Monday
Sep192011
Mrs. O in Duro Olowu
Monday, September 19, 2011 at 7:25 PM 
Photos by Mandel Ngan, Nicholas Kamm / Getty Images, Kevin Lamarque / Reuters Pictures
The President and First Lady traveled to New York City today for the United Nations General Assembly. On the fashion front, Mrs. O mixed bold print and color in her ensemble. A multi print silk placket dress by Duro Olowu, last seen on Oprah, here, was paired with a vibrant yellow cardigan, red belt and orange flats. A structured navy bag completed the early autumn look.
P.S. Here's to the new season from the White House squirrel! This photo was snapped as the President and First Lady left Washington.
tagged Duro Olowu
Duro Olowu
Reader Comments (48)
The outfit is nice. I love bright colours and she looks great. I *HEART* the purse ... and I've been looking for something similar for weeks.
Does anyone know who makes the bag? I love structured/framed bags. Its so 60's. Looking great Obama's!
I love the color pallette and the mix of colors. beautiful cardigan color but I wish she would wear some heels sometimes. This outfit would have been taken from a 8 to a 9 in heels. Not so sure about the chastity belt though. Love the color of it, but a few inches less in thickness and this would have been a 10.
Also forgot to mention how I LOVE LOVE LOVE her bag. Was looking for a structured navy bag like that recently and all the ones I loved were way outside my price range. Navy is sucha great accessory color sometimes when you dont want to do black and really brings out certain colors. Her outfit is well complemented by the president's blue suit.
Not loving the hair here though and it's time for a change from this hairstyle. If she's suffering breakage, she should go back to the weave or get a short haircut, which I think she could pull off.
A super-flattering dress, which to my mind echoes some of your wonderful autumnal (sorry, fall) colours. I hadn't clocked that Mrs. O had worn it on Oprah, so thanks for the reminder, Mrs. T!
A lovely hairstyle, too.
Lovely dress but in my opinion there is too much going on here. The navy bag pulls the colour of the dress beautifully and I think neutral or navy shoes with a navy jacket/overcoat would have complemented it nicely with the orange belt tucked inside. The yellow cardigan and rust coloured shoes are struggling to find a home and I find the whole ensemble rather busy.
What a beautiful dress! Extremely flattering! I like the accessories too, although I would have worn different colour shoes, and I wouldn't have worn the yellow cardigan with the dress. Having said that, it is nice to see Mrs O wearing a cardigan that doesn’t look so tight across the arms.
The only thing that spoils this outfit for me is the wide belt under the bustline. I've never been a fan of that particular look. I do hope this doesn't mark the return of it!
I like the orange shoes with the ensemble, but think if the belt had been inside the sweater rather than outside, the effect would have appeared less busy. A blue coat would also look very nice.
I, too, love the dress and the beautiful cut and colors, but agree that in this case, less would be more in terms of accessories. I could easily do without the belt here -- it interrupts the line of the of the dress, esp. over the cardigan. Love the energy of the outfit, though!
Ok...she is back to some of her favorite things, color, vibrant, pattern, flats, her belt indeed it is a lovely riot of things going on here. For me its just the bag thats the most distracting....
The dress for me does says "hello Fall"....as does the squirrel. Love you First Lady!
Disappointment is my feeling here, sorry. Her wide belt over an open bunched up cardigan is so overworked and "last year".It has been a signature style of hers since day 1 and its time to move on. The colors of the outfit are breathtaking, but that belt just kills it.
Ha, ha, ha!!! As I got dressed for work this AM, I started with brown pants and reached for my brown cardigan, then I realized how drab and boring I looked and felt, so I changed to a multi-colored jacket, I then looked in the mirror and thought "this is too busy" but being late I went with the busy but I feel a lot better!!! Maybe Mrs. O tried on the Navy cardigan and thought "boring"!! Sure she felt bright and cheery in her multi colors. Go Mrs. O!!!
@Jestina you have echoed my thoughts exactly.
@Bevi I agree. A bit of navy would have been just thing to take this outfit to another level.
It is noteworthy that Mrs. O wore the dress without a belt on Oprah and it looked fantastic.
The navy bag is divine and I love it more each time I see it.
