Mrs. O on Today
Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at 12:01 PM ...and Regis & Kelly!
P.S. Curious about what Mrs. O is wearing? The Washington Post reports the navy polka dot dress was designed by Swedish retail chain H&M, adding:
The first lady donned a navy polka dot knee-length day dress with a ruffled collar by Swedish retail chain H&M. The dress is part of their current collection and retails for $34.95. She paired the dress with a thick red belt and yellow kitten heels. It appears she did not wear the red sash that accompanies the dress.
The first lady's office didn't comment on who designed her accessories, but confirmed that she was wearing a dress by the fast-fashion retailer H&M.
But that's not all! People.com reports that Mrs. O had the dress customized, adding sleeves to the H&M design. The original dress, seen below, is currently available in H&M stores as part of their Spring collection.
"First Lady wears $34.95 dress H&M dress on the Today Show" [The Washington Post]
"First Lady Michelle Obama Rocks $35 H&M Dress" [People]
H&M
Reader Comments (55)
She is just so purty!!!
I think she looked lovely from the chest up. Everything else...not so much. I'm not feeling the red belt and the yellow pumps.
Turning to the interviews, I think she handled the Today Show interview very well. The questions were kind of difficult - comment on the situation in Egypt? Is your hubby dying his hair? Are you sure he isn't smoking? Why did you have a chow fest for the Super Bowl while you're telling folks to "move" and eat healthier? They were all filled with areas where she could have slipped up, but she was on point. I have to confess I cringed at the question about whether the president dyes his hair - OMG! Seriously?
The Regis clip is great. She is this president's best spokesperson. I loved all of her responses and especially the way she wrapped it up about the president being extremely smart, thick-skinned, and emotionally stable and constant. With all the drama in the world, I do think his stable emotional state is helpful because rarely are the best decisions made in the heat of the moment.
I was not a fan of the yellow pump at first and I see the picture they grew on me. It is not my favorite outfit.
Should we be asking the first lady about Egypt? she is not a foreign policy expert. That was very stupid of matt lauer.
Didnt see Regis but saw Today. Thought she handled all of the questions very well and I love Matt, but a few of the questions I thought should have/could have been omitted. As First Lady do we really want her commenting on our position with Egypt?
The comment regarding the Bush girls and Chelsea was very nice. She looked fine. Hope it was American otherwise we will spend a month discussing why it wasnt.
Heard she was asked on Regis about Kate and William's wedding. I wish folks would stop. The invitations have not gone out so why is everyone asking her if she will be invited? How would she know? Goodness.
I am very impressed with how Michele O was O so composed and her responses to the questions asked both on the Today and Regis Show.
I LOVE Mrs. O! I really don't know what's wrong with me. I was so happy and giddy watching her this morning, I thought to myself I really need help. It's kinda creeping me out, my admiration for this lady. Enough about my crazy self and on to Mrs. O. She handled her self perfectly on the Today show. I like when she would give her answer and it was kinda short and she would smile like, "that's all I have to say." And when he asked her how did she know he wasn't sneaking puffs here and there and she was like "believe me, I know, you know." LOL, this lady knows her man, but I won't lie because I was thinking the same thing before he asked the question.
The Regis and Kelly show was the best. I could tell she felt more comfortable in that setting. You could see it in her body language and the ease at which she answered. And I know the questions were more fluff, but she was her normal down to earth self and she threw in some major points about her husband. I was like, "That's my girl, that's my girl!" (in my Smokey from Friday voice).
On the fashion tip, I was not feeling those mustard yellow shoes (well they looked that color on my tv). I liked the dress and the red belt is the one she wore with her Moses De La Renta dress, just backwards. I wouln't have minded a red shoe or black, but hey that's me and I am not as fashion forward as my First Lady. Can't wait to see what she wears with the kids in the ATL. Will the weather permit her to go? I live in the South and it's snowing and when it snows down here, EVERYTHING shuts down! ;-)
First pic of Mrs. O in Atlanta:
http://theobamadiary.com/2011/02/09/schoolmates-2/
Nyon, I feel the same way. Mrs O makes me gush with pride. I almost hold my breath everytime I see her because she represents such a lovely woman who truly cares about her role as first lady but also as a wife and mother. And....I love the look, belt and all. She's truly adorable and so incredibly calm and poised. I'm sure Mr President gives thanks every day for having met and married such a remarkable woman.
