An Evening in Prague

Photo by Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

President Mr. O and First Lady Mrs. O have landed in Prague for the evening, where they're rumored to have scheduled a romantic dinner date. The First Lady wears another fantastic little black dress, paired with the bolero (or cropped sweater?) worn last evening.

Two Ladies Out on the Town

Photo by Nigel Treblin/AFP/Getty Images Mrs. O and Ms. Carla Bruni-Sarkozy have ventured out this morning, visiting Rohan Palace, as well as the nearby Notre Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg, France. Mrs. O wears a double breasted cropped black jacket with leather detail at the shoulder and front seams, paired with black trousers and signature flats. And is that a purple floral cardigan we see peeking out? An anonymous tip from our favorite anonymous tipster:

"Michelle Obama’s jacket was designed by Azzedine Alaia, the incredible French designer. While he is known for amazing dresses, like the black knitted one that was worn by the First Lady last night, he is an expert tailor. The cut of this jacket with its punched and woven leather seam details and curved lapels is a signature Alaia style. Alaia is one of the last great couture trained designers in France. His clothes are not easy to find, he doesn’t really do runway shows anymore and the quality is incomparable. He is a legend."

There has clearly been a level of wardrobe planning this week akin to, if not surpassing, the Inauguration. Mrs. O has continued to champion her favorite American designers and brands - Thakoon Panichgul, Jason Wu, Isabel Toledo and J.Crew - while also incorporating pieces from Junya Watanabe and Azzedine Alaia, designers from Japan and France respectively.

The First Lady's choice of an Alaia knit, ruched dress last night and tailored jacket today is a thoughtful sartorial gesture, undoubtedly made to show respect for her host nation and its legendary designer. "Has there been too much attention paid to Mrs. O's wardrobe?" is a question increasingly asked the past few days. But in the way clothes can speak without words, our First Lady's wardrobe has said volumes. Not only have her ensembles been lovely in the aesthetic sense, they bring nuanced meaning - projecting the strength, intelligence and gracious nature of the woman wearing them.

Petites Robes Noires

Photo by Pascal Le Segretain /Getty Images Photo by Michael Kappeler/AFP/Getty Images

First Lady Mrs. O and President Mr. O pose for photos with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, her husband Joachim Sauer, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy at the NATO summit. Both Mrs. O and Ms. Bruni-Sarkozy have chosen little black dresses for the event. Mrs. O's dress features a fitted bodice and full skirt - a shilouette we've seen her wear throughout the week.

Update: Mrs. O has added a black bolero to her ensemble.

Update: For those wondering about the designer - Mrs. O wears a knit dress by Paris legend Azzedine Alaia, the New York Times has confirmed. (We must also acknowledge our own Mrs. A, who observed similarity to these Alaia dresses and came to the same conclusion. Well spotted Mrs. A!)

One can't help but draw reference to Camelot here, as Mrs. Kennedy famously wowed the French by wearing Givenchy during her 1961 trip to Paris. Was Mrs. O's choice a thoughtful gesture in respect for her host nation? Based on the amount of planning and thought that has obviously gone into this week's wardrobe, we're of the mind that the answer is almost certainly, yes.

Leading Ladies

Photo credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Photo credit: Sean Gallup /Getty Images

In their tour of Europe, the Obamas have traveled to Strasbourg, France for the NATO summit. This stop has been one of the most highly anticipated events of the week, as it brings Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and First Lady Mrs. O, two of the stylish women in the world, face to face, ensemble to ensemble. For their first meeting, Mrs. O wears a custom Thakoon Pixelated Floral Silk Jacquard coat with a coordinating, reverse print dress underneath. The transparent trim on the hem and sleeves of the dress is black mesh elastic. Mrs. O paired the look with her signature Jimmy Choo black kitten heels. How interesting that both women have chosen ensembles featuring a tie neck detail - a coincidence, or perhaps a sign that they're stylistically in tune?

Update: By request, here is a fantastic photo of Mrs. O's dress and coat combination in full effect.

Look Good...Feel Better

Image via Flickr user Downing Street / Creative Commons In the midst of our adulation over Mrs. O's J.Crew ensemble yesterday (we're still enamoured!), we failed to highlight how the First Lady actually spent her morning. Along with Sarah Brown, Mrs. O visited Maggie's Center, a facility for cancer patients in central London. ABC News blog has a great write-up here.

"This is pretty amazing. It's an oasis. An oasis that is necessary for people who are struggling," Mrs. O told the center’s staff over a cup of steaming tea. "It's a quiet place that makes people feel whole."

The visit included a stop into the center's Look Good...Feel Better program, a public service organization that helps women, men and teens cope with appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. The program includes two-hour workshops with 12-step skin care and make-up application lessons, demonstrations of options for dealing with hair loss and nail care techniques. Per ABC News, First Lady Mrs. O talked about her own "wonderful" makeup artist, Ingrid Grimes Myles, who volunteers for the same program in the U.S. While there's much and well-founded excitment in the wardrobe department this week, it's wonderful to see our remarkable, selfless First Lady continue to champion great social causes. (Thanks to a Mrs. O reader Christy for bringing this story to our attention!)