Tuesday
Feb022010
Well-Suited
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 7:19 PM 
Image by Saul Loeb / Getty Images
First Lady Mrs. O met with cabinet and senate members in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House today to discuss her campaign to fight childhood obesity. The full initiative will be unveiled next week.
For her business meeting, Mrs. O looked smart and polished in a red herringbone suit by Peter Soronen. The suit originated from Peter Soronen's Fall Winter 2006 collection and was first worn by Mrs. O on the campaign trail in early 2008. A white blouse and pearls complement this timeless classic.
tagged Peter Soronen
Peter Soronen
Reader Comments (34)
That color compliments her skintone beautifully.
OH FINNELY YOU GUYS SHOW MRS O I SAW THIS PIC AREADY SHE LOOKED NICE IN A SUITE SHE AREADY WEAR THIS BEFORE BUT SHE CHAGE HER TOP LOVE HER SHOES SHE WEAR BLACK SHOES.
Mrs. O looks relaxed and comfortable in her neat suit with its great lapels and three-quarter sleeves. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, also looks relaxed an comfortable, and I love the ruffled, very flattering neckline to her dark blue outfit.
Now THAT's a suit I love to see.
A very pretty color; would love to see her in that color for Valentine's Day! Again, I think she'd be fantastic if she'd add bangs to her sassy haircut. I also would like to see her with another J.Crew-style necklace (like the one on the cover of December's Glamour) with a dress again--now I'm a fan of those necklaces. She look great with them, with her hair pulled up and a simple dress. Very pretty suit.
She looks great, I recognize the suit from the campaign trail.
I love that she is going business-attire as the new lead.
What is interesting to me is I feel some of her awesome individually unique MIchelle-ness is gone with the business suit.
She still made her own but it reminded me of when I used to get annoyed that Michelle looked so awesome on the campaign trail and I couldn't figure out why I couldn't replicate it.
Then it hit me that I had to be in business attire and she just had to look well put together, and that while she looked awesome, I doubt she would have worn those same outfits as a candidate, and perhaps that would have boxed her individually in a bit more, which means we wouldn't have gotten to see the awesome side of her.
I say all that to say I'm happy to see that the business suits make her shine a little less, as it tells me that anytime you have to conform to the business world, no matter who you are, you lose a little bit of that individualistic flair that is won back after work is over or on the weekend (or at events that don't require suits).
It happens to the best of us and its nice to see it happens to Mrs Obama too.:-)
I really like this suit, it is very Michelle. Plum, purple and maroon and great winter colors for her.
Lovely. And how many times can I say this. I love that she wears her suits again and again, mixing and matching. It is an inspiration for the rest of us. I just need someone to help me mix and match! Shelly
My beautiful FLOTUS!
I love that Mrs. O recycles outfits like the rest of us!
I remember seeing Mrs. Obama in this outfit while she was in the campaign trail. I liked it then and I like it now. She really is so stylish!
The great thing about a great suit is it can be worn for 5, 10, 20 years and still be in vogue. Mrs. O looks great and i love the simplicity of the white shell.
I adore both of these ladies - gorgeous women and stylish as can be!
what a great cause! and she looks perfect - very classic and timeless. I love how she goes between classic looks and looks which are quite unexpected (and trend-setting). She always looks great - and is always herself!
keep it coming - we just love to see what you are going to walk out in next.
I love it! So classic and ladylike! But still chic and not dowdy! Oh, how I love this lady!
Looks fabulous!!!!
I just saw Michelle Obama being interviewed by Matt Lauer on the Today Show. She looks SMASHINGLY GORGEOUS!!
Our First Lady is so complex and interesting to watch. Not only does she listen to her own voice, but she somehow manages to incorporate the voice of the people as well. A very astute student, a passionate advocate for causes that will have lasting effects on the well being of all of us, and she's beautiful besides. She never loses her femininity or her individual charm. Though this outfit is more conservative than most, it is still elegant and timeless.
