pants.
She has worn many pantsuits and you can see difference. the grey Narciso Rodriguez one, the orange one, the cherry one she has on while promoting her lets move initiative and the white suits she wore in april in Mexico.
You can say you don't like it but don't pretend that the pants aren't fitting well because it is simply not the truth. there are many types of pants with various length out there and it is clear that Mrs.O knows the difference.
For once, I really like the belt...and the whole look...the wide leg pants are meant to come down over the shoes...
What I find so comical about some of the comments on this suit is that the same people who are quick to voice their distress when the First Lady wears something they feel is "too tight" are now complaining that the pants of this is "too baggy". Their attitude is "what is she thinking by wearing such a suit?". I say to them, cool it! There is nothing wrong with the fit of this suit, sure the pants may be bit too long, but that could easily be remedied with a higher heel pump. Ladies, don't tell me this hasn't happened to you...you buy a suit to wear with a certain pair of shoes, then change you mind and wear something else and oops, it changes the look. So to act like this is an eggregious act is just so ludicrous, it's comical. Other than the pant length, this suit a perfect fit. It allows for movement, especially when you're interacting with kids like she did during this rehearsal.
Sorry, I do not get this pants suit. In my opinion the suit looks too big for her.
Great to be back and nice to have you back Mrs. T/B. I wish you many happy years ahead.
I love, love the Tracy Reese dress. It is stunning on Mrs. O, but I do not like this pants suit. It puddles or is this something new? I doubt it; Miss! But she can have misses, as far as I am concerned, because when she is on, she is on. That is what makes her so, so interesting to me, you never know what she will do next.
It was wonderful being with my husband on his break from war and he and our daughter bonded amazingly. She is so much like him, they just clicked. She has now become an Obama fan because she squeals with delight whenever she sees the President or Mrs. O on TV. I can't take any credit for that!!!
I honestly think it fits great. Minus the pants-length issue, which I'll grant look long in the picture. Look at the nice cut of those sleeves and how the jacket elongates her torso! Look at where her cute belt is hitting her -- not "too high" (which I maintain is her actual waist and belts just tend to migrate there.) And her arms are covered!
I just think it's purty, y'all. That lemongrass color is quite "in," too.
@ Chrystelle, first and foremost, let me say I love your passion for FLOTUS. Heck, I even share that same love, admiration and respect for our Michelle that goes waaaaay beyond her clothing choices. However, to say that those who do not neccessarily care for the lenghth of these particular pants are "pretending that the pants aren't fitting well when it's simply not the truth" is painting with too wide of a brush. I am sure that she prefers this pair that way. We've had the pleasure in seeing her wear pants, dresses and skirts of various lengths and styles. This just does not work for me. Just as an observer, dare I say that I've seen her in a formal gown that did not have that much length. If I'm honest, when I saw the initial pic on Getty I thought it looked a bit hazardous. I know that I'm clumsy, but it looked like her shoes could very easily get entangled in the legs and cause her to fall.
So when I say that this pair is too long (IMO), I'm doing nothing more than that. It's by no means a personal attack on her nor her knowledge in knowing how floor length pants are supposed to fit. I like that we can agree to disagree and I feel that on this matter, we disagree.
Charlène if you read my post carefully , i say that people can dislike the outfit . i was just saying that the length wasn't unintentional given that she has worn pants before.
Here is a new videao of Flotus. Thus far, her summer style has been a major it.
enjoy the video and the message!
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100719&content_id=12406930&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
Thank you Charlene. You have echoed my sentiments exactly.
I like the pant suit and think it fits fine. Pants with a higher hem my disrupt the silhouette.... besides Malia will be wearing this outfit soon, they may need to let out the hem.
She looks tall and elegant - the color is perfect for the summer season. ...
here you can catch Mrs.O last night outfit when they step on stage to greet the performers
http://www.playbill.com/playblog/2010/07/hairspray-tour-stars-and-high-school-kids-perform-at-the-white-house-video/
Must i just add that i now get why Mrs.O always say she isn't afraid of aging. just take a look at Mrs. Robinson at the beginning of the video. She is one FIERCE grandma!
I like the outfit and I LOVE the belt with it. I wear my pants long as well, I just have never seen a pair that long where they are not only covering her shoes, but they are puddled as well. But it is no biggie and I'm on to the next one.
What's up with the pics from last night? I really want those who did not see the live feed to see how lovely the whole first family looked last night. Christina, I had to pull one of your moves and have a "sniff" moment when I saw Malia. She really looked like a young lady and her dress was hella cute.(Sasha wasn't slacking either) They do have a little piece of the event on the Whitehouse website, but I'm not sure if you get to see the First Lady, the girls, and grandma.
Glammie, I'm not sure, but I thought the little bit where Elaine forgot the words was really a part of the skit. You know, showing that she is old and forgetful, but she's still here, but maybe I'm wrong. I was touched and a little embarrassed by her speech at the end, but you know older people can get away with saying exactly what's on their minds. In the end, I thought it was cute.
I spoke too soon, I should have known Chrystelle was on the case. Thanks!!
The woman takes her fitness seriously. take a look at this pic. I hope she keeps inspiring to step up their fitness game.
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/103000962/Getty-Images-Sport. I simply love the pic because it encompasses all she is about as the advocate of her cause.
OMG, this is BAD.
I think the pants are too long and are not flattering. In my opinion, this makes the suit look cheap. And pants that drag on the floor are not practical. I just think that the First Lady's clothes should be impeccable and not mearly trendy.
I love it! Elegant and graceful. The proportion is beautiful - and hey, all you people who haven't liked the high belts, this one should be your favorite.
As for the color, I call it lemongrass - same as her inaugural outfit.
It works for me in concept -- very modern shape, an oddly flattering color. But it's so edgy that it makes me think she is spending far too much time thinking about fashion. She is used to being a leader in her own right, so what she wears is one safe way for her to upstage her husband.
To answer Mrs. T's last question -- assuming that my monitor is correct, I've seen that particular color called "lemongrass." But that's one of those frou-frou "fashiony" color names. Lime or chartreuse or pear seem perfectly descriptive, too. I like the color, I think it's flattering to her skin tone.
The color, belt and fit of jacket are very flattering. The hem of pants is too long & droopy. There are too many instances where the hem length is off on formal gowns, dresses, slacks etc. That should never be the case, especially with a First Lady with all the help at her disposal. Someone needs to be hired or replaced. This has become a serious faux paus. Get FLOTUS a fitter...
I wouldn't have gone for chartreuse. That's way too rich and acid for this colour. I would say lemongrass, which may be too frou-frou "fashiony" for you Christina but if it's good enough for Isobel Toledo and the Inauguration Day suit, then it's good enough for me!!
I like the suit. I never understand the pandemonium that breaks out on this website whenever Mrs O wears something d i f f e r e n t. It's like people don't have enough to whinge about. Go and whinge about Japan killing 20,000 dolphins every year, really, trust me, the suit is the least of your worries.
So, the colour is perfect, the trousers are cut long and sweeping (is she wearing, like, MAD high heels under that?), the belt is perfectly placed to make Mrs O look even MORE leggy than ever and - and haven't we seen that belt before? Was this the belt that came out to play on the night of the Children's Inauguration concert? Over a yellow cardigan and blue skirt??
If I had a criticism, I would say that the lapels are very small and high, and with the belt that high, it does make Mrs O look like her whole body is in the foot square area underneath her shoulders and then it's all SPACE. I don't know, I don't think it's balanced *quite* right. But she looks hellishly good despite all that.