Mrs. O is so gracious even in the face of inappropriate questions on television.
An H&M dress? HA! that's great.
Loved Mrs. O in both of these interviews. She is so "together"...well-versed, well -poken and well-dressed. She also knows her position, versus that of her husband, the President, and therefore does not try to wade into waters that are not her territory. Very, very bright, articulate lady. I loved her look, although not quite feeling the yellow pumps. But, then she looks great in everything. God bless Mrs. Obama, our First Lady! God bless the Obama family and God bless America.
I actually really liked the shoes.
I think the outfit was great--it brought a couple of much-needed pops of color to winter! It's disgusting here in New York. We have two-month-old slush! Her attire said, "Hang in there. Spring is coming." As far as the substance of the interviews, Mrs. O. always hits it out of the park, and this was no exception. Nothing seems to fluster her.
So she wore two outfits in Atlanta: black at the school and a white suit for her speech.
The navy H&M dress looked almost brown on the Today Show interview. On Regis and Kelly it looked more like navy, so lighting certainly makes a difference. I loved the red belt and yellow shoes! It's winter on the east coast, so Michelle balanced the day with color. Look to the streets of any major city and you'll see bright coats, scarves, and boots. Our FLOTUS is sassy, savvy, and fun!
I love Mrs. O., but the red belt and black shoes --> not so much (not at all actually!!!!).
but great interview, and as always, a confident, composed, beautiful women!!!
Wow! Mrs. O makes a $34.95 dress look like a million bucks!
Great that she wore an H&M dress; very springy. However, I don't see why asking her about Egypt is stupid. Not only is she a smart, ivy-league-eduacted attorney, she also is entitled to her own opinion as is every American--and to share it if she so chooses. One does not need to be a foreign policy expert to comment on current events.
@ Nyon, I can always count on you for more "411"! Thanx!
@shyril;
"Hope it was American otherwise we will spend a month discussing why it wasnt."
Ha! Unfortunately, H&M isn't American but it should be cheap enough to shut up the people who talk about the expense of her clothes...but probably not. Just like all the people who were screaming "buy American" forgot that she has worn American designers on umpteen other occasions.
I also would have preferred a pump in some color other than what she had on. But hey, spring is coming.
Did not see Regis but loved her on the Today Show
Iva, there was no chance that Michelle Obama would have messed up in answering those questions from Matt. First of all, they were stupid, infantile, and amateurish. For someone who's supposedly a journalist (or a former one), Matt was as ill-prepared for this interview as was Bill O"Reilly on Super Bowl Sunday. The focus of this interview was to commemorate the first anniversary of the Let's Move campaign. Instead of focusing on that and the different innitiatives within the campaign and what's next going forward, he spent more than half the time asking innane questions more suitable for a gossip columnist or Entertainment Tonight. I must say, Regis and Kelley did a much better job. It seems to me that Matt was trying his best to trip up the First Lady so he and NBC could have their "Breaking News!" moment. What he got instead was a woman who is always in-charge and with her "A Game" on He seemed to forget that this woman was a high performing and achieving executive accustomed to public speaking before she became First Lady so he's not going to rattle her. Like her husband on Sunday (and all other occasions), she kept her cool, poise, and deflected the silly questions in a way that he had no alternative but to finally turn to the subject at hand, even though by then they had less than 10 minutes to really explore the range of topics within the innitiative. As for her dress, I cannot believe that was a $34.95 dress! It's reminiscent of the black and white dress she wore for her first appearance on The View. Even though we're in the midst of winter, it evoked a spring-like quality; maybe it had to do with the material, so light, or maybe the pops on color in the belt and shoes are also lending to that feel. This woman continues to amaze me.
