Tuesday
Sep212010
First Ladylike
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 10:04 PM 
Image by Larry Downing / Reuters Pictures
Earlier this evening, Mrs. O joined the president in presenting the Medal of Honor posthumously to the sons of U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchberger for bravery in March of 1968 in Laos. To read more about the honoree, click here.
For the White House event, Mrs. O wore a blue and green first ladylike dress by designer Barbara Tfank, accessorized with a double strand of pearls. To see the dress in the designer's Fall 2010 collection, click here.
tagged Barbara Tfank
Barbara Tfank
Reader Comments (77)
LOVE MRS OBAMA DRESS AND SHOES SHE ALWAYS LOOKED NICE
Simply Adorable....
Thank you to U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchberger and his family! The First Lady looks spectacular while appropriate as always for this important event. Thanks for the post and image!
Really lovely dress ... fabric, cut, style ... but it's just not appropriate for the occasion ....the protocol of Medal of Honor ceremonies demands solid colors,in darker shades, and sleeves or a jacket ... and definitely not pink shoes ...
Nice!!! The dress looks good on her.
So pretty! Funny ... I don't like green or blue as a rule ... have very little blue and only one green itme in my entire wardrobe ... but blue and green together are very attractive.
Simple. Classic. Delightful. Breathtaking.
It's not about her.
It's about a heroic American soldier.
I love the retro silhouette of this dress. She looks lovely!
YAY! I was all over this line when it showed a few months ago - both for Mrs. O and me! Virtually every piece in the Fall line looked like it was made for MO. I hope she's picked up a few pieces . There is a sensational green coat that has her name all over it.
Barbara Tfank was a new name to me, but I'm now on the lookout for it. Feminine, body conscious and classic, with luxurious and interesting fabrications. Doesn't all this sound perfect for Mrs. O?
I LOVE the pink shoes that she is wearing with this dress. very rich fabric. really like it.
On this very solemn occasion, I felt this rather casual dress paired with PINK shoes were inappropriate. She should have worn something more formal, rather than looking like she was going to a picnic.
Beautiful dress, gorgeous fabric, sweet colour, all is made for her. This woman is inspiring. A little something bothers me : of course the honoree is not the queen of England and the reception takes place inside, but I definitely would not attend that kind of event sleeveless. For me, at least scarf would be appropriate. The outfit has something to deal with respect of the deads... Maybe I am a bit too much "old school", it must be my catholic education :-) Have we a pic of the shoes anyway ?
Ooooh, I love these colors!! Flattering cut, classy but not boring, gorgeous print. And have a look at the shoes (on The Obama & Video Diary).
Very Jackie Kennedy! Love it!
She wore pinkish stilettos with it according to a yahoo pic....interesting. The print looks like green ivy leaves.
This is a very feminine, pretty dress with beautiful colors. It is also well-cut. I don't think anyone can fault Mrs. O. for what she is wearing to the Medal of Honor ceremony this year. I do think a gold or jeweled necklace would have looked better with the dress than the stark contrast of the pearls.
Love this!
Not one of my favorites but it's acceptable I suppose.
I gasped when she wore the satin floral dress by the same designer earlier this year, I believe it was for some disabled veterans event. I loved that dress and I love this one 100%. Elegant, classy, feminine and the double strand of pearls sets it off nicely.
I <3 when I can envision myself in Mrs. O's outfit!
For all of the naysayers on here, please understand that the MOH ceremony is a celebration of the honoree's life. If you look around the room and at the Etchberger's family, you would see some sleeveless and colorful dresses. It is not a funeral, guys, it's a celebration.
I think this dress is BEAUTIFUL and very flattering to the First Lady. As far as whether or not it is appropriate, as some of you have opined, I don't know. What I do know is that Michelle Obama has broken convention in fashion since she first hit the scene, and I don't think she's going to stop now. For the most part, I find it refreshing. As for nonpasserat's comment, correct. The event is not about her. This page, however, is all about Michelle Obama and her fashion. Frivolous it may be, but I know I certainly have some room for frivolity in my day.
