Sunday
Apr242011
Happy Easter
Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 10:13 PM 
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
The Obama family celebrated Easter at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. today. On a fashion note, re-wearing was a prominent theme. Mrs. O wore a silk plisse, ikat print dress by Thakoon, first seen in September 2009 for the G-20 summit, here. Sasha Obama wore a hand-me-down dress borrowed from her older sister! The pink lace dress was worn by Malia Obama on the final night of the DNC in 2008, seen below. Cute!
tagged Thakoon
Thakoon
Reader Comments (39)
I was privileged to receive a handshake and a hug from our President last week and I am really excited to see the Obama girls look so beautiful and poised on this day. What an incredible family!
Mrs. O looks great! Actually, so do Malia and Sasha! Malia's (now Sasha's) dress was always a favorite of mine and to see it on Sasha is wonderful! Oh and I love Sasha's hair!
Odd. Malia and Sasha are the only ones in the first photo not wearing long sleeves. Aren't you supposed to wear sleeves to church, especially on Easter Sunday services?
Thie First Family looks fantastic! And Mrs. O.'s arms look more toned than I remember (that's a compliment). Niiiice. ...Curious: Any idea who designs any of the "trademark" form-fitting sweaters the first lady wears? I have yet to cross paths with another lady that wears sweaters of this sort. And I don't recall finding any information here about them. (I like them and would like to get one for my sister for Mother's Day.)
A very nice Easter celebration!
Char
How that is what you call fashion utility
Meta, I am pea green with envy but hear me when I tell you that I intend to get a handshake, hug or both when the Obama's visit Britain next month. I missed them in April 2009 but I won't be missing them this time around. I actually work in Covent Gdn and couldn't believe my bad luck when I heard that the first lady was at the Opera House. I walk past that building every day !!!!!!
Anyway, the family that prays together, stays together. The commander in chic is wearing a favourite of mine. I love the delicate colouring in her dress. Is it me or are those girls growing like little weeds ? I can't believe how much they have grown since the campaigning days , they have really blossomed into two beautiful little princesses.
Happy Easter, everyone !
Wow! Malia seems to be almost as tall as President Obama. Re-use, recycle and keep it classy! I love it!
In answer to Marcus's query, the sweaters are believed to be a tissue thin cashmere available at Barney's. They used to be around 900 dollars, give or take.
I too, loved them, until I priced them, but I saw them last year, so don't know if they are still available.
Anda,
There is no such requirement that ladies wear long sleeves in the Black Baptist Church tradition--on Easter or any other Sunday. In addition, you will see that there is another woman in the picture (in the black and white dress in the lower right of the pcture) also not wearing sleeves.
Anywhoo....lovely picture of the first family Praising the Lord! He is Risen!
Pretty in Pink!
Must wear sleeves to church on Easter Sunday?? That's a new one. Don't know where that rumor started.
Re the trademark form-fitting lightweight cardigan, that has become so popular that you can find them in pretty much any store starting with Target. I think the key is to get a small enough size so it does hug your form.
@Anda....I am looking at the woman in the black-printed dress directly in front of President Obama, who is also not wearing sleeves...odd huh?
What a beautiful family. Talk about family values - not a scandal anywhere!
I attend a conservative church and women wear sleeveless dresses when the weather is warm.
I have never heard of a "no sleeveless ban".
Nordstroms and Macy's each carry similar short cardigans in a variety of styles and color.
@ Jesstina..I'll be visiting London at the beginning of next week and staying near Cov. Garden. Keep the sunshine turned on.
Char
Cardigans from J Crew always look great on her
@ Meta, you know you're wrong for this! How are you just going to CASUALLY slip it into a post that you met our President, got a handshake and a hug? Oh no.......we need details, we're your peeps! We have a scoop here! Girl, if that were me everyone would know about it. It would be on the news, "Woman from Detroit faints at the feet of President Obama". Seriously, I'm happy for you.
Onto fashion (intentionally ignoring sleevegate), how cute is our Sasha! That beautiful dress is hand-me-down worthy. I like that dress Malia is wearing. If I'm not mistaken, I believe it's the Besotted dress on Anthropologie's website. I saw it in the store a couple of weeks ago, it's darling enough. The whole family looks happy and healthy. That in of itself is a blessing!
They look beautiful. Love this family. As for the sleeveless in church thing, some churches have a strict dress code that may include that. I do remember that it was frowned upon in days gone by. I am not sure if that applied/applies to children or that it still applies at all. But, its interesting that you would bring that up. I havent heard that in years but remembered it being a big deal when I was a kid.
Note to others posting hear: Is it a crime for people to question something about the first family's outfits? Its all a question of taste and a matter of style. Its not a character assasination. I think this is a great forum to have respectful conversations from all points of view, even if it differs from our own. Who knows? Mrs. O may read some of these comments, see things in a new light and edit her wardrobe accordingly. Nothing but good could come from it. She is a classy lady who welcomes a healthy debate without getting rude or slinging mud.
@Anda:
The woman directly in front of Barack is sleeveless.
Easter Egg Roll
www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/25/obamas-easter-egg-roll_n_853351.html#s268987
Quite odd. We're in our early 60's and don't remember ever hearing anything about "sleeves required for church". Maybe it's just that we're sloppy West-Coasters. And there's an adult directly in front of the President wearing a black-and-white print dress, with no sleeves.
