A Knockout in Cerulean Blue

Well, the gloves may have been off for the final presidential debate but Mrs. O’s style instincts most certainly weren’t. On a night with so much at stake she chose to return to the classics, with a look that offered a masterclass in the Michelle Obama signature style.

The jewel-colored shift dress has been a Mrs. O favorite since she first exploded onto our style radar back in the primaries. Last night saw her in a beautifully tailored, cap sleeved shift in a gorgeous shade of cerulean blue. We can’t confirm the designer, but with its resemblance both to this favorite from the convention and that now iconic violet shift-and-Alaia-belt combination we strongly suspect another Maria Pinto hit.

Mrs. O accessorized with another style signature-pearls with a twist. Throughout the campaign we’ve been fascinated by how she’s taken that First Lady staple and made it her own. Last night was no exception, with a classic string of pearls updated and personalized with a series of floral pins.

We know Mrs. O has a style-savvy habit of reusing and recycling her accessories - these sequined brooches have been a recurring favorite - so perhaps we can expect to see these beauties again between now and election days.

Update: Heard on the Runway confirms that Mrs. O's dress last night was indeed a Maria Pinto design.

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."

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

Debut in Blue

Photo credit: Flickr user Tracy Russo // Creative Commons

Maria Pinto has become one of Mrs. O's signature designers, so it wasn't a surprise to see Mrs. O step onto the DNC stage in her design. The classic lines and rich, saturated color made this dress feel like the late summer edition of the purple Maria Pinto shift that's been in nearly all the Mrs. O fashion coverage.

We love the fact that Mrs. O chose a dress from her favorite hometown designer, paired with a brooch rumored to be from her personal jewelry box.

Date: Monday, August 25, 2008

Venue: Democratic National Convention

Designer: Chicago-based, Maria Pinto

Description: Turquoise blue, three-quarter-sleeve sheath in double-face wool, adorned with a turquoise and silver star pin