Brilliant Basics

Photo used with kind permission from photographer Ken Bergman

Mrs. O spoke at Keene State College this morning, wearing a soft charcoal gray cardigan with striped gray v-neck tee underneath. It's a casual but pulled together look, and much improved venture into stripes over last week's slight misstep. The clean, coordinated palette looks polished. Mrs. O is making her way from New Hampshire to New York this evening, scheduled to appear on both Larry King Live and The Daily Show. The question of the hour: will she change clothes for the interviews?

Date: October 8, 2008

Venue: Keene State College, Keene, NH

A Twinkle in the Eye of Classic Style

Photo used with kind permission from photographer Edward Strennen

Mrs. O was channeling style with a twist last night in Tennessee, as she wore a classic red shift dress, with witty additions from the front diamante bows, to the exposed metallic zip at the back. The capped sleeve dress was beautifully cut with sculpting seams at the back, accentuating the figure and the silver flash of the zip gave bite. Below the scooped front neckline, encrusted ribbon bows offered some sparkling up light to her face, as she shook hands around the Tennessee studio and excused the need for any extra jewelry. Mrs. O’s dress was complimented by a pair of sharp patent sling backs in a close, but not exactly matching, red. Our fashion insider believes the dress is Maria Pinto.

Update: The dress is Narciso Rodriguez. This has been 100% confirmed.

Date: October 7, 2008

Venue: 2nd Presidential Debate, Nashville, TN

Coming up roses in J. Crew

Photo used with kind permission from Flickr photographer angelonfire

Speaking today in Jacksonville, NC, Mrs. O wore a sage green v-neck tee with a "Sketchbook roses Belle skirt" from J. Crew and silver ballet flats. We've been a big fan of J. Crew the past few seasons, and are happy to see Mrs. O bring them into her high-low fashion mix. We love this look. The sage green works well with the muted gray of the skirt, while the silver ballet flats add just the right amount of sparkle. The overall silhouette, fitted on top with a full skirt on bottom, is very becoming on Mrs. O. Now we'll just have to wait and see if she makes an appearance at tonight's debate - with a keen eye on what she's wearing, of course.

Date: October 7, 2008

Venue: Campaign rally, Jacksonville Commons Recreation Center, Jacksonville, NC

Get the look:

Another Narciso Number

Photo credit: Flickr user Barack Obama // Creative Commons

Thanks to BlackSnob for directing us to another fabulous Mrs. O ensemble, worn to the Congressional Black Caucus Gala on September 27th. A bit of research reveals it's a Narciso Rodrigez design in papaya silk, with navy and black floral embroidery through the skirt and shoulder, and darting at the neckline. We've seen Mrs. O in Narciso Rodriguez before, but this particular frock is a fresh, feminine spin on the designer's often minimalistic aesthetic. And this time, we're almost certain we're not being dupped for a H&M doppleganger. This photo doesn't quite do the dress justice. If you have better photos of Mrs. O from the evening, we'd love to post them.

Date: September 27, 2008

Venue: Congressional Black Caucus Gala, Washington, D.C.

Roses for Mrs. O

Photo credit: Flickr user Grant MacDonald // Creative Commons

When Mrs. O and Senator Obama celebrated their wedding anniversary this past weekend, Senator Obama made an impromptu stop at the charming Penny's Flowers in Glenside, PA to pick out a bouquet of flowers for Mrs. O. We're of the firm belief that a woman's preference in flowers is strongly linked to her personal style, so it seemed only fitting that Senator Obama chose a bouquet of white roses for Mrs. O. How perfect that roses have played a central role in Mrs. O's most high profile dresses in the past month, namely, the pair of rose print frocks by Thakoon. It's rumored that the Senator deliberated between red and yellow roses, though we can't imagine a more lovely choice than where he ended up.