Pretty in Peach

Photo by Stringer / AFP / Getty 

The Os have deplaned in Moscow and Mrs. O is wearing a lovely peach ensemble, reminiscent of her white ensemble worn on D-day, and belt at the waist with a Sonia Rykiel belt. More to follow.

Update #1: Mrs. O wears a Narciso Rodriguez dress, paired with a Michael Kors collarless coat, both in a peachy coral hue. The first lady wore a similar combination from the same designers in white when she visted France last month.

Update #2: The little Os both wear J.Crew -- Malia wears a silk taffeta trench and satin ballet flats by J.Crew, while Sasha wears a twill trench and flats by crewcuts.

Bon Voyage

 Photo by Saul Loeb / Getty Images

The Os are off to Moscow! Mrs. O wears a floral Talbots dress, last seen for her May 2009 cover of Essence, paired with a yellow Dear Cashmere cardigan and clear Sonia Rykiel belt. What a lovely looking family!

Hot Pink for Volunteerism

Photo by Jonathan Ernst

Tuesday was a full day for the First Lady. Before her gardening duties, Mrs. O spoke at an awards ceremony for Greater DC Cares, the largest coordinator of volunteerism in the Washington, DC area.

For the event Mrs. O wore a black and white textured jacket over a hot pink shell. The jacket and top were paired with a Sonia Rykiel belt, which featured a coordinating hot pink buckle. (We have an idea about the jacket but want to confirm details first...) Update: Mrs. O wears the Bowtie Tweed cardigan jacket from the Thakoon Resort 2009 collection.

London Flower Power

Photo by Jeff Moore / Splash News 

Media outlets, particularly those overseas, have been abuzz over Mrs. O's most recent ensemble, worn as the first lady left Westminster Abbey in Central London yesterday. Mrs. O wore a sheer tunic, adorned with layers of embroidered floral trim, over a pair of slim black pants and white tank. A polka dot Sonia Rykiel belt cinched the waist, and a layered cardigan in yellow with purple trim (Hanii Y perhaps?) topped the ensemble. Mrs. O's ToyWatch in ultra violet added the final punch of color. Should anyone recognize Mrs. O's tunic, we would love an anonymous tip!

Reviews have been a bit mixed (as they usually are when the first lady makes a bold fashion move). Of the look, New York magazine said, "Michelle Obama Can't Always be Perfect," while the Daily Mail named Mrs. O, "the First Lady of Flamboyance." Our take? We like that Mrs. O has fun with her style. Her ensemble seems to project a playful, bright mood, and who can fault that? (Kat, you inspired the title for this post! Just perfect.)

To see more ensembles from Mrs. O's trip to London this week, click here. We have to say, we've felt a bit conflicted about what to cover and what not to. Technically, Mrs. O and her daugters are on a private vacation. Some of the photos feel very intrusive (peering into car windows, etc.), so we'll only feature those where Mrs. O is making a more formal, public appearance.

Today the first lady (wearing an argyle J.Crew cardigan) and her daughters braved the rain to visit Leavesdon Studios, where the Harry Potter films are made. Hope they had fun!

Mrs. O Odds and Ends

As the week comes to a close, we thought we'd highlight a few of our favorite stories from the past few days. #1 Mrs. O has been named to Time magazine's list of the Most Influential People in the World. Under the "Heroes and Icons" category, Mrs. O is tributed by another O, Oprah Winfrey. Oprah succinctly sums up the most perfect observations about Mrs. O. The full piece is worth a read, but one of our favorite passages follows:

The woman I witnessed five years ago, with her graciousness, care and attention to detail, is the same woman I visited in the White House in February. Her very presence makes you feel welcome. Her political power is secondary to her heart power, and I salute her for that. I trust her. I know that whatever she gives her attention to, the truth will always be present. She doesn't make false moves.

#2 Not only is Mrs. O influential, she's officially beautiful. The First Lady was also named to People magazine's Most Beautiful People of 2009 issue. #3 In doing research for our work-in-progress Mrs. O book, we came across this photo, which we believe was taken in 2007. Mrs. O was backstage with The Second City comedians after a performance of Between Barack and a Hard Place in Chicago. What really caught our eye, we have to admit, is Mrs. O's dress. While we've seen Mrs. O in tailored jackets by Maria Cornejo, this is the first we've seen Mrs. O in a dress from her line - the Ita dress. We would love to see this dress make a White House encore! #4 Speaking of Maria Cornejo, she is one of several of designers lobbying for much deserved copyright protection. Click here for a NYMag article on the effort. #5 A bit of intel by way of Chicago, thanks to Mrs. C, Marcia Coburn. Several of you have inquired about Mrs. O's black windbreaker, worn when Bo made his debut on the White House lawn. Mrs. C visited Ikram this week and reports that the jacket is Sonia Rykiel. Finally we'll leave you with a video from last night's Larry King Live, which featured Robin Givhan and Andre Leon Talley talking about Mrs. O's influence. Have a great weekend everyone!