I know, right? That BAG! So good. She is a breath of fresh air as always.
Perhaps the function of the belt is sometimes simply to keep sweaters and jackets from flapping in the wind, especially on tarmacs and around helicopters. It would not have been windy on Oprah when she first wore this awesome dress. I have often wished for a belt when walking outside wearing one of my "Mrs.-Obama-Inspired-Me-To-Get-This" cardigans. Yesterday in a Nordstrom's I was looking at the belt rack and the type of belt Mrs. Obama was wearing seem to be a rage right now. The belt lobby would be very disappointed if Mrs. Obama took our belt comments too seriously; they are making money hand over fist because of her.
Love the color combination and the belt pulls the outfit off, in my opinion!!! Without the belt, I believe the outfit would be too "ordinary" but the belt makes it unique and original!
I think the dress with out the belt last time was really good.
In this context I don't know whether a cardigan is "so last year." Isn't a cardigan timeless? Cuddly and cozy the way a more structured jacket can't be--especially when on an airplane--the cardigan is a staple in a wardrobe and has been since grandma knitted them.
Isn't the idea of "so last year" pure marketing and in the vein of purple is the new black; therefore, line up and buy the latest new in thing and ditch the still perfectly good old thing? (Remember the days of twice-turned gowns?)
If Mrs. O were not a working woman and a run-way model, and if this look were all that a designer had to offer in the last 3 shows, perhaps "so last year" might apply.
The autumnal colours (How much better that scans, English Observer) are fabulous. I'd have opted for no belt, but I'm five-foot-two and could never pull this off.
To my mind this orange shoe works as a neutral: at first glance I thought she was barefoot.
You already know what I'm going to say. To be honest, it's a lovely dress and the shoes she wore with it on Oprah worked much better. I would have worn those for the photo ops and switched to the flats for the plane ride. Another choice of outerwear might have been better for this look....again, perhaps showing the lovely dress off (sleeveless, which never seems to bother Mrs. O. even if it's 40 degrees outside) and throwing on the cardi for the plane ride.
Hate, hate, hate the belt. Sorry peeps, Hate it.
I, too hope this does not mark the return of the too-wide belt over a cardigan that throws her figure off proportionally. I'm not even looking at the dress because the proportion of the outfit is awful. Very frumpy and too many colors. Yuk.
@ Believe It or Not I agree about the bag. I do a lot of vintage shopping and it reminds me of the same and my favorite for collecting. I like the style a lot! Perhaps vintage?
I think the bag is Jason Wu
I love the colors and the squirrel!
I have to agree with Jestina. The outfit is just too busy. I'd love to see a simple navy top that would draw the eye to the beautiful skirt.
The bag is great!
The hair is lovely, too, but I am wondering and hoping--could our delightful First Lady be working her way into an Afro hairdo? I, for one, would be very excited to see that happen.
Flats might be because all the welcoming party was so not-tall? Yes, belt should've been inside the cardigan. But she still looks good! Love the skirt.
In my opinion, the dress looked MUCH better on Oprah. The red high heels looked smarter and more polished than the orange flats. No cardigan and no too-wide belt under the bust! The colors in the dress are lovely and so is the purse but I don't like the cardigan with the wide belt. :>(
Love everything but the sweater. The navy bag and orange shoes are fantastic together!
Regarding the flats, if you look at the picture, you will see she is already taller than the majority of the men she is shaking hands with.
@Philly, I'm interested in your comment that the orange shoes came out as neutral because that's my impression, too. It's the yellow cardigan and red belt that don't look right to me -- maybe more subdued shades of both would complement the dress better. Great dress, though.
YAY!!! it's good to see the cozy cardigan, the bright colors and the wide belt are back,! This is classic Mrs O. I think the outfit as a whole, is very fashionable and the navy bag just balances it all out. Ibet Mrs O is feeling good in this look. I likey!
When Mrs. O took the month of August off, I was thirsting for photos of her. Now that she's back in full swing, I enjoy seeing so much of her even when I'm not in love with what she's wearing. I'm much more interested in what she's wearing at an event than when she's enroute to an event.