As for MO's dress, it's lovely, but I'm a bit confused... the dress looks predominantly blue in the picture above, and in the linked 2009 pictures it looks predominantly slivery. Two copies of the dress in different colors, or just a LOT of difference in the lighting?
Unfortunately you are seeing a picture of the Obamas and not the entire congregation. Had you seen the entire congregation you would have seen other children in sleeveless and strappy dresses. My own congregation was full of them yesterday. Since I am a whole generation older than the Obamas, I would have probably made my child wear a sweater or cover her shoulders with a scarf. However, my New England (Boston area) church was hot yesterday so I assume it was at least as uncomfortably warm in Washington, D.C. if not more so. I am also assuming that the Secret Service would not have been comfortable seating the family in an area with a lot of children since there would have been too much movement. Anyhow, this really is the sleeveless generation!
What a fantastic example, in tight economic times, for Sasha to wear her sister's hand-me-downs! I grew up wearing my cousin's "gently used" clothes and my younger daughter certainly wore her share, but it's nice to know that even the president's daughter does the same.
Anda, I was in church yesterday and many young girls and adult women were wearing sundresses--there were lots of bare arms of all ages. Easter was relatively late this year, and warm-weather clothes are appropriate. Protestants may be a little more tolerant of sleveless dresses than some other religions--I'm a Methodist, and the Obamas were at a Baptist church, so there's no "Orthodox" rule about covering one's arms or head.
Looks like Miss Sasha has made it her own and has added a floral embellishment to the ribbon waist.......?
Easter Egg Roll today: check out Mrs. O 1:24 in
The picture makes me smile. Mrs. T, I realize this is a fashion blog, but I question the wisdom of making or inviting commentary on young girls who do not control what they wear. I remember how sensitive I was about hand-me-down clothing. I appreciate that the baby's vintage gear probably costs more that what I'm wearing right now, smile.
@ Anda / On going sleeveless at church_Unless you're at a strict pentacostal church or something before Vatican II, sleeveless is fine. Note: you drew your conclusion from a photo of a 12 x 12 area in a very large church. Also, the lady in from of Sasha has on a black & white sleeveless dress, as well.
Lovely, gracious Obama family. They are always so on point. Mrs. Obama is the core in this family. They click together so well. It is sweet that Sasha is wearing Malia's dress. They probably got together on that---so sweet!!
The First Family looks great! I think that this is one of my favorite pictures of them. The family that prays together stays together!
Char - safe and happy travels. The weather over here has been GLORIOUS. Easter was sensational, yesterday was warm, sunny and slightly windy. This morning is dull, windy and not at all warm, although it's only 9.30am. This is typical British weather, we get four seasons in one week.
Char, you're going to miss the Royal wedding. The frenzy over here is electric and I'm so looking forward to having the day off work on Friday.
@Anda are you allowing your politics to outshine reason. There is no such law in any Protestant Church that I am aware since reconstruction!
The lady in front of the president is sleeveless and I am certain that of the more than 1,200 congregants there were many more.
How foolish and small minded of you to draw such a conclusion on photo which is perhaps represents 10 metes of the area. That is bizarre.
Moving on, Our little princess Sasha has made the hand me down her own by adding a pink Flower to the belt. How endearing.
I love this family.
Signed a lifelong Arizona Republican
Justina, we are missing the Royal wedding on purpose as our time is limited.
Instead we leave tomorrow for Paris where we will watch it on T.V.Looking forward to
London, rain or not, next Monday through Thursday; my granddaughter and me. Char
Beautiful pic of a well-adjusted, loving, Christian family. God bless Mrs. Obama, God bless the First family and God bless America.
I love this just for the simplicity of a little sister wearing hand-me-downs from her older sister. Just when you think the O's can't find another "normal" moment, they pen another one in the history books. Regardless of your politics, ladies and gentlemen, this is family values on display for the world.
One more point, at the folks commenting on the "sleevelessness", you must not live in DC. It was scorching on Sunday! I had to turn my AC on for the first time. :(
Ha ha !! I can't blame you Char. It is mass hysteria over here but I love it. There was a trial run of the wedding in the early hours of this morning - all the pomp and ceremony makes me proud to be British.
Have a lovely holiday. If you're in Paris, will you be going to Fontaine de Mars restaurant, where Mr & Mrs Obama went for date night ?? I went for lunch last year, the food is nice but you need to book if going for dinner. I hope you love London too. Safe travels !
Jestina,
Any favorite London restaurants? We will be at the Radisson at Soho
Char,
Andrew Edmunds on 46 Lexington St W1 and Randall & Aubin 16 Brewer St, Soho W1 are two particular favourites of mine although I haven't been in a while.
Have fun !
Love the pix...very normal family doing their thing. No pretense, just very real.
The family looks wonderful. Love the colors.
Anda, I am Catholic and my mother never let us go sleeveless in church (holiday or not). If the dress was sleeveless then we had to wear a cardigan with it. Of course I frequently complained that I was cold in church, so maybe it was precaution. She also believed that a proper wedding dress could never be sleeveless. I don't know where my mother got these beliefs...but certainly times have changed since the 70s. The brides in the majority of weddings I have attended for years now are not only sleeveless, but strapless. I don't think there are or should be rules for this type of thing. Wear whatever makes you feel good!