The Face of Fashion Democracy

We've written an article about Mrs. O over at The Huffington Post, and would love you to have a read. A short excerpt from "The Face of Fashion Democracy":

The "high-low fashion" movement for mixing high and low end designs is gaining momentum and giving us a viable option to still look chic. The trend has quickly become a necessity for the cash-strapped this season. The greatest surprise ambassador of all? Michelle Obama. Some have called her an elitist, but nothing says Main Street like the clothes you choose to wear.

For the full article, click here.

Runway to Realway

Photo used with kind permission from photographer Zoe Deol, right of Mrs. O

In May 2008 Mrs. O. made romantic ruffles quite edgy and surprising in a white blouse from Maria Pinto’s Spring '08 collection. She was subsequently spotted campaigning in Puerto Rico just a few days later wearing a similar blouse in a thin-striped gray. This is what a “runway to realway” should look like. Here Mrs. O offers us a hybrid of two key Spring 2008 trends: whimsical ruffles and origami shaping. The elaborate folds of delicate fabric look very polished when paired sleek tailored trousers and cinched belts. Think Lanvin meets Yohji Yamamoto. We love how Mrs. elegantly observes the trends du jour without sacrificing her signature classic style. Jackie O. would surely approve. To complete the look, Zoe Deol tells us that Mrs. O paired the white blouse with "beautiful, wide-legged, camel colored pants."

Going Tweed for Thakoon

Photo credit: Flickr user Barack Obama // Creative Commons

We thought we were short on Mrs. O fashion news today until we stumbled across this stunner. Watching the Vice Presidential Debate last Friday night in Detroit, Mrs. O wore Thakoon's Tweed Loop jacket with woven rope print blouse underneath. The jacket and blouse mix both pattern and texture, which could pose a style challenge, but work well here due to the consistent color palette. The light softness of the tie-neck blouse also has a nice balance with the more structured, weighty jacket. We're happy to see that Mrs. O has brought her DNC brooches back into rotation. The taupe colored brooch at the top right, while a departure from the palette, keeps the look from becoming too matchy-matchy. This is the first we've seen Mrs. O in Thakoon after she wore two of his dresses for the final night of the DNC and then to first Presidential Debate. With this ensemble, Thakoon has officially propelled himself to go-to designer status for Mrs. O, joining the ranks of Maria Pinto and Narciso Rodriguez. We hope he and this look make encore performances soon.

Date: October 2, 2008

Venue: Vice Presidential Debate watch party, Detroit, MI Get the look:

One Day, Three Smashing Looks

Also interviewed on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight, Mrs. O wore the blue jacket and patent leather belt last seen on September 22 in Madison, WI. For tonight's appearance she paired the jacket with a matching skirt and classic pearls. A charcoal sweater set in Keene, NH this morning, a dazzling purple frock on Larry King Live and now a third ensemble for The Daily Show. Mrs. O, how do you do it?

A Fancy Feather

If you caught Mrs. O's interview on Larry King Live tonight, you likely noticed the fancy purple feather brooch Mrs. O wore at her collar. We've actually seen this brooch before, when Mrs. O spoke at a Washington D.C. luncheon for the National Partnership for Women and Families in June. The jewelry designer is Chicago-based Carolyn Rosenberg. The October issue of Vogue informs us that Rosenberg first started handcrafting brooches and necklaces as a hobby, using 1920s and '30s antique feathers and beads inherited from her great-aunt, a milliner. The designer has clearly turned hobby into booming business, as she's now stocked at the famed Ikram boutique in Chicago and has been worn by Mrs. O in primetime. As for Mrs. O's dress? We're going to say Maria Pinto. The neckline is very reminiscent of the Pinto design worn for the More magazine cover, and we know Mrs. O has been a fan of rich purple hues from Pinto before. Simply put, Mrs. O looked radiant tonight.

Date: October 8, 2008

Venue: Larry King Live interview