Peek of Patterned Delight

Photo used with kind permission from photographer Kim Ellison

Making a second appearance in Minnesota on Monday, Mrs. O wore a boldly printed tie neck blouse underneath a black cardigan belted at the waist. One blouse proved it could yield quite the transformation, quickly dressing up Mrs. O's earlier look to suit the more formal Minneapolis Club venue. We don't often see Mrs. O choose such bright multi-colored patterns, but tempered by her black cardigan, the peek of fabric added the right amount of punch to the ensemble. To note, this is the second tie neck blouse we've seen Mrs. O wear in two weeks, the last paired with the tweed Thakoon jacket on October 2. More and more, bows seem to be working their way into Mrs. O's looks in one form or another.

Date: October 13, 2008

Venue: The Minneapolis Club, Minneapolis, MN

Chicago Fashion, Part I

Image used with kind permission of Ikram

In Chicago this week, we found an hour to explore the city’s thriving fashion scene. For many Chicago isn’t synonymous with fashion, but spend a few days in this beautiful city on the lake, where architectural marvels abound and art deco influences delight – and it’s not difficult to see where one would draw inspiration. Our mini excursion took us to two of the city’s oft mentioned boutiques: Ikram and Maria Pinto.

Read the editor’s notes in any Vogue fashion spread and you’re bound to find Ikram cited. Peruse Style.com and find videos of Ikram Goldman, the boutique’s owner and namesake, commenting on this season’s collections in New York or Paris. Ikram, the woman and the boutique, have fashion influence far-reaching beyond Chicago, so it was with great anticipation that we finally paid a visit to her fabled store.

Located in the Gold Coast, a stone’s throw from the Sears Tower John Hancock Center (thanks Jasmine), Ikram sits in the first floor of a modern stone and glass building on North Rush St. A self-described “treasure trove” the boutique is bursting at the seams with all things covetous. We were first greeted by a small island table decorated with neatly folded piles of cashmere gloves and scarves surrounding a case of jewel encrusted shell rings and other assorted baubles.

Around a corner and into a small cove we discovered a wall of Jimmy Choo heels and Lanvin and Alaia flats carefully displayed on wood shelves like prized heirlooms. As we wandered through the store, enticed by bejeweled Moschino jackets and luxuriously soft tweed Lanvin suits, we longingly wished our bank account was as big as our eyes. In this sea of temptation, there were two garments that really made our heart flutter: a soft, generously cut purple mohair jacket by Hanii Y and an a-line skirt cocktail dress in delicate floral black lace overlay on ivory fabric by Isabel Toledo. Needless to say, our visit to Ikram did not just meet expectations, it wowed.

Check back tomorrow for Part II of this post, when we cover our visit to Maria Pinto’s West Loop boutique. 

Hope and Peace

Photo used with kind permission from photographer Laura Askelin

Speaking in Rochester, MN this afternoon, we noticed what have become regular accessories on Mrs. O as of recent: a pair of layered silver charm necklaces. But not until we looked more closely did we realize that Mrs. O's understated jewelry was in fact making a poignant statement. Adding a personal touch to her casual, laid back look, the top necklace is a stamped metal charm that reads "Hope", an Obama campaign anthem, while the bottom is a small diamond peace symbol. Our friend at etsy, littlebugsboutique, informs us that the "Hope" charm was likely made by Blue Moon Beads, available here. Update: Thanks for the tip, Lily. Mrs. O's peace symbol necklace is indeed the creation of jewelry designer Lena Wald, and available for purchase here. On another accessories note, we saw that Mrs. O was sporting the same black patent leather belt yet again. This versatile waist cincher is well on track to becoming the new Azzedine Alaia of last year.

Date: October 13, 2008 Venue: Campaign rally, Rochester, MN

A Penchant for Flat Footwear

Photo used with kind permission from photographer Hemen H. Mehta

Ever the style pragmatist, Mrs. O has been open about her preference for flats, citing her 5’11” height and the pressures of the campaign trail, not to mention keeping up with her two girls.  We’d go further and say she often uses flats as a deliberate choice to bring her overall look – quite literally – down to earth.  For the DNC finale in late August, we saw Mrs. O use a classic pair of black patent flats to set off a stunning Thakoon print cocktail dress (note the family’s shared rose colored palette and penchant for black patent flats).  Had the dress been paired with, say, black patent heels instead, the effect would have been different: perhaps more high glamour than her usual, pared-down yet personalized style.

Flats – once the exclusive preserve of the very young or the very elderly – broke back into the mainstream in 2005, where they now seem set to stay.  For those of us who love shoes and are fans of the flat, they can uniquely combine a happy practicality (walk, don’t totter) with real feminine flair: embellishments which can look tacky on a pair of heels look quirky and interesting on flats. A view Mrs. O seems to share when we see her here again in a favorite pair of silver flats given standout and texture via the layering around the toe. High end brands like Miu Miu, Sigerson Morrison and Jimmy Choo have taken ornamentation to the extreme over the past few seasons, while cult brands like Repetto take their inspiration from their definitive dance roots.

The question for now is will Mrs. O stick or twist in the style stakes as election day draws closer?

If it’s the former, we wonder whether she might take her taste for a well-placed bow or floral brooch to her flats:

Who's behind this mystery frock? (Updated)

Photo used with kind permission from Flickr photographer The Adventures of Arnie & Marjorie

A few of you have written in to inquire about this floral shirt dress worn by Mrs. O in August, on the day Joe Biden's Vice Presidential candidacy was announced. The cut of the dress feels vintage inspired, similar in style to the feminine day dresses of the 1940s. And in deep purple, moss green and blue gray, the printed fabric resembles irises painted in watercolor. For a closer look at the fabric, have a peek at these photos from the same day. Given the prominence of floral patterns for Spring '08, we didn't think it would be a tall order to track down the designer - but we've had absolutely no luck thus far. Now we want to open it up to the group. Help us solve it. Who's the designer behind this gorgeous floral frock?

UPDATE: A huge thanks to Jen for helping us solve this. As Jen writes, the dress does appear to be Moschino. A similar dress from the Spring '08 Moschino collection, seen here, is clearly in the same fabric.

Date: August 23, 2008

Venue: Campaign rally following announcement of Joe Biden's Vice Presidential candidacy, Springfield, IL