The Official Portrait

Photo credit: Joyce N. Boghosian / The White House

The White House has released an official portrait of First Lady Mrs. O taken in the Blue Room of the White House. Lovely!

Update: The New York Daily News reports that the dress Mrs. O wears is from Michael Kors's Spring 2009 collection. A royal blue version of the dress can be seen here. The Michael Kors racer back gown is made from a double-bonded crepe jersey. The dress has been in stores across the country since January.

An End to the Bare Arms Debate

The Washington Post has released a new video interview with White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers. Ms. Rogers weighs in on the role Mrs. O is shaping as First Lady, and yes, even those bare arms. The message? Mrs. O is just being herself. And given it's that strong, confident sense of self that has yielded such an interesting range of fashion that we all so much enjoy, we hope Mrs. O holds on to it tight - and continues to dress as she pleases, bare arms and all. Video follows after the jump.

A Striking Profile

Drawing by Kansas City, KS based artist Leslie Brown

We've been eagerly anticipating Leslie Brown's second drawing of the First Lady, inspired by a 2007 Annie Leibovitz photograph of Mrs. O. The image, both here and in the original form, is one of the most stunning of the First Lady we've ever seen. We love Mr. Brown's masterful shading, and the striking silhouette and graceful slope of Mrs. O's neck and shoulders that he has so perfectly captured. Several weeks ago we featured Mr. Brown's first drawing of Mrs. O. To see that work, and learn more about the talented artist (also a language arts teacher in Olathe, KS), click here.

In Blue Velvet at the EPA

Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian / White House

We can hardly keep up with Mrs. O at this rate! The morning after celebrating Stevie Wonder at the White House, Mrs. O was back to work, making the sixth stop, this time at the Environmental Protection Agency, in her tour of federal agencies. EPA administrator Lisa Jackson first introduced the First Lady as "an icon of grace, class and style" (love that she noted style). Mrs. O then went on to give a brief speech to the standing-room-only crowd:

"This new era puts the EPA at the center of President Obama's highest priorities, securing America's energy independence and securing the future of our planet by combating climate change."

"This is what it is all about: the future. And in many ways, it starts with all of you. You ensure that the water we drink is safe, that the air we breathe is clean, and that the polluted fields and abandoned factories in our neighborhoods all over this nation are cleaned up and restored."

For her appearance, Mrs. O wore a blue velvet blazer belted at the waist, paired with gray wool trousers and silver ballet flats. Additional images can be seen here and here.

A New Designer in the Mix

Photo by Frank Mullin via Flickr user Barack Obama / Creative Commons

The designer of this high-waisted pinstripe pantsuit has eluded us, but being one of Mrs. O's more frequently worn looks through 2007 and 2008, and reappearing again last week, we were determined to solve the mystery. It turns out, both the suit above and this jacket from the September 2008 cover of Ebony, come from the Spring 2008 collection of said mystery designer. See the answer, an exciting new addition to Mrs. O's style repertoire, after the jump.

Photo via Flickr user Damian Cugley / Creative Commons