I love this dress and the cute pink shoes she paired them with. The bright colors reflect a sort of celebration of the honorees life and I really like that.
@ Lisa H
Thank you for that comment. I think you hit the nail on the head.
The dress is beautiful...but FLOTUS did it again...for such a solomn ceremony, she is dressed as though she is going to a ladies luncheon. She was thinking only of herself, and not the soldier's family. She has done this before at a previous White House military ceremony. For those who compare Michele Obama to Jackie O, Jackie O would have never dressed like this at a posthumous Medal of Honor ceremony.
She looks lovely. I understand it being a solemn occassion- but it was to honor the sacrifice of U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchberger - So a bright spot in the room is totally acceptable.
Side swept bangs - my favourite look for Mrs. O., absolutely gorgeous with her features and make-up. Very versatile cut.
Many congrats to Mr. Etchberger on his recognition! We need many more heros like this today. Seems as though there are so many cowards dressed in heros uniform (Hello Democrats in Congress) than there are real heros (Hello Mr. President!). Anywhoo, I love that Mrs. O has on this 1960's vintage style for this occasion. It is so fitting and remarkable. Love her. Love them! Looking at them is like stepping back in time.
Ok, I'll just post this once because the whole meme that M.O. isn't aware of what's appropriate is rampant. Michelle Obama is a grown woman. She is well aware of her position as the First Lady. I 'm guessing that a lot of posters here just can't figure her out, being that they have never exposed themselves to women like her (its obvious).
So before anyone leaps onto their soap box, declaring her clothing items as non apropos for particular occasions, stop projecting. She's aware of the meaning of these ceremonies, to assume she doesn't is pretty much disrespectful.
Before anyone tries to jump on my back, I will say hold everyone to the same standard, including the women in the families that have also "dressed inappropriately" according to your criticism.
She looks lovely.
@ nonpasserat: THIS website is about HER.
I have been a reader on here since Mrs. T began the blog, but have never posted...until now.
I just wanted to inform the readers that FLOTUS is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Their colors are pink and green. Their national symbol is the ivy leaf. I think this dress was a nice homage to her sorority while still being very stylish.
Wonderful when a woman (not a pencil--see the model at the link provided above) wears a dress like this. Perhaps it might be considered wonderful too that dead no longer equals drab. I mean,how would you feel? Everyone comes to a party in your honour of your bravery decades back and the whole scene is morbidly ripped off from some Twilight movie set? The moment is a celebration of the finest hour of a man's life, isn't it? The pearls are plenty to give it the gravitas it needs. The heels have the opposite effect. Life exactly: tearing it up while you can because there will always be tears.
@Yuriko
Yes she wore another "controversial" dress to the medal of honor ceremony last year...that goes to show how much she thinks of your opinion. My God, people are missing the forest for the trees. IT WAS NOT A FUNERAL PEOPLE. Should the president have toned down his eccletic tie? What about the white house aides, should they have donned their black uniforms, rather than their sparkly white? Did you even hear what the president said about Dick Etchberger? I honestly don't mean to be so sarcastic, but at times, I think that all the women on here would not want some random stranger telling them ( a grown-up) what to wear, what to do and how to do it? So just because she is our first lady, we can tell her what we think is right and wrong? Amazing.
I've been to a Medal of Honor ceremony for three soldiers, given posthumously. It is not a celebration, but a very solemn dignifed ceremony. The army war historian read a detailed account of how the soldier was killed in action. It was very sad listening to the account of the war hero.
People dressed accordingly with all due respect.
I like her better in solid colors and also feel the dress is too casual and day time for the event she is attending.
I'm glad this photo does not show the "pink" shoes - just the idea concerns me.
She looks so chic in business attire, I wish she'd wear jackets and seperates a little more frequently.
Regardless, she is a great First Lady and a beautiful American woman.
The dress is probably barely acceptable but pink shoes just don't do it.
It's as though she's thumbing her nose at propriety and saying "look at me" rather than being about the solemn occasion. A more subtle, classy look with appropriate shoes would have been better for the ceremony.
