Tambourines and Hopscotch
Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 10:40 AM 
Image by Danish Siddiqui / Reuters
Mrs. O is on to her next stop, visiting children enrolled in the "Make A Difference" program at a local university in Mumbai. The program was founded by two young social entrepreneurs who mobilize young adults to serve as mentors and teachers for underprivileged children. Volunteers help children to learn English, thought to be an important part of students' long term academic success, through song, reading and other programs.
For the event, the first lady changed into a more casual ensemble, wearing a tiered floral skirt and "moss olive" lace top by J.Crew, available here, accented by an embellished thin belt at the waist and an Erickson Beamon starburst brooch. For a round of hopscotch, Mrs. O kicked off her butterscotch-hued leather ballet flats and joined in the festivities.
Click here to watch Mrs. O in action, dancing the bhangra and playing the tambourine. Amazing! Update: The First Lady wears a floral skirt by Gregory Parkinson.
Erickson Beamon, Gregory Parkinson, J.Crew
Reader Comments (41)
THIS IS NICE MRS OBAMA PLAYED WITH THE KIDS AND HAVING FUN SHE CHUOLD DO HER HAIR BETTER HER OUTFIT IS DERFFERENT VERY NICE.
Not liking this look either. I think the top and skirt would look better paired with other things.
That said, what matters most is the smiles she puts in these kids faces. She has a natural way with young people cause she isn't afraid to have fun in public. I can't think of any other First Lady who would kick her shoes off and play a game of hop scotch and just have a great time like Mrs. O does.
I like the mix of patterns, and the happy face on the children's faces. Go FLOTUS!!
She is that special person that brings joy and fun to wherever she goes.
This outfit is perfect for the occasion. This seems to be her priority when traveling. Well thought-out
outfits to suit each place and event.
That is a J. Crew lace top.. . and is still available. Go Mrs.O!
That is a J. Crew lace top.. . and is still available. Go Mrs.O!
Char from Seattle
Thanks for the tip Char!
Happy Saturday Mrs. O fans. Thanks for all the coverage Mrs. T! I appreciate it. I couldn't sign on yesterday and last night and was starting to freak...thought the site was down or something. I know we can go other places to see the photo's....but, you make it fun and interesting. :)
I think we are in for some great fashion. This is cute and I thought she looked nice arriving in Mumbai.
Didn't understand the departure outfit...but, I'm not the one traveling.
Totally off topic...I was getting my car serviced yesterday and ran across this. Thought you and your Mom and other Jackie fans would enjoy this....
http://www.more.com/more_women/celebrating_jackie_o
My Michelle, I would have left the brooch off but again dressed so that her hosts made up of orphans and street children would be comfortable. Amazing.
She brings smiles to everyone she meets.
I like the swing of the skirt and the pop of color from the pin lights up her face. A fun outfit and perfect for visiting children.
Who is doing Michelle Obama's hair? This hairstyle is soooooo old . I understand an Africian American hair type and some times need to get a break, but this style make her looks 10 year older than her age.
Oh what a delightful video! She's so amazing, I do love her in action.
The mix of pattern and color was masterful.
Playful and appropriate given an afternoon with underprivileged kids, hop-scotching around. I think she looks lovely, hair and all.
Is amazing!!
Mrs. Obama looks good. Her best accessory is her smile, shining eyes and exuberance. rMalia and Sasha would have loved this .....
It's very hot and humid in Mumbai,so maybe she's afraid her hair will frizz up if she leaves it down. This way it's totally tamed. Although I don't particularly care for it this way either.
Couldn't be prouder of FLOTUS. What am amazing ambassador. Perfect.
Wow. Nic John didn't like something. Headline shocker.
*yawns*
On first glance I didn't like these two pieces together but in the full length picture I do. Plus it's a great outfit for not looking too high falutin' for children and young people in an environment like this. LOVE that Mrs O is doing hopscotch!! The young people look like they almost can't believe she's joinging in!!! Hehehe, she definitely gets the best end of the deal instead of having to sit in boring meetings all day!!!
I am continually amazed and overjoyed by Mrs. O's spirit and generosity, and her ability to honestly enjoy herself in so many situations. This is quite a gift that she shares with us all!
Hmm...I noticed a wonderful smile first...then proceeded to the outfit. For me somehow the outfit goes with the occasion, the setting, the mood. I will look forward to the formal wear...and maybe another dress by Naheem Khan. Yep, lets hold on to our hats for that....
Always so much fun to see her dancing & interacting with kids.