Nyon--I'm so glad you mentioned about how over the top you are about Mrs. obama. I'm the same way, and as a very down to earth grandma I'm not in the habit of getting star struck by anyone. I live in a very conservative area, and often have to defend my Democratic ideas. That could be why I am so enamored of Mrs. O. She is so outstanding in every way and represents the very best of America. The right wing folks have a hard time coming up with anything negative to say. She dresses in things she likes, and no apology to anyone---you go girl---.
I want those yellow kitten heels!!!!!!!!!!
I am waiting for Macy's to comment on Mrs O H&M dress.
I love when FLOTUS mixes and matches patterns/textures...It just shows she marches to the beat of her own drummer. I love this outfit, especially the dress and the heels.
The interview is great, as per usual. I dislike many of the interviews Mrs O is often subjected. It's as if the press is baiting her, waiting for her to unleash the unAmerican harridan within. It is so tiresome but she stays classy. The woman loves this country, but not in a "love it or leave it way" of the far right. Good on her!
@ Nora - Just to clarify, since I mentioned the question regarding Egypt - I don't think it was "stupid," I think it was difficult and a little unfair to expect that she'd weigh in on such a touchy and fluid situation.
I agree, she is smart and capable to understand and have an opinion of the situation in Egypt. However, from my understanding of this issue, it is a diplomatic tightrope for the White House and I just don't think adding another voice to this tightrope is a good idea. She was doing this interview in her official capacity as first lady, so she'd be interpreted as answering the question not as a thoughtful ivy-league educated citizen, but as the first lady, a representative of her husband, and therefore her words would carry diplomatic meaning. She's not a diplomat, so I don't think she should be one, even if she's certainly smart enough to do the job.
Love her too. Poise and faithfulness. what a great support she is to her husband.
I hear you, Iva, and I agree to a certain extent; however, let us not let us not allow our love and admiration for Mrs. O to make us biased. Those are current events she was asked about and Mrs. O has been in the public eye long enough to handle the delicate and tough questions. Hillary Clinton and even Laura Bush have had to field tough questions in times of conflict. It would have been insulting and disappointing for Mat Lauer to softball Mrs. O and ask her solely about trivial issues. I think the interview was quite fair and enlightening. Anyway, are we not the same bloggers who always clamor that we take Mrs. O seriously and look beyond her clothes, as superb as they often are? I for one admire her intelligence as much as her fashion sense.
@SoccerNanna, LOL, no problem!
@Auni and Jestina, glad to know I'm not alone ;-)
Nyon - I hear you. I am a 64 year old, otherwise pretty sensible woman who is completely nuts about MO. She is such an inspiration.
I thought she looked terrific this morning, and I loved the surprise pop of color in her yellow shoes.
The one moment in the interview that I didn't love was when she said she didn't think much about what she wore or how she looked. I just didn't believe it. Anyone who has as much imagination and sparkle as she does in her dress, THINKS about it. She may not be out pawing through racks of clothes looking for something to wear on the Today show, but she's clearly involved in her wardrobe, and it shows in her life. And what is wrong with that? We're back to the old "style over substance" choice, which is completely false. They are not mutually exclusive, and I wish she had felt she could cop to it. I felt like someone in the re-election/pollicy wing of the White House somehow convinced her not to acknowledge her love of fashion and beautiful clothes , and instead concentrate on "serious" issues. Come on, people - she can, and does, handle all of it beautifully.
I thought the yellow shoes with the red, white and blue outfit were brilliant. I instantly saw "yellow ribbon" on her feet. I loved it!!
To the point here about the questions Matt Lauer asked FLOTUS on Egypt etc:
I'm sorry, we've been told over & over that she is smarter and better than all previous First Ladies put together, so why are the questions considered inappropriate?
As we know, Eleanor Roosevelt often involved herself in in policy, as did Hillary clinton.
