Mrs. O Reads Dr. Seuss
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 7:55 PM 
Official White House Photo by Saul Loeb
First Lady Mrs. O attended the National Education Association's Read Across America Kickoff at The Library of Congress in Washington, DC today. Mrs. O joined Secretary of Education Duncan to read "Green Eggs and Ham" to a group of young Dr. Seuss enthusiasts. (Today also marked the late Dr. Seuss's 107th birthday.)
For the event, Mrs. O turned to a springy pink and white floral print top, paired with a full, red skirt and coordinating obi-inspired belt. A jeweled flower pin accessorized the look. P.S. Does anyone recognize this top? It looks O so familiar... Thanks to reader Lys, who identified the skirt as Marc by Marc Jacobs, seen here. And to reader Iris, who identifed the top as Duro Olowu. The floral pattern was used in the designer's Spring Summer 2010 collection, seen here.
"Michelle Obama reads Dr. Seuss to Kids" [Washington Post]
Duro Olowu, Marc by Marc Jacobs
Reader Comments (41)
I love this outfit. It's bright, and "Springy." Please Mrs. T find out who made her skirt. Also, is there a picture of FLOTUS standing up, which shows the length of the skirt?
I know you have limited access to pictures, but for a fashion site the pictures lately show very little of Mrs. Obama's fashion.
@ Mia Monte, try this for a full length shot on Daylife.
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0flVdvV2xg7Su?q=Michelle+Obama
Like the pieces individually.
@kaybeel, for recent events, there have been very limited photos of Mrs. Obama available, notably the Mowtown reception and Governors Ball. I always do my best to select a photo that is flattering of the First Lady and shows her complete ensemble ... on some occasions, there is simply a limited selection.
The skirt looks like this one on net-a-porter from Marc Jacobs
http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/112445
Okay I love Mrs.O but this would be the first time that I would say I absolutely donot like this ensemble. A crisp white blouse of some sort or the top she has on in just white would have looked better. I like the teal dress much better. Not to happy with the hairdo....We all have bad hair days and wardrobe mishaps sometimes.
Thank you Charlene.
And unpretty! Mrs. O, come on, that mix is not working. Too much everything and the broach is overkill!
I think Mrs.O looks terrific. She fit right in with the red & white theme. I've seen a brief clip of this. The kids were so happy and of course knew the words before Mrs.O could say them. LOL
Very cute. I'm sure it was a fun day for Mrs. O.
Thanks Mrs. T. I love the picture above. :)
Mama always said, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." In that case, I LOVE you Mrs. O and you read the story BRILLIANTLY!
A very unfortunate choice of outfits. What I can see of the skirt looks good, but that top has got to go.
Ha! Nyon, I'm right with you!!
Maybe my admiration for Mrs Obama has began to cloud my better judgement but personally for me I love the look.
By the way, she really looks like she loves her role as a First Lady. She always seems to be having fun and enjoying herself.
I think it is great she takes risks. Sometimes it works better than others. (Trying to take a page from Nyon!) Also, it really is great how much fun it looks like she's having.
Wow! Not only is this outfit appropriate for the event, it simply has that "happy" feel without the circus element.
I like the top. I like the skirt. But I don't like them together. That said, it looked like Mrs. O had a great time reading to the kids.
@mimij: "I feel you." Constructive and balanced "criticism" is NOT equivalent to "not saying something nice." Especially when your comment begins with, "Okay, I love Mrs. O."
P.S. I love the skirt and like the shirt, yet don't think they look optimal together.
I love the skirt!!!
I agree Lavonne. Mrs O is wearing Dr Suess colours. Her outfit is playful and appropriate for the occassion.
Exactly, Lavonne and Jestina. This outfit was for the little eyes fixed on Mrs. Obama at the reading and is completely appropriate. When was the last time some of you opened a Dr. Seuss book? I am thankful for Mrs. O's ability to adapt, be herself, take risks and consider her audience.
This nice skirt seems more orange than red; anyway, mixing it with a mauve /pink top is a strange choice to me.
