Wish List

Image via Anthropologie.com 

InStyle and Charlene from Detroit are on the same page this morning! Both have directed us to this fabulous necklace by Pieter Erasmus, the same style worn by First Lady Mrs. O during the White House Correspondents' Dinner this Spring, and now available at Anthropologie.

Back in May, we wrote:

The necklace is the work of St. Erasmus, a three-season-old UK based jewelry line, the brainchild of its designer, Pieter Erasmus. 

The statement necklace is made of fresh-water-pearls, Swarovski crystal and Zari thread. Zari thread, we learned, is a fine gold or silver wire thread usually woven into Indian and Pakistani garments. The designer used the Zari thread to crochet intricate mesh that support the pearls and stones. The pink flower shape is indeed part of the necklace.

Mr. Erasmus is originally from South Africa, and cites Africa as a constant source of inspiration. This particular necklace, he explained, is from the Nizam story in his Spring Summer 2009 collection, which was inspired by the opulence of the Nizam's court in Hyderabad, India during the late 1700s. 

In an email message, the designer said he was, "so delighted to see that Mrs. Obama is supporting fashion for creativity." Well, make that two of us!

St. Erasmus is carried at Harrods and other high-end boutiques overseas; in the US, it is carried exclusively at the Chicago boutique Ikram. (Add Anthropologie to the list!)

Sunday Best

Image by Jewel Samad / Getty Images

The first family attended a church service at St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. this morning. Following the service, the Os walked back to the White House as a family.

On a style note, First Lady Mrs. O re-wore a Moschino skirt that was first debuted for the president's address to congress in early September (thanks BeeGee, for pointing this out). Click here to see the skirt featured in an earlier post. Topping the skirt was an embellished cardigan in coordinating pink and brown, cinched at the waist with a brown ribbon bow. Pink flats completed this very lovely, cohesive look.

A Second Look

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

 

Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy

Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton

New White House photos on Flickr provide a second look at our favorite dresses of recent weeks.

In the top photo, Mrs. O wears a sequinned Michael Kors frock, worn for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's 32nd Annual Awards Gala in Washington, D.C.

In the second photo, Mrs. O wears a cobalt blue dress by Jason Wu as she meets former Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci. Note the fantastic detail on the crocodile print fabric.

Update #1: We've also added a photo from the gymnastics demonstration that took place on the White House lawn in mid-September. Grazia Fashion has reported that Mrs. O's skirt is Erdem, noting that the designer is "known for his painterly approach to print and colour, and elegant ladylike tailoring." We recall that someone from Mrs-O.org spotted the designer as Erdem a few weeks ago and noted it in the comments. Please remind us who - we'd like to give you recognition!

Update #2: That person is Ari. Hooray!

Girl Scout O

Image via Girl Scouts USA

Yesterday Mrs. O was named Honorary National President of Girl Scouts USA. The position is a longstanding tradition for first ladies, extending back to 1929 when Lou Henry Hoover became the first Honorary National President.

In a statement released by the Girl Scouts, Mrs. O spoke of the honor: “It is my great pleasure to serve as Honorary National President of Girl Scouts. With their innovative new programming, ground-breaking research, and emphasis on service and leadership, Girl Scouts is preparing the women of tomorrow to be a positive force for change – in their own lives, their communities, and across the globe.”

Pictured above, Mrs. O stands with Kathy Cloninger and Connie Lindsey of Girl Scouts USA (also providing another look at yesterday's ensemble). We wonder if Mrs. O received a special Girl Scouts uniform as part of the event?

A Night for Star Gazing

Photo by Jim Young / Reuters

The Os hosted an event with local middle school students and astronomers to do a bit of star gazing from the South Lawn of the White House this evening. This is a rare occasion when we must say, we are not loving Mrs. O's look. We have always been a fan of her fabulous Zero + Maria Cornejo jacket (worn last fall on the campaign trail) but here, the color mix - blue, layered with patterned purple - is perhaps a bit much. Ensemble aside, the Os do look like they're having a wonderful time!