Friday
Jul272012
A Royal Welcome
Friday, July 27, 2012 at 2:00 PM 
The First Lady is attending a reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace for the heads of state and governments prior to the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. For the royal occasion, Mrs. O is wearing a "white viscose techno crepe tailored jacket with overlapped side panels and silver embroidery" from the J. Mendel 2013 Resort collection, previously available here, along with a J. Mendel ivory silk satin faced chiffon pleated skirt. Metallic heels and Azaara earrings, available here, complete the gorgeous look.
The First Lady has worn J.Mendel at least once before, for the BET Honors awards in January 2012, seen here.
Reader Comments (61)
OMG! OMG! OMG! She looks FABULOUS! This outfit? To die for!
absolutely gorgeous!
Absolutely refreshing. Way to represent the USA Mrs. O!
OMGoodness! What a beautiful outfit. She looks so elegant and pretty. What a lovely first lady we have.
Just saw this picture and accompanying article on Yahoo. Thought some of you might love this.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/u-wrestler-elena-pirozhkova-picked-michelle-obama-photo-153936035--oly.html
Peace.
My oh my. Absolutely fantabulous outfit. the contrast between the architectural cut of the top and the flowing silhouette of the skirt plus the color combo is flawless. The Obama diary has additional pictures showing FLOTUS at the banquet hosted by the Queen for heads of state and dignitaries. Beautiful. that's how diplomacy is done with style. Take that Mitt
Be still my heart!!! Simply beautiful and she is wearing it perfectly. I adore this outfit on our First Lady and her commitment to military families and her initiatives on a global stage during the Olympics. Stunning!
Absolutely fabulous! She does the USA proud! So lovely.
Sorry, I don't like the fit. The top is too boxy and does not show off her lovely figure.
WORK IT FLOTUS!!!!!!!
Hair: Gold; Earrings: Gold; Outfit: Gold; Shoes: Gold; First Lady: Gold !!!
Simply beautiful!
Wow....lovely, simply lovely. Mrs. Obama represents the US so well. God bless our FLOTUS, God bless our POTUS and God bless America. Obama 2012....
Wow. Really pretty from head to toe. I think the gentleman walking with Mrs. O thinks so too!
She looks beautiful. I love the unique sleeve.
This is fabulous!!
This outfit is great, classy with just a bit of edge. More pics
http://theobamadiary.com/2012/07/27/at-the-palace-2/#comments
What a beautifully structured jacket. Different, isn't it? This lovely lady can be counted on avoid the usual and wear something surprising. She looks lovely in these 'colors', her hair is beautiful and her carriage elegant. I love her.
Love the colors, but think the sleeves cut in just the wrong place. It's less flattering than her usual choices.
I love that Mrs. Obama has a tiny bit of gray hair at her part. She is a role model of intelligent, beautiful style for those of us on the far side of 40!
Wow, Wow, Wow! She rocks this outfit.....
I love the jacket, but something is off with the skirt. Most of us can't pull off the long pleats.
Our beautiful First Lady- she does this country so proud! She looks absolutely stunning in white and gold- it looks so lovely on her. Love the skirt- it seems to just flow about her legs. You go, Mrs. O!
Looksing Amazing... Beautiful makeup & hair!
Swoon!
Stunning. The perfect cut and fit remind me a little of Vivian Westwood's cutting and tailoring. And with the chiffon pleats it's just perfect - some softness to take the edge of an almost corseted fitted jacket - although I think I would have made the skirt calf length for myself. Beautiful. She wore something different in the stadium though. A white asymmetric top under a yellow cardigan. Both looked familiar but the camera didn't stay on her long enough for me to get a good look at it.
P.S. Nancy, you made me laugh out loud. Boxy! LOL. Short of being laced up the back I don't think we've often seen her in anything more fitted to her body!
This outfit is beautiful and perfect for the "royal occasion!"
I absolutely love this outfit! She looks beautiful and royal! Look out Kate!!!! The silver and white top reminds of one Beyonce wore in her Vegas concert. You know she would like to be Beyonce in her next life.
Rock on First Lady!!!!!
WOW!!! Mrs. O just blew my socks off! Absolutely stunning, unexpected and flawless! These photos totally made my day!
this is a winning look let's go for it in NOV too!
The devine Ms. M!
This is gorgeous. She's turning back the clock, looking younger and younger.
I love the embroidery! I think it fits well and is tailored to her body. In other pics that I saw, Mrs. O looked radiant! She looked like she was glowing!
This stunning costume further solidifies my opinion that our beautiful FLOTUS could wear a burlap sack and still make it beautiful. Mrs. Obama is beautiful inside and out! What a wonderful representative of the USA we have in her!
I don't care what the haters say, that fabulous jacket is worth every penny of $6,800!
the first lady looks sooooo gorgeous this is an outfit [with shoes] i will die [figure of speech] for, she knows how to dress i love everything about her ,...she is a lady of class...mr. pres. you are one lucky and bless man to have such a wife with class, compare to other first ladies...she is heading the list in style and class...love you michelle...you make a black woman feels great about them selves...you are my idol when it comes to class #1 at all times...take a bow lady..i salute you..blessings flow....loraine mckain of trinidad ..west indies
Wow! $6,800 just for the jacket. Yes, Michelle feels your pain in a jacket that costs more than the average family makes in one month.
