Mrs. O on J. Crew: "We ladies know"

Mrs. O made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night wearing yet another J. Crew ensemble. Mrs. O was at her most stylish in this look. A bold yellow, classic lines, all put together with personal flair. Mrs. O was dressed head to toe (or knee that is) in J. Crew. She wore the Italian Deco tank, Crystal-button colorblock cardigan in Silver Honey and Metallic cloque pencil skirt (Update: the skirt appears to be the Pembridge-dot pencil skirt in Yellow Gold. The color is available exclusively through the J. Crew Collection store.) Mrs. O added a bit of sparkle with a multi-colored jeweled brooch to close her cardigan.

When Mr. Leno brought up the subject of Mrs. O's style, "I want to ask you about your wardrobe. I'm guessing about $60-grand? $60-, $70,000 for that outfit?" Mrs. O replied, "Actually this is a J. Crew ensemble. We ladies, we know with J. Crew. You can get some good stuff online." Mr. Leno, perhaps surprised to hear about Mrs. O's online shopping habits then asked, "Do you order it online? Doesn't that take the fun out of it?" to which Mrs. O replied, "When you don't have time, you've got to click." Mrs. O has been spotted in J. Crew at least three times in the past few weeks. Seen here, here and here.

Last night's ensemble, however, was by far our favorite. The best part? The tank and cardigan are now on sale. As a side note, there was a great retrospective on J. Crew as part of a profile on Creative Director Jenna Lyons in this month's Domino Magazine - worth a quick peruse.

Date: October 27, 2008

Venue: Appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 

Abstract Rose Refresh

Photo used with kind permission from Toia Michelle Images

When Mrs. O appeared in Ohio last Friday, something familiar caught our eye. A fully printed version of the abstract rose J. Crew frock worn the week before in Pittsburgh. Thanks to J. Crew-aholics for pointing us to this strapless edition of the dress, which we believe to be underneath Mrs. O's belted cardigan.

Update: There was also a skirt in the same print, which is likely what we see here.

This marks another occassion in which Mrs. O has bought in multiples; in late September she notably wore the same jacket in two different colors. From a practical standpoint, this may be a necessity given Mrs. O's grueling travel schedule and multiple public appearances per week. It perhaps also says something greater about her personal style - that she has a distinct sense of what she likes and what works well on her, that she doesn't play by the celebrity-driven rule that one shouldn't be seen in the same thing twice, and that she knows a good bargain when she sees one. At full price, the dress retailed for $180 and the skirt for $135.

This look is also an example of an oft preached but hard to pull off fashion principle: extending your wardrobe across seasons. Particularly relevant in tough economic times, "Buy now and wear through summer" is even a headline on the cover of November's Vogue. While this concept sounds great in theory, it can be more difficult when face to face with one's closet. Mrs. O's ensemble is a great example of how to successfuly meld attire from neighboring seasons.

Pairing a J. Crew summer Fall collection (but still summery print) skirt with a black twinset, tights and boots, Mrs. O effortlessly transitions the look into fall. The prominence of black and the nature of the abstract print are key to making this work. Also notice the orange buckle on Mrs. O's belt, this week's more fall appropriate answer to last week's tangerine floral pin accent. While we're not in love with the black boots here - they seem to weigh down the look a bit - we very much applaud the overall effort.

Date: October 24, 2008

Venue: Campaign rally, Buchtel High School, Akron, OH

Tangerine Twist

Photo used with kind permission from photographer Brett Marty, www.brettmarty.com

Mrs. O was back on the campaign trail yesterday at a rally in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA sporting an autumnal palette of blacks and oranges. Wearing a dress with bold, graphic print and a long, slim black cardigan Mrs. O pulled the look together with yet another of her signature pins, this time in a flamboyant tangerine shade. Has Mrs. O's influence sent sales of brooches soaring, we wonder? Taking a break from her usual ballet flats, she accessorized with black kitten heels.

So who is behind today’s frock of choice? With its bold, splashy print the look has a lot in common with the Thakoon dresses Mrs. O has been favoring lately. However, our research suggests this may in fact be J. Crew's Abstract Rose dress in wool flannel. The one inconsistency is the flash of printed fabric at the hem. Did Mrs. O secure a special edition perhaps? 

Date: Thursday, October 16

Venue: Campaign rally at the Soliders and Sailors Memorial, Pittsburgh, PA

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

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