Ok . . . must we have the same conversations over and OVER AGAIN?????? Last year Mrs. Obama and the Mother of the Honoree wore . . . dare I say it RED!!!!!
This is not the furneral, it's a commemoration of the Honoree's life. Not mourning, but celebrating life. "To everything there is a season."
It's appropriate, it's beautiful, and it's elegant.
I wish Mrs. T could spare us all from old rehashed, obviously vindictive, comments. You know, been there, done that.
This lovely dress on Mrs. Obama has the brillance of precious jewel-tones, and a modern sweetheart neckline with a princess style flair! Absolutely bedazzling!
Ok . . . must we have the same conversations over and OVER AGAIN?????? Last year Mrs. Obama and the Mother of the Honoree wore . . . dare I say it RED!!!!!
This is not the furneral, it's a commemoration of the Honoree's life. Not mourning, but celebrating life. "To everything there is a season."
It's appropriate, it's beautiful, and it's elegant.
I wish Mrs. T could spare us all from old rehashed, obviously vindictive, comments. You know, been there, done that.
On this blog it is about her!
Mrs. Obama looks lovely in this dress. The dress was appropriate to wear to the ceremony which honored our brave hero.
Funny, not one complaint about Mrs. Bush wearing her light colored suit to the 9/11 event with Mrs. Obama.
Lovely lady-like dress. Very flattering-she needs some length when she wears fuller skirts and this is perfect. Great color for her also! To nonpasserat above: Yes I empathize with your sentiment as I have a brother who died in war. While the event was definitly not about FLOTUS, this IS a fashion blog primarily.
Soccernana, why do you bring up Mrs. Bush?
As Lisa H. said, this page is about Mrs. O.
It bothers me that you would think any criticism of this one outfit the Mrs O is wearing warrants a criticism of our previous First Lady. No one dresses perfectly all the time, including Mrs. O...that's the point of this commentary section, to give our opinions on Mrs. O's outfits! I doubt anyone was even thinking about Mrs. B...except for YOU and your snarky comment on the outfit Mrs B wore almost 2 weeks ago. Not nice.
I actually think this dress is formal because the fabric is very rich. Also, it seems to me that it is cap sleeve not sleeveless which is a formal look. The skirt is also long and dress is not too tight. And green and blue is a royal color on a rich fabric.
It's better than the sexy look she went for at the last Medal of Honor ceremony, but is there no one on her staff to tell her that it's a solemn occasion and her dress should be quiet, modest, and not put her forward as a center of attention?
I really like the print of this dress. Is it my monitor, or is there an ombre effect to this material? It seems to darken as it goes toward the hemline. I remember reading that Barbara Tfank designs her own fabrics. Anyway, her designs sure suit our Michelle. I like how she styles herself. Adding the double strand of pearls, always a classic item and very First Lady-ish. Then here comes the orchid/pink suede Jimmy Choo pumps that really adds something unexpected and quite interesting to this outfit. Personally, I don't think it distracts from this ceremony at all. I cannot imagine the family, friends and commrades of Master Seargant Etchberger felt anything but immense pride (as well as sadness at the loss ) in his ultimate sacrifice.
Just a reminder to be respectful of one another, pretty please. I think the range of opinions about what is "appropriate" vs. not for the occasion ... the message sent by a choice of dress or color of shoe ... these are interesting conversations, not just about the aesthetics of what we like or don't like, but the power of fashion as visual communication. I just wish the dialogue could happen with a bit more civility. Please!
I haven't been on this site in a while and have missed QUITE a bit. Oh my, The Lady is looking fabulous! I must say someone is finally dressing her properly, or she is finally listening to someone else but her own closet. The outfits I have seen lately are just adorable, sophisticated and charming on the First Lady. Where was all of this in 2009? Good Lord, what a refreshing change. She is a beautiful person and now it is showing. Her weave is also better balanced and looks good on her.
It's a lovely dress; very 60's and it fits Mrs. O well. I don't care for the pink shoes for this occasion
and they seem to say "look at my feet"; not a great fashion idea.
Char
Mrs O could wear a potato sack and be the center of attention. She is tall and beautiful and stylish no matter what.