This is one of my favourite Michelle suits the sleeves are very interesting but the style is ageless and timeless. I would have preferred to see the pearls against her skin rather than the white blouse as I feel it clashes (somewhat).
I'm still curious to know what her skin care regime is because her face ALWAYS looks flawless. What a woman !!
I love the fact she recycles her clothing....She always re-wears or mix of old clothing with new items....Michelle reminds me a lot of Laura Bush with a touch of Hillary Clinton...She at times call pull of a look that is also in tune with Jackie Kennedy....I think Michelle looks to inspiration from past first ladies for style choices...She eve mentioned in an interview....
Mmmm, not a suit I like. It looks clumsy and heavy to me. I WISH I loved it, but I don't. Oh dear....
I think the silouhette of this jacket makes her look like a beautiful Valentine - She looks warm, approachable, and relaxed. Love her makeup. I do have to agree about bangs, though. I think I would like to see a side swept bang with this cut. But it's still flattering.
I like it!!
I vote for the sideswept bangs, too. This is a killer look on MO, hair-wise. Always has been.
I regret having to confess, though, as did another poster, that I am not a fan of this particular suit. It looks to me like something that was altered down (and not exactly skillfully) from a much larger, broader cardigan-style top. Not having seen the bottom piece (was it a skirt?), I reserve comment there. The lapels look floppy and heavy, and esp. so in view of the relative delicacy of the blouse and the pearls (largish though they are, for pearls).
Otherwise, I am very impressed by Ms. Sebelius. She is a lovely lady also. And with wonderfully au naturel gray/white hair! I am so jealous. What a lovely suit and necklace, too.
I like the colour of her suit.
Mrs Obama looks so beautiful and professionally modern in this smart, well cut feminine suit.
I didn't love this suit on the campaign trail, but I feel like I "get" it now. It is a classic - sort of. The lapels are very exaggerated and curvy, though the proportion is still right on. I don't agree that it looks like it's been altered. Now that I know Peter Soronen's work from his other pieces - all of which have been dressy dresses - I am delighted to see what he does with a suit.
The suit is on page 23 of Mrs. O's book. It's hard to see in the picture above if it still has the same ruffle on the cuffs. I think not - these sleeves look shorter, plainer and less "thick" than the picture in the book.
Does this jacket's lapels remind anyone else of the lapels on the blue tweed J. Crew coat she wore to lunch in DC one day?
Peter Soronen's designs fits Mrs. O very well. I cannot see the whole suit here,
but I like the trim shapely waistline look in her jacket. Appropriate for an event about fitness
and good diets. Nice colar and colour. A very good cause indeed.
I adore this suit. I agree operafanatic, the sleeves have been altered.
I also agree with others this is a classic look.
http://mrs-o.org/newdata/tag/peter-soronen?currentPage=4
Feminine suit, that's why I like it. I like that Michelle shies away from the boxy, grey square office suit.
OpFan, if you go through the slideshow on yahoo, you will see that the sleeves are still kind of bell shaped or at least fits looser than what is shown in this pic.. They have pics of her moving her arms or whatever, so you can see it better.
@Nyon, you are so right, the sleeves are the same!
Menswear fabric and tailored style just not flattering for reason I gave re the McQueen suit. Shell and pearls not effective together in framing her face.
Sec Sebelius is my idea of a perfectly put together, elegant mature woman who always looks feminine yet businesslike. It's a hard line to draw. The dark ink or navy blue fabric (tissue faille? wool crepe?) is softened by the cascading ruffles and the open neckline. Elegant yet pretty. She's also so beautifully groomed, I love her silvery hair.
The skirt is fluted, knee length.
Does Sebelius have her fashion website??!
Herringbone is such a versatile print that can be accessorized, or not, and still look sharp. I like this look even though it's plain and understated. Flotus looks crisp and stylish in this suit. I think I saw this color herringbone in J. Crew two seasons ago in a coat or something. All in all, it's a nice look for our Michelle.