But she iws beaming with spontaneity and joy, and that's more important!
These are some really happy colors that would excite the little ones. I like how our Michelle is sooooo energized and animated around children. While I like the pieces individually I'm not crazy about them together. One thing is for sure, I bet those children were happy and she looked warm and inviting to them.
A side note: I love that brooch. I hope that we see it again and soon!
The shirt and skirt separately are awesome but together they are, to me, a disaster.
I understand that Mrs O loves to dress a little left of her usual center when she is around kids but I am not a fan of this outfit.
Yes, I already know that she can wear whatever she wants.
I'm not sure if the comment was made towards me Marcus Perry, but for clarification I was not referring to anyone's comment on this thread. I was actually saying that out loud to myself because I agree with mimij. This is the first time I can't find one little thing that I like about an outfit that Mrs. O is wearing. Lord knows I tried and since I really don't like to criticize (whether constructive or not) my First Lady, I thought I would highlight what I felt was positive.
I forgot that people can't always know your tone by reading what you say. I guess, that's the price you pay for being a smart aleck. Next time I will put little sidenotes in to let you know what I mean.
Y'all want to see the shoes? Well here they are! You will see the full ensemble when Mrs. O walks out. Staying in sinc with my previous post, I love you Mrs. O, you know I do girl, LOL!
http://theobamadiary.com/2011/03/03/behind-the-scenes-on-dr-seuss-birthday/
@ Nyon - thanks for the link. OMG @ her shoes. She was feeling very silly yesterday. Good for her.
No Nyon, good for you! Girl, those shoes are smokin! Good catch!
@ Nyon and Marcus Perry ....I am glad we are all on the same page. @Nyon..okay yellow shoes, orange skirt and pink and white top...hummmm....shaking my head. A top with yellow, orange, pink and white would have brought everything together....oh well... Even the top shown with the skirt on the Nordstrom site would have worked orange, black and khaki stripe. I get the whimsical feeling of the day with a Dr. Suess book. The outfit just needed a little tweaking that's all. I still love the First Lady and can't wait to see what she wears next.
oh by the way the orange skirt is no longer available on the Nordstrom website. That's what you call the Michelle Obama Effect !!!!!!!
Mrs. O looks great as always! I love the bold color combo. I hope that more American women are inspired to step out of their beige and blah color comfort zones.
I love the fact that when Mrs. O is meeting with young people, she always does someting totally unexpected in her wardrobe. I remember the crazily-angled argyle cardigan she wore when speaking to kids in London a year or so ago. I think I "get" Mrs. O a little and I'm hoping that one day more of us who follow her fashion will. This outfit was absolutely perfect for a reading of Dr. Seuss to a group of kids. How fun! :O)
I always have to do a double take on what she is wearing when she is with children. EVERY time she is with children - she goes for the quirky. All those crazy colors and patterns fit right in with the quirky, colorful and mixed up world of Dr Seuss.
I love that my first lady keeps us guessing. Predictable is for the mediocre.
If she showed up for any event other than this one dressed in this get-up, I would conclude she dressed in the dark. But it's Dr.Seuss she's celebrating! The energy she receives from kids is forever amazing.
*small cough* except that the crazily angled cardigan was actually buttoned up wrong.
I'm reading the comments to find out who made the blouse. Anyone know? I think the patterns look like Matisse cutouts. I'd love to find that blouse and be able to afford it.
What a great outfit for the occasion! I am usually critical of Mrs. Obama's more "innovative" outfits, but I think this is absolutely perfect. Love it!
The top is designed by Duro Olowu (Nigerian-British). I see the symbols on it are Ghanaian Adinkra symbols. They're supposed to have a meaning but I'm no expert, better ask a Ghanaian. Mrs O has worn Olowu clothes before
Iris, thanks so much! You're absolutely right. The print was used in Duro Olowu's Spring 2010 collection.
For the first time ever I must give Mrs. O a thumbs down. Sorry, I just don't like this, not even a little bit.