Serving in Style

Photos via the Presidential Inaugural Committee / Creative Commons

Supporting military families has long been a cause close to Mrs. O's heart. As part of National Service Day and the Renew America Together initiative, our soon-to-be First Lady volunteered at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial stadium today to assemble packages for U.S. military personnel serving overseas. Voice of America reports that more than 75,000 kits containing food and personal items for soldiers were assembled.

For the occasion, Mrs. O was tastefully dressed in a medley of complementary shades of blue. A teal cardigan was worn atop a powder blue shell, while a royal blue patent leather belted cinched the waist.  Mrs. O paired her layered tops with gray pinstripe trousers, lending the ensemble an easy going polish. Diamond stud earrings added just a touch of sparkle. Bravo Mrs. O, for an effort that was truly stylish through and through.

The Jewelry of Carolyn Rosenberg

 Image via juli b chicago

As we await more fashion revelations from Mrs. O's inaugural wardrobe, let's take a look back at one of Mrs. O's more spectacular (but under-examined) accessories from the campaign: the lush purple feather and bead brooch. We saw Mrs. O wear it on CNN's The Larry King Show performance, pinned to a sleeveless top. And she also wore it on her Narciso Rodriguez striped jacket at a National Partnership for Women and Families event in Washington, D.C.

It is a playful, ultra-feminine piece of jewelry; it acknowledges vintage style while embodying a decidedly contemporary tone. The designer is Carolyn Rosenberg, a Chicago-based jewelry maker. In an exclusive interview with www.Mrs-O.org, Rosenberg told us that she started by taking classes in metalworking at a Chicago arts center. From there, she branched into expanding her designs.

"I had a collection of vintage feathers from my great aunt, who had been a milliner," she says. "And so I used them when I was commissioned to do a very small collection of pins."  Who commissioned her? None other than boutique owner Ikram Goldman. Rosenberg loved the idea of repurposing the gorgeous feathers, although she frequently dyed them; to anchor the feathers, she used beading in the same tones. Rosenberg knew that Mrs. O had one of her feather pins - "I was asked to make a purple one for her because she had seen some of the other feathered pieces" - but she didn't know when Mrs. O would be wearing it. Then Mrs. O appeared on the Larry King show with the purple feather pin high on her shoulder and Rosenberg's phone starting ringing. "All the relatives recognized it immediately and started calling," she says.

Currently Rosenberg is finishing up her second collection, which is based on vintage beading and embroidery work collected from flappers' dresses. "Sometimes the dress can't be saved because of tearing or deterioration of material," she says, "but the bead work is wonderful." No one has seen this collection yet, but Rosenberg hopes that maybe one day Mrs. O will wear one of those pieces, too. "Regardless of who or what she's wearing, I can't think of a better spokeswoman for today," she says. Naturally, we agree.

Mrs. O Steps Out in Washingto

Photo by Kevin Mazur for the Presidential Inaugural Committee / Creative Commons

We try to refrain from gushing, but on this occasion we find it more difficult. As Mrs. O walked down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for this afternoon's celebration, the reality that she will be our First Lady finally sunk in. In her style today, we saw a subtle shift befitting of her new role - was it possible that she looked even more impossibly elegant and polished than ever before? For today's celebration, Mrs. O wore a thoroughly well-styled ensemble in camel and black. Her black top sparkled with beaded embellishment radiating from the neckline, and was paired with a camel color knee-length wool skirt. A signature black belt added definition at the waist. Mrs. O's look was topped by a long black scarf and camel color wool coat that coordinated with her skirt. Her coat also brought an unexpected detail - a black lining - that drew the eye in and seamlessly blended with her black top and scarf. Black leather gloves, patent leather kitten heels and long sparkling earrings added polished touches to what was overall, an incredibly cohesive and memorable look. A quote in the current issue of Time from designer Thakoon Panichgul was evoked instantly when we saw Mrs. O this afternoon:

"She is someone with authority and style that people can look up to," says Panichgul. "It's a new way of looking at fashion ... this is about confidence, power and intellect. It's about something more real."

And on that note, we will spend the rest of the evening celebrating you, Mrs. O, and your truly remarkable family. Perhaps this goes without saying, but we look forward to the next several days with unbridled excitement. Today confirmed at least one thing for sure - a tastemaker and style icon, you already are. Update: The LA Times reveals that Mrs. O's ensemble yesterday was the work of Narciso Rodriguez, the same designer responsible for her fashion forward, though somewhat controversial red and black election night dress. Mrs. O has a long history with the designer, wearing his clothes throughout the campaign and notably, for her 2007 photoshoot with Vogue. While we assume yesterday's ensemble was a custom creation, the coat, in particular, appears most inspired by this look from the designer's Fall 2007 RTW collection. The contrast of the ivory wool and interior black lining creates a similar graphic effect to yesterday's camel and black combination. Booth Moore of the LA TImes described Mrs. O's look as "strong, elegant and above all modern." The Presidential Inaugural Committee has released photos from Sunday's events on Flickr. The Huffington Post also has a great slideshow of Mrs. O's recent looks, including close-up images that better show the "sparkle" detail of her top. And per the LA Times, Mrs. O was indeed wearing Loree Rodkin earrings for yesterday's celebration (as suggested by our own Mrs. C in the comments section!)

Whistle-Stop Chic

Image used with kind permission from photographer seannaber Image used with kind permission from photographer Dave Chambers

Both Mrs. O's 45th year and the upcoming week of inaugural celebrations are off to a terrifically chic start. Mrs. O was beautifully bundled up for today's historic "whistle-stop" train ride in a black wool swing coat with bracelet length sleeves and exaggerated collar. We recognized the coat from Mrs. O's mid-November dinner date with president-elect Mr. O in Chicago. A purple knit scarf and leather gloves added a punch of color to the look, while coordinating with Mrs. O's understated purple cardigan underneath. For more glimpses of our glamorous Mrs. O during the "whiste stop" tour, continue reading below.

Image used with kind permission from photographers L. and R. Gravell

Happy Birthday Mrs. O

Photo by Flickr photographer mikebaird / Creative Commons

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, our Mrs. O, was born January 17, 1964, which makes this her 45th birthday. To borrow the perfect words of RJT, a regular on Mrs-O.org, she is at once an inspiration and a revelation. We could not be more excited for the days ahead.