Perfect look here with the pops of color & texture. Cannot wait to see what else she wears on the visit. Wonder "who" she'll wear to the state dinner?
India life has the most beautiful colors in the world.
I think her hair looks sleek and sophisticated. Also like her less arched and a bit heavier eyebrows. I think of an "older" hair style as one with lots of fuss (curls, waves) to draw attention from the face!
:-) Michelle makes me happy!!
I'm not sure if the brooch is picking up any colours in the outfit so I would have probably left it off however I love the outfit. Indians love COLOUR. They truly live and breath it. Mrs Obama has given thought to her wardrobe and I am sure those girls feel truly honoured to have her there. I reuly love this woman, just look how she kicks off her shoes and gets stuck into hopscotch.
Mrs. O looks stunning in everything I have seen so far.
Now for the reason for my post. I almost freaked out last night when I tried to access Mrs. O and could not. I had already seen video online of the O's arrival in Mumbai but when I turned to this site it was unavailable and I could not believe it. When I finally could I was very upset by Mrs. T expressing her frustration about managing this site and various comments posted on this site that upset her. Mrs.T, I know that it is time consuming moderating this site, with all the nasty comments etc. but this blog is a breath of fresh air on the net. You are probably tired. You just got married, you went back to business school, wrote a book and probably take a lot of flack from the antiobamas because of this blog. Please Mrs. T you are doing a marvelous job, perhaps you can find a trustworthy volunteer to help you. I just suspect that thousands of lurkers out there feel the same way. Hold on, please.
The Washington Post has an AP video that shows the whole dance!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/11/06/VI2010110602664.html?sid=ST2010110402773
I like the top and skirt not sure if I like thwm together. The maon thing is that Mrs O.looks engaged and happy performing her duties.
about FLOTUS' hair, I just looked up what the temperatures will be in India for the next few days.
the lowest temperature is 87 F.
87.
I'll say it again.
it's not dry heat.
the humidity is at 83%.
83%!!!
it's like New Orleans.
a Black Woman, who doesn't wear her hair in a natural state, IS NOT going to wear her hair down in these kinds of conditions.
it's simply not going to happen.
period.
My favorite brooch! I seriously, seriously love it.
Michelle is so cute. I'd be jetlagged like crazy but she's up there dancing.
That brooch looks like the one she wore during the DNC speech she gave during 2008...is it?
I am so impressed & proud of our FLOTUS
I love that Mrs. O. is so energetic! She seems to know just what children relate to, and that she actually plays with them is, I believe, uncommon for First Ladies, so I think it's great.
I think the skirt is fabulous....very feminine and pretty. I just wish she would have picked up a different color from the skirt for her top...say, the purple or blue. Army green isn't really a good color on anyone. The brooch is fantastic!
Simple and appropriate for the occasion. The top is cute, the flowery skirt ... hm, hm.
She's always at her best when interacting with young people. Happy faces all around!
There are photos of two new outfits on AFP, a plaid dress with matching belted jacket and a luminous turquoise dress with a cardigan and a brooch. AFP has a complete coverage of the Asia trip and is up-dating the photos as soon as they come in.
http://www.imageforum-diffusion.afp.com
I think this is the Erickson Beamon necklace she's wearing with the black&white dress.
http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/98919
Great and fun lloking outfit that Michelle is wearing. I love this site. Thank you Mrs T for all that you do to maintain it.
I just love this First Lady! She's not only a lovely person...she practices what she preaches at home and abroad!
It's hard to tell who is having more fun, our Michelle or the children! Children seem to energize her and they can tell when someone genuinely cares for them. This photo is fun and playful and a beautiful sight to behold for me. I've been without a computer for over a week and really missed this site and all of my daily Michelle fixes! Onto fashion.......love the mixing of prints. This does not look like the J. Crew top that I saw in the store, but sure enough it is. The belt is very interesting and I like it from what I can see of it. Hopscotching! Wow! I better get myself together for real!
The bare feet is not cool. Wear flats, First Lady.
I love this look. Great print combination.
Mrs. Obama's bare feet are perfect for the occasion. She is real and the kids know it!! Take the time to note that ALL THE GIRLS IN THE PICTURE ARE ALSO BAREFOOT.
As for Mrs. Obama's hair, scroll back to Rikyrah's comments.
87 degrees F, 83% humidity. Most black women with perms, and plenty of Jewish, Italian and Latina women know exactly why she is wearing her hair the way it is...
She glows in that top picture. I love our Michelle.