When Mamie Went on Vacation

Photo from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library

As the Obama family gets ready to vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, we thought it is an ideal time to look back at previous First Ladies to see how they dressed during their vacation time.

First Lady Mamie Eisenhower liked to relax on the weekend farm, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, she shared with her husband, President Dwight D. Eisenhower. In July, 1956, she invited the White House staff to a lawn buffet supper party at the farm. For the occasion—which was also the wedding anniversary of the Eisenhowers—she chose a patterned shirt waist dress. Its distinctive silhouette, with a fitted waist and a very full skirt, married the popular informal dress style of the late 1940s with the mid-1950s New Look introduced by French designer Christian Dior.

We can’t help but notice that Mrs. E’s dress bears some similarity to the Tracy Feith dress that Mrs. O wore to the National Cathedral on January 21, 2009. Both dresses have graceful scoop necks and lively fantasy patterns. And we also see a harbinger of the current layered necklace look in Mrs. E’s mix of pearls and a locket.

Mrs. E was known as a vivacious hostess and she certainly appears here to embody a fresh, fun approach to her times. Little did she know that while she wearing the de rigueur style of the day, she was also modeling the shape of things to come.

Post by Mrs. C

Vineyard Bound

Reports of the Os late August trip to Martha's Vineyard have begun to surface, as multiple sources confirm that the first family will stay at Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark. We hope the Os enjoy some well deserved R&R!

The Martha's Vineyard Gazette has more on the visit and island preparations, here.

To learn more about the Blue Heron Farm property, click here.

In the City of Brotherly Love

Image via Flickr user Schaffner / Creative Commons

For those curious about Mrs. O's most recent whereabouts, the first lady and her daughters did a bit of sight seeing in Philadelphia this past weekend. They began Saturday with a tour of the Betsy Ross house on Arch Street. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Malia Obama had written a school paper about Betsy Ross and was eager to see firsthand where the first American flag was sewn. While in Philadelphia, Mrs. O and her daughters also visited Independence Hall, and took in Isaiah Zagar's mosaic work on South Street.

We doubt the Os had time for shopping, though the famous Joan Shepp boutique or the lovely adresse must have been tempting.

Update #1: Mrs. O also stopped for gelato at Capogiro, reportedly enjoying a Chocolate Banana with Dark Chocolate treat.

Update #2: Click here for the sweetest story of 7-year-old Olivia D’Angelo touring the Betsy Ross house with the Obama girls.

A Third Year Running

Image via VF.com

For the third year in a row, Mrs. O has been named to Vanity Fair's International Best Dressed List. Kudos to the magazine for spotting Mrs. O's sartorial prowess all the way back in 2007! Click here for Vanity Fair's report card of Mrs. O's style stats.

Weekend Getaway

Photo by Jim Watson / Getty Images

Earlier today the Os departed for a weekend getaway at Camp David. We love Mrs. O's lavendar sweater set and breezy summer skirt. When we first saw this image, we thought the Os might be bound for Martha's Vineyard. Does anyone know when they officially go?