And here is a story about Laura Bush and her involvement in our policy toward Burma, which was one of her main initiatives as First Lady:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1659170,00.html
So actually,first Ladies do get involved in foreign policy.
My view is that Michelle has been told to stay out of policy questions and stick to soft stuff so she does. She does what she's told.
Yawn. As a woman I find that really boring and lame.
I live in London, and I thought I recognised this dress from H&M !! am going back to buy it, i hope it has not flown off the shelf yet!!!
I absolutely love this dress! Congrats to our President on giving up smoking...I knew you could do it! The fact that the Obama girls are not allowed to use Facebook is a very wise decision.
Mrs. O knows how to dress for camera impact. The red belt and yellow shoes really show up on TV. While this is not a combination I would normally wear, it is very effective on screen.
Mrs. Obama demonstrated a good technique to employ when wearing less expensive fashions. Usually these items come with cheap-looking accessories (such as the sash with this dress). She substituted a more expensive, better-quality belt. This improved the outfit. I must confess to being biased against yellow shoes in general; thus, I did not like them with the dress. A beige or black shoe would have been better. Colorful shoes in general are not that professional and are best suited for casual or after-work attire. Thought she handled the interviews reasonably well; she understood that she is not an elected official and does not have the authority per se to answer policy questions such as the ones referencing Egypt.
I thought she looked great all day. My favorite is the cream suit at the end of the day.
I liked the Regis/Kelly interview much better than Today show with Matt. I thought Matt came at her with some passive/aggressive style of questions...and she sensed it.
I have to agree with OpFan on Mrs. O saying she didn't pay much attention to her style/clothes. She just looks too good. What's wrong with being fashionable while doing her work, charities, travel or down time? She is very intelligent and can obviously handle many things at one time. It did seem like she had been advised to steer clear of the 'style' image. I wish she would have said....yes, I enjoy fashion and like to have fun with it. Parts of the interview seemed like they are in re-election/campaign mode.
I am in such enormous awe of this woman. Being a Canadian, I can only watch, admire and sigh in wistfulness. I doubt I’d recognize our Mrs. Harper even if I'm in the same elevator with her.
It’s not just about being in the public eye, Mrs. O's keen intelligence, her drive and her spirit comes through every time. Just the way she handled Matt’s questions – ranging from very personal to political, only solidifies my admiration for her.
And must say, WHAT a kickass statement with the H&M dress – the restatement of her message is loud and clear “women will wear she loves”.
The questions about Egypt are not appropriate for Mrs. obama to answer. It is avery, very touchy situation--and if she missteped in some way it could have serious consquences. The knives are always out for her and President Obama. She knows it, and even though she is working on issues (childhood obesity & support for military families) that everyone can get behind--she still gets flack. She manages it so well--Matt had an edge to his questions--and you could see her being careful Good for you Michelle. She has been clear that she will not comment on policy--VERY clear. What she does focus on is children and families--God bless her.
The wearing of (and subsequent publicity about) the $34 H&M dress on national tv shows that, rather than just "wearing what she loves", Mrs Obama uses her wardrobe for political purposes as well. This is a woman who, after all, will wear very expensive outfits to less publicized events.
We've heard so much about Mrs Obama's fashion choices this week. There has been a definite buildup. So, to a nationally televised interview she wore something she could happily tell the people if asked (or let them know through outlets such as the WaPo) that it was just a regular dress! Like regular people wear!
Now, I don't blame her for dressing to put out a message she feels will help her husband. She is a political wife, after all. But I think it is worth recognizing if we are to discuss her fashion choices realistically.
The only *thing* that is boring and lame to me are people who characterize others' actions as boring and lame. Mrs. O has had a great deal to do with policy. She picks and chooses her battles - as most people do. You, nonpasserat, make it clear what your battle is every time you show up on this site.
@realist
I love your assessment. I never thought of the “patriotic/supporting our military families” theme until you brought it forward.
Peace.