OMG, I covet this entire ensemble!! Mrs. O is absolute perfection head to toe. Love, love, love every gorgeous piece of it. Brilliant choices for the royal reception. Spot on!!
@mimij - I think it is Beyonce who would like to be the first lady in her next life and not the other way. No disrespect but Beyonce only ticks one box but Michelle Obama is the epitome of a superwoman - smart, educated, beautiful etc etc. I love her outfit here. She ALWAYS gets her evening wear right. I can't help but notice how much her confidence has grown since she stepped into her role. Soooooo looking forward to the next four years.
STUNNING!!!!!!!
Love the mix of rigid and fluid. Extremely beautiful.
EileenB, we know that she would accessorize the heck out of that burlap sack, putting on a statement necklace or bright brooch/cinching her waist with a wide belt/and wearing shoes in a color that popped, so, yes, I'd agree with your assessment about her wearing even burlap well!
The thing I love most about Michelle Obama's style is that you never know what she is going to wear next. Whether you like what she is wearing or not it is always exciting and unexpected and I always enjoy that. This outfit is stunning and far from boxy. Pics at the Obama Diary show side views of how beautifully fitted the jacket is and the skirt brings a lovely softness to this look.
I was impressed with our First Lady's elegant (and appropriate attire) for this occasion. I do not get the uproar about the price on other sites. Any female political figure or wife of a political figure should be able to wear whatever at whatever price without press comment.
I didn't see anyone mention the price. The jacket sells for $6,800 - quite a price when so many in the country are facing difficult financial times.
I loved this outfit when I saw it the day Mrs. T posted it. But when I read J. Mendel, I knew it was only a matter of time before the price came out. J. Mendel is pricey - and it looks it. Longtime readers know this is a conversation that has arisen again and again, with the majority of Mrs. O readers feeling it's her money, let her spend it as she chooses. And I have agreed. I love her style and her enthusiasm about her clothes, and the fact that she has embraced so many young designers and been such a boon to American fashion.
That said, I wish she had not worn this right now. I am so skittish about the election, and the campaign is already petty and personal. I worry this will become fodder for the Republicans. They will grab onto this like a dog with a bone, despite the Romney's extravagant financial lifestyle. It's not fair, but when has politics ever been fair?
I would feel better if our dear Mrs. O wore clothes that are more modest in price - until January 20, 2014, when I hope she will pull out all the stops and wear any damned thing she wants!
OpFan, sorry, I'm going to have to disagree with you on this, bud. In the great words of R. Kelly(snark), "Haters gonna hate." And that's not snark, that's real talk. Haters are going to hate. Therefore, Mrs. O can where a white tee that you buy from a gas station and these people are going to say something. They hate that the First Couple is CLASS personified. They hate that the President is doing a great job. They HATE that they can't find anything to rag on him about except for when they slice and dice his words. They hate that most Americans and people around the world LOVE Michelle Obama and there is not a DAMN thing they can do about it. They HATE because they are black. Yep, I said it and I mean it. So, OpFan, I think Mrs. O should wear anything she wants because if it's the republicans and haters that she needs to appease, that's a no win situation.
BTW, what the hell do they want her to wear meeting the queen? A jersey dress? Fudiculous!!!
I fail to see what the price of the clothes the First Lady wears have to do with fact that many in our country are facing difficult financial times. She doing what she is suppose to be doing; representing our country with grace, and yes looking very well put together doing it.
Actually, Nyon, I agree with everything (EVERYthing) you said. Haters are going to hate, and it is a no win situation. No change of wardrobe is going to stop them. And that is what worries me. My comments grew out of the fact that I'm after the voter who is genuinely on the fence, and I don't want anything to give ammunition to the Republicans that might woo that voter away from Obama. Does it make sense? No. Could it happen? I'm not prepared to say it couldn't. Does every vote count? You know it does.
I was speaking as a really concerned citizen who SO wants another 4 years of these talented, smart and caring people in the White House. I guess I'm a bit of a sell out, but I am willing to try absolutely everything to cut down the hater rhetoric and get that accomplished. If it means putting J. Mendel in the closet for a few months, so be it.
And you're right: what DO these people expect her to wear to Buckingham Palace??? That's what is so annoying. It was such a completely appropriate and respectful choice to wear for that occasion.
We're still friends, yes?
Wow! Stunning! And expensive...but it's her money and she can spend it any way she wants!
Still friends?! HELL YES!!! Nothing can keep me from you!! (LOL, "Color Purple" fans should recognize that line) But I do see what you're saying now. You do have a point about the people that are on the fence and any little thing can sway them one way or the other. I just hope people wouldn't be that petty and not vote for the President because his wife wore an expensive dress TO MEET THE QUEEN. However, I know there are some out there like that. Why can't people think like you and me? LOL!
Operafanatic, I am feelin' you...well said.
BTW, OpFan most of my little rant wasn't even for you. It was for the haters that lurk. Mwaahahahaha!!