This ensemble today seems to be for the comfort of travel. It appeared to be a windy day (I caught a picture of her on another site holding with her hand on her hemline keeping it from being blown in the wind). I think this hairstyle which she seems to favor lately insures her hair will be neat even in windy conditions. I'm sure it also saves her time when she's running from one event to another. I do hope there will be pictures of POTUS and FLOTUS at tonights gala ny NYC.
I think this outfit looks more like a "farewell to summer" than a "hello fall" statement!
The colors do feel more summery to me....
The purse is nice! I hadn't noticed it, but all of the readers comments drew my attention to it.
I like the individual elements of the outfit, but I think it's too much all together. Also, I don't think this is dressy enough for the United Nations function.
Oh, Mrs T. I just couldn't wait for the NYC pictures!! Mrs. O is looking particularly flirty, as Pres. O talks about it being the closest they could get to a "date night" They are so cute, without being all 'matchy-matchy'
First Lady Michelle Obama introduces President Barack Obama at a DNC fundraiser at Gotham Hall, September 20
More pics from the Gotham Hall fundraiser, Sept 20, 2011 in NYC. I have no idea who the designer is of the black sleeveless dress? gown? double breasted buttons? satin lapels?
Mrs. O behind the podium, in front of American flag at DNC fundraiser at Gotham Hall
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk off stage after attending a DNC fundraiser at Gotham Hall
Invitation to the "Fall Gala Dinner" fundraising event in New York's Gotham Hall on Sept. 20, 2011
Looking back at the pictures after reading the comments, I do find the outfit to be loud/busy. I love the idea of the belt. I dont like my sweaters or coats to be flapping open either. That would be annoying. But I think in the case of the busy pattern on the dress that she should have worn one of her clear/lucite belts with the color on the buckle area only. Also, neutral shoes with a little heel would have polished the entire look....IMHO. But, who am I to tell the FLOTUS how to dress?! LOL!
I hollered when I saw these pics. The cardi and the belt are back in living color vengeance. No likey.
Thanks for the photo links, isonprize. They both look great.
I love the colors of the dress and yellow cardigan. Not "last year" for me, I wear one almost every day. I think this is her J. Crew Jackie cardigan that we have seen before.
The word autumnal reminds me of the visit the Obamas made to the White House after the election. President and Mrs. Bush were very gracious, and President-elect Obama made the comment that the two women had on dresses that were autumnal. It was all so pleasant and hopeful and it seems like 20 years ago now.
I forgot to say thank you for the squirrel, Mrs. T, he is great!
Hello,
I've returned to this site after a long hiatus. So nice to see Mrs. O's pictures again. This is not my favorite outfit , but it's just so nice to be back, I don't care if she's wearing a paper bag!
Thanks so much for the updated pics, isonprize. I Love Mrs. O.'s gorgeous "tuxedo" dress. So much prettier and more flattering than the earlier, very "busy" outfit. It just proves once again that less is more.
THE BAG!
Mrs. O appeared at the UN General Assembly today for PBO's speech and she wore her hair down. She's been growing it out and t's really long!
http://www.daylife.com/photo/00EP7LteRw721?q=Michelle+Obama
Please forgive me but I won't be able to post until after 6pm tonight. Best, Mrs. T
WOW, there is a lot going on in this ensemble - too much for my taste.
But the bag is fierce.
Thanks to meta for the daylife link. Isn't Mrs. O wearing the wonderful plum/violet coatdress ensemble at the U.N. that she wore when leaving London earlier this year?
http://mrs-o.com/newdata/2011/5/26/leaving-london.html
Really love the colors and texture of this outfit. And having her hair down easily takes 10 years off
her reliably radiant appearance.
Love the love flow between Mr & Mrs O at the Gotham event too. Great couple keepin' it real in the midst of it all!!
Loved MRSO at the UN today. She looked well put together. I loved the dress with the coat t over it. Is it the same dress and coat that she wore home from England this year? It looks like it could be the same dress.
All those colors in one outfit. How does she do it?
Sorry that I'm late to the party but I just took a look at some other pics on Getty Images. This outfit is busy but you know that FLOTUS knows how to make it work. Several other people stated that maybe the belt is being worn over the cardi to avoid it flapping in the wind. I agree with that and think that the outfit would probably flow better if the belt was underneath the sweater.