A Wednesday Evening Dinner Party

Photo credit: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

The President and First Lady Mrs. O are hosting a dinner in the East Room of the White House this evening, entertaining the congressional committee chairmen, their Republican counterparts and their spouses - 180 guests in total.

Mrs. O is wearing a black velvet pant suit, paired with her oversize Moschino pearl cluster brooch. Said brooch has become a new staple accessory in Mrs. O's wardrobe. Speaking of accessories, a few people have asked about the new watch on Mrs. O's wrist recently, here and in her White House portrait. We've just learned it's a classic Cartier Tank Francaise watch. Fancy!

While this jazzy pantsuit may seem to break with Mrs. O penchant for dresses, it's not unprecedented. The palazzo pants remind us of this Isabel Toledo ensemble Mrs. O wore in June for the Calvin Klein fundraiser event in New York City, paired with a Tom Binns necklace (and repeatedly praised by the editors of Vogue). Though we're partial to a good dress, we love that Mrs. O continues to keep us on our sartorial toes with her easy elegance.

Mrs. O's Mystery Brooches

Images used with kind permission from Moschino

Brooches are, of course, a signature of Mrs. O's style. And while we know the First Lady has an enviable collection of floral pins from Erickson Beamon, there are a number that have remained somewhat of a mystery. In recent weeks, Mrs. O has been seen wearing an oversized pearl cluster brooch, first at the Kennedy Center, and then at the Department of Transportation. Through the summer and fall of 2008, Mrs. O wore several combinations of a sequin floral brooch, notably pinning four such brooches at the neckline of her azure blue dress for the third night of the DNC in August (another of our all-time favorite, but less mentioned, Mrs. O looks).

After extensive research, we've discovered that these pins both hail from the Italian design house Moschino, designed by Rosella Jardini, creative director of Moschino since 1994. The pearl cluster pin, a combination of silk tulle and pearls, comes from the label's Spring 2009 collection (image on left), while the floral sequin pin, made of sequins, black tulle and crystal pistil, originates from the label's Fall 2008 collection (image on right). The answer is perhaps a bit unexpected, but for that reason, all the more exciting. These pins can be purchased at Moschino New York, 401 West 14th Street, New York, NY (212.243.8600) and Ikram, North Rush Street, Chicago, IL (312.587.1407). Images used with kind permission from Moschino

Moschino and a Smashing Slide Show

Screenshot used with kind permission from BlackVoices

Our friends at BlackVoices shared a fantastic new slide show on the evolution of Mrs. O's style and we wanted to pass it along. Click here to have a peek. Of note is Mrs. O's ensemble on Slide 5, as seen above. Taken on May 20, 2008 at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Mrs. O wears a pear green jacket and skirt from Moschino's Spring 2008 collection - the same collection that brought us this favorite Mrs. O look as well. Accessorized with blue and green enamel pins fastened atop the self tie belt, the look is fresh, modern and distinctly Mrs. O. Paired with black pants, Mrs. O later wore the jacket in August as she prepared to give her keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. We love a hidden gem that finally has its day in the limelight.

A Graceful Gator

Photo used with kind permission from photographer Ryan Doerflein

Mrs. O continued to campaign through Florida yesterday making stops in Jacksonville and then Gainesville, home of the University of Florida Gators. Mrs. O brightened things up for this appearance, wearing a powder blue twinset with a poppy print full skirt in French Provencal-esque blue, yellow and white. Mrs. O's signature silver metallic flats made another appearance, adding a bit of dazzle to the look. The sweater set plus full skirt seems to be Mrs. O's sartorial combination of choice this week, perhaps adding extra versatility to her wardrobe, much needed for life on the road. We feel exhausted just thinking about Mrs. O's schedule - how she manages to maintain her casual, chic style through it all is just amazing. And even with a bit of school spirit, as evidenced here by her crowd pleasing "Gator Chomp".

Date: October 22, 2008

Venue: Campaign rally in Gainesville, FL

Designer: Moschino

Who's behind this mystery frock? (Updated)

Photo used with kind permission from Flickr photographer The Adventures of Arnie & Marjorie

A few of you have written in to inquire about this floral shirt dress worn by Mrs. O in August, on the day Joe Biden's Vice Presidential candidacy was announced. The cut of the dress feels vintage inspired, similar in style to the feminine day dresses of the 1940s. And in deep purple, moss green and blue gray, the printed fabric resembles irises painted in watercolor. For a closer look at the fabric, have a peek at these photos from the same day. Given the prominence of floral patterns for Spring '08, we didn't think it would be a tall order to track down the designer - but we've had absolutely no luck thus far. Now we want to open it up to the group. Help us solve it. Who's the designer behind this gorgeous floral frock?

UPDATE: A huge thanks to Jen for helping us solve this. As Jen writes, the dress does appear to be Moschino. A similar dress from the Spring '08 Moschino collection, seen here, is clearly in the same fabric.

Date: August 23, 2008

Venue: Campaign rally following announcement of Joe Biden's Vice Presidential candidacy, Springfield, IL