A Wednesday Evening Dinner Party

Photo credit: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

The President and First Lady Mrs. O are hosting a dinner in the East Room of the White House this evening, entertaining the congressional committee chairmen, their Republican counterparts and their spouses - 180 guests in total.

Mrs. O is wearing a black velvet pant suit, paired with her oversize Moschino pearl cluster brooch. Said brooch has become a new staple accessory in Mrs. O's wardrobe. Speaking of accessories, a few people have asked about the new watch on Mrs. O's wrist recently, here and in her White House portrait. We've just learned it's a classic Cartier Tank Francaise watch. Fancy!

While this jazzy pantsuit may seem to break with Mrs. O penchant for dresses, it's not unprecedented. The palazzo pants remind us of this Isabel Toledo ensemble Mrs. O wore in June for the Calvin Klein fundraiser event in New York City, paired with a Tom Binns necklace (and repeatedly praised by the editors of Vogue). Though we're partial to a good dress, we love that Mrs. O continues to keep us on our sartorial toes with her easy elegance.

Braving the Cold to Lend Support

Taking the wintry conditions in stride, First Lady Mrs. O spoke at Arlington National Cemetery today as part of a Women in Military Service event. In an impassioned speech - not a surprise, given the First Lady has proclaimed support for military families will be one of her foremost causes - Mrs. O shared these words with her audience:

"Military families have done their duty and we, as a grateful nation, must do ours. We must do everything in our power to honor them by supporting them - not just by word but by deed. It is my great hope that today's and future generations will honor women and men in uniform. By, first of all, never taking the blessings of freedom for granted, and by doing their part to create a more perfect union."

For the event, Mrs. O remixed several familiar pieces from her wardrobe. The black and white stripe blouse, last seen at the President and First Lady's visit to the Capitol City Charter School, here. As well as the teal cardigan and royal blue patent leather belt, last seen in combination for the National Day of Service, here. A gray wool blazer and trousers rounded out the multi-layered ensemble (perhaps a cold weather tactic?). Some might say there's a layer too many, but we can't help but think of Mrs. O's recent interview for Vogue in which she exclaimed, "I needed that sweater!" in reference to her election night layering.

Earlier in the day Mrs. O met with Sarah Brown, the wife of U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Mrs. Brown presented Sasha and Malia Obama with clothes from the affordable U.K. fashion mecca Top Shop, set to open its first U.S. store in New York City this April. 

In an interesting sartorial twist, we recently asked a British friend of Mrs-O.org about her own black and white stripe blouse that bears striking similarity to Mrs.O's. The origin of her shirt? Top Shop. We can't be certain, but what a thoughtful gesture if Mrs. O's blouse is, in fact, from Top Shop and worn today in honor of her British guests. (Sadly, not Top Shop, but a doppleganger. We'll continue to investigate.) Per the Daily Telegraph the two women also discussed maternity issues, and Mrs. O's plans to visit Britain next month.

Pearls in Peril: The Back Story of a Necklace

When the President and First Lady hosted their first black tie dinner at the White House on February 22, Mrs. O wore a statement necklace of pearls and crystals by Tom Binns. We were naturally curious about this bold piece of jewelry, bound to become an icon of Mrs. O’s sophisticated and elegant style. Rarely does anyone mix pearls and faux diamonds together so abundantly, but when it does happen the result tends to be memorable. A case in point: the last famous image of a woman known for wearing a multi strand pearl necklace mixed with diamante was Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Mrs. O’s necklace comes from a collection by Binns named Pearls in Peril—an intriguing name that sounds a bit like a title from a silent movie melodrama. WWD has reported that the name reflected Binns’ dark take on the world, and we think that is worth exploring. Certainly the pearls in this necklace are in peril of losing their traditional ladylike status. Stacked up like loops of Mardi Gras beads, the light-reflecting pearls are exuberant and playful. Then there is an inner ring of Swarovski crystals stuck between the ropes of pearls.

That necklace-within-the-necklace lays out the crystals in a flat square design, somewhat reminiscent of necklaces worn by the British royal family. The flat square design of the glittery crystal necklace contrasts nicely with the softly lustrous pearls—here are circles and squares that really do fit together. To finish the look, Binns tosses in one more upheaval of expectations by adding a brooch-sized clasp that hangs low in the front instead of high in the back.

The result: these are clearly are not your grandmother’s pearls—this is a 21st century interpretation of two traditional pieces jewelry, now beautifully melded together in one glamorous statement Yet beyond aesthetics, Binns appears to have been thinking of a genuine eco-crisis when he named the collection Pearls in Peril. Beginning in 1996, a mysterious disease started affecting Japan’s oysters and threatening that country’s cultured pearl supplies. So far, no definitive cause for the disease has been found, although pollutants, changes in the eco-system, or a virus have been suspected. The effects of this disease have been devastating: Although Japan has long been considered the standard bearer for cultured pearls, today only approximately 20 percent of that country’s pearl harvest is now viable for jewelry. In the last two years, over half of established pearl farmers in Japan have been forced out of business and the future for that country’s pearl industry is uncertain.

There is much about crisis and life on the edge that seems to attract Binns. Currently he is busy setting up his new boutique on Perry Street in New York City, a daring venture given the current state of economy. Yet Binns remains confident that the times are right for his tiny avant garde boutique. The jewel box of a space will remain an understated shell in so that his new creations can hold center stage. Also available for sale at this store will be some archival pieces of Binns’ work. Does he have fears about starting such a business adventure given present day economics? “It might be rather bumpy at the moment,” he said in a recent interview with Interview. “But it’s always a battle. Bring it on.”

Snowed In at the White House

White House photo by Pete Souza

It's a wintry day on the eastern seaboard, Washington, DC included. Mrs. O had plans to participate in the National Education Association's "Read Across America Day" to celebrate Dr. Seuss's 105th birthday at the Library of Congress this morning. Due to the snowy conditions, however, The Washington Post reports that the event has been cancelled. Sad! If ever a woman was equipped to brave the snow in style, we're sure it's Chicago native Mrs. O. But as it doesn't look like we'll get a glimpse of the First Lady's snow boots today, we hope she's bundled up and enjoying a mug of White House hot cocoa (though more likely, we're sure she's still busy with a plethora of other First Lady duties).

Mrs. O's Mystery Brooches

Images used with kind permission from Moschino

Brooches are, of course, a signature of Mrs. O's style. And while we know the First Lady has an enviable collection of floral pins from Erickson Beamon, there are a number that have remained somewhat of a mystery. In recent weeks, Mrs. O has been seen wearing an oversized pearl cluster brooch, first at the Kennedy Center, and then at the Department of Transportation. Through the summer and fall of 2008, Mrs. O wore several combinations of a sequin floral brooch, notably pinning four such brooches at the neckline of her azure blue dress for the third night of the DNC in August (another of our all-time favorite, but less mentioned, Mrs. O looks).

After extensive research, we've discovered that these pins both hail from the Italian design house Moschino, designed by Rosella Jardini, creative director of Moschino since 1994. The pearl cluster pin, a combination of silk tulle and pearls, comes from the label's Spring 2009 collection (image on left), while the floral sequin pin, made of sequins, black tulle and crystal pistil, originates from the label's Fall 2008 collection (image on right). The answer is perhaps a bit unexpected, but for that reason, all the more exciting. These pins can be purchased at Moschino New York, 401 West 14th Street, New York, NY (212.243.8600) and Ikram, North Rush Street, Chicago, IL (312.587.1407). Images used with kind permission from Moschino