Double O

Photo credit: O Magazine

The April 2009 cover of O was unveiled today, and features a very spring-like First Lady Mrs. O. This marks the first time anyone other than Oprah Winfrey has appeared on the cover of the magazine since its inception in 2000. For the cover, Mrs. O wears a coral Michael Kors dress and a soft yellow Dear Cashmere cardigan. In her signature style, Mrs. O belted the look with the same clear waist cincher seen yesterday. (Update: Thanks to Mrs. C who has confirmed the belt is Sonia Rykiel.) Oprah wears a lilac shirt dress by Rachel Roy New York. Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun Times has the full scoop here, including this fabulous quote from our First Lady:

"I know that all I can do is be the best me that I can. And live life with some gusto. Giving back is a big part of that. How am I going to share this experience with the American people? I'm always thinking about that."

Oprah and Gayle are also discussing their February visit to the White House on the show today. When suggested that Mrs. O has been likened to Eleanor Roosevelt, Oprah replies:

"[Michelle Obama] is not likened to anybody. She is her own. She is so 21st century that there really isn't anyone you can compare her to."

Well spoken O!

Stylish Support for Conservation

Photo credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC / Department of the Interior

After a short getaway to Camp David this weekend, the First Lady resumed her tour of federal departments today, visiting the Department of the Interior. As part of a ceremony rooted in the department's responsibilities to Native Americans, officials presented Mrs. O with a traditional Native American shawl, an honor that recognizes a woman of high achievements and distinction. Mrs. O spoke to a packed auditorium, thanking department employees for their commitment to public service, and later outlining the role she believes conservation will play in creating new jobs to stimulate the economy.

“At a time when so many Americans are out of work, sound energy and environmental policies are going to create thousands of jobs through the economic recovery and investment plan. You are at the center of one of this Administration’s highest priorities: securing America’s energy future, protecting our natural environment and using the natural resources as responsibly as we can,” Mrs. O said.

“It is not only vital for the survival of our planet as we work to combat climate change but also incredibly important to strengthen our economy and the well being of our families.”

Perhaps a sartorial nod to the gravitas of her subject matter, we saw Mrs. O return to more traditional business attire today. But that wasn't the only message echoed through the First Lady's wardrobe. As she promoted conservation efforts, so too did her clothes. If our eyes don't deceive, Mrs. O has worn both the jacket and pins seen today at least once before. Mrs. O previously paired the graphic black and white pins with a Zero + Maria Cornejo jacket on the campaign trail this fall, see here. And as Mrs. C has kindly noted in the comments, the black wool jacket was seen in October, when Mrs. O spoke at the Women’s Leadership Forum in Chicago, Illinois. Photo credit: The White House

Finally, we're curious if Mrs. O knew she would receive a shawl as part of today's ceremony. We can't imagine a better backdrop than what she wore - as the black and white accents added by her pins so perfectly complemented the horse applique pattern of the shawl. A video of the First Lady's remarks follows after the jump.

Mystery Coat Revealed

Image used with kind permission from photographer seannaber

Mrs. O's impossibly chic black wool wing coat is the design of an impossibly chic French designer - Sonia Rykiel. The coat, show here in fuschia, is from the designer's Fall 2008 RTW collection. Immense thanks to our own Mrs. L, Michelle Liu, for calling this one in from Hong Kong.

Perfectly Suited

Photo used with kind permission from Sumi-e Artist Drue Kataoka at blog ValleyZen.com

We recently tracked down a Mrs. O ensemble from a private campaign event in Chicago earlier this month, which we felt merited comment even after the fact. The pantsuit hasn’t always had great press in this campaign, which seems a little unfair. As every professional woman knows, it can be a godsend in the office, bypassing tricky issues around hemlines and hosiery. Cut badly, of course, it can get overly masculine and severe. The rare, perfectly cut suit however is a thing of beauty and it’s no surprise at all that Mrs. O has uncovered one such gem. At a recent Women for Obama event in Chicago Mrs. O wore a black wool suit that beautifully combined professional poise and feminine flair.

In the past Mrs. O has favored 1960s-inspired three-quarter sleeve jackets, often cinched with a belt at the waist. This 1940s-inspired cut however was curved in all the right places, nipped in the waist and flaring softly at the hips. The softly curved collar and slightly puffed sleeves added further feminine touches while the sober color palette and slim black pants kept things sleek. Against this neutral background, Mrs. O’s companion added a fabulous splash of patriotic color in a Catherine Malandrino designed flag-print dress. Mrs. O accessorized with a string of black pearls that perfectly married elegance and edge - a master class in strong femininity.

Date: October 10, 2008

Venue: Women for Obama, DNC Women's Leadership Forum

Designer: Sonia Rykiel