To anyone looking for the H&M dress, best of luck! The H&M store in the suburbs near me said it sold out last night and people are still calling looking for it today! This FLOTUS has that kind of power! I liked the dress and especially how it was styled with the shoes and belt. Everyone said that the shoes appeared yellow, but on my set they seemed chartruese. Yeah, it seemed to signal that spring is coming (even though it was all of 12 degrees here yesterday) and it cannot get here fast enough!
As for her interview with Matt Lauer, I really appreciated how our Michelle handled him. She's nothing if not focused. It did not bother me that his agenda started off as political and veered into the nonsense about hair dying. But FLOTUS stayed the course. I admire that because if she had done anything else, that interview would've ended with him saying that time has run out and if we wanted any info on The Let's Move initiative then look it up online. She was confident and answered his questions, albeit not the way he'd hoped for. Now that's truly the definition of diplomacy: forging a relationship without resorting to argument or conflict. Nothing lame or boring about that!
She also had the dress lengthened. At almost six feet tall I'm sure she has several dresses lengthened. Just lovely.
As for the questions Matt Lauer asked Mrs. O, they are cleared prior to the sit down interview. There are no surprise questions. Regarding the H&M dress, It was noted on another site, that a stylist had added the 3/4 sleeves to the H&M dress. How does this work? Is this alteration done by H&M or later? Thank you.
@ Sophia,
Please enlighten the rest of us, how do you know the questions Matt Lauer asked the First Lady are pre-screened or pre-selected? Do you have some first-hand, inside knowledge of this fact or are you just guessing or making it up as you go along? Remember, the subject at hand and her reason for being on the show was to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Let's Move initiative and to roll out the next steps in the ongoing process. Knowing how trivial and silly the media can be at times, I have no doubt that the First Lady was (is) prepared to answer any number of down right silly questions, many of which are just for the sole purpose to illicit a certain response. I call these the "gotcha questions". In the end I never fear them asking these questions because both the First Lady as well as the President are both pros and are quite capable of answering them directly or deflecting them all together with great ease to focus on the subject at hand.
@Nonpasserat,
Are you for real or are you just being obtuse? Nobody should be that dumb to think that the Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States, could not engage the likes of Matt Lauer in any policy discussion on the issues of the day. You are conveniently ignoring the facts and wallowing in your ignorance and prejudice when you fail to acknowledge what you should already know...that this woman is a highly educated attorney and high achieving former executive who could run rings around you and Matt on any given policy discussion. The fact that she chose not to indulge Matt in his desire to discuss the U.S. government's policy on Egypt in the midst of a crisis showed her diplomatic skills and his total lack of knowledge of protocol. Remember what happened to Hillary Clinton when her husband appointed her to head the Health Care Reform taskforce? The anti-Clinton wolves went after her, claiming she was not elected therefore she should not be involved in policy-making decisions. So no, I don't blame the FLOTUS for not taking the bait because all her detractors like yourself would jump all over whatever statement(s) she made like dogs on a bone! Instead she chose to stick to the subject she came on the show to illumminate---childhood obesity. Now if you don't think that subject is worthy of a national discussion, then tell that to the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as the U.S. Military, who are all seeing the results of this .epidemic, which if left unchecked will cost this country billions of dollars in future health care costs, not to mention potential national security risks when future recruits are too obese to serve. So Nonpasserat, everyone who've had the misfortune of reading your dribble in the past know who and what you represent and know how quickly you tend to pollute this site with your caustic presence. But each time you show up you just further display your true ignorance and bigotry. We can do without you here, so HASTA LA VISTA AND GOOD RIDDANCE!!!! You bring no value here, I'm pretty sure you with little effort you can find other hate-filled sites that would accommodate your vitriol.
The dress must have cost a lot more when she had it custom designed with sleeves.
Love her, love her style, love how Mr. and Mrs. O are with each other and I love how not what what she has on she loves FAB!!!! AND! I love how simple and flirty this dress is. I would love to own it.