Friday
Sep202013
Mixed Blues Mrs. O
Friday, September 20, 2013 at 1:20 PM 
The First Lady hosted an event about food marketing to children in the State Dining Room of the White House last Wednesday. For the event, Mrs. O wore a navy blue and turquoise tweed dress with inverted pleats at the neckline and an embellished stone belt.
Update: Mrs. O wears a custom blue multi tweed sheath dress from Jason Wu.
tagged Jason Wu
Jason Wu
Reader Comments (13)
I just saw the video for this event and she was absolutely breathtaking -- Her skin is a testament to the healthy living she advocates so well--- And her hair is just incredibly gorg -- and her make-up was perfect as usual ---
The still shots don't do this dress and the woman in it, much justice; The video shows just how lovely this simple but beautifully constructed hunter green and white dress with the unexpected pop of color thrown in with the contrasting sweet lime green slim belt, really is--
But I especially loved her speech--
A speech that for all intents and purposes would be tricky for anyone to pull off considering her audience was a mix of fierce and vocal opponents on an issue that has proven to be touchy and "controversial"-- Profit-driven corporations, health advocates and parents -- and of course the usual slew of carnival barkers who'll complain just because---
But she nailed it as usual and in her naturally brilliant, simplest and most earnest manner -- With wisdom, humor and grace, she got to the meat of the matter and without blaming or shaming, appealed to the best of her audience reminding them of what is at stake -- and reminding them how it potentially impacts lives and company bottom lines - and for generations to come --
Here's a link to the video and an excerpt from the speech: (honestly, I really tried to do a short excerpt, but there were so many great and relevant parts!)
"--But while we have made important progress, when one in three kids is still on track to develop diabetes, and when diet has now surpassed smoking as the number one risk factor for disease and death in this country, then we clearly have much more work to do. ---As you know, I haven’t always lived in the White House. (Laughter.) Not so long ago, I was a busy working mom desperate to find quick, affordable meals and snacks for my family. I needed cereal that my girls could pour themselves. I needed lunches I could pack in a hurry. I needed juice boxes that my three-year-old could hold in her hand in the backseat of my car. I needed dinners that came pre-cooked and ready to pop in the microwave. And most importantly, I needed my kids to actually eat all of this food I was buying for them. And all of you in the food and beverage industry delivered for me. You manufactured and sold the convenience foods I needed, and you did a brilliant job making those foods something my kids would want. So when I opened those boxes and bags, my girls were happy, and I was happy -- problem solved. But then, like a lot of moms, I started learning more about nutrition and health. I started reading labels. I started getting warnings from my pediatrician about the health of my Kids. And I began to realize that some of these foods that were so quick and cheap and tasty weren’t always healthy for my kids. So once again, moms like me turned to your industry for help. But this time, we didn’t just want the foods to be convenient and affordable -- we wanted them to be good for our kids as well. -once again, moms like me are relying on all of you to actually help our kids get excited about eating that food. ---You all know that our kids are like little sponges –- they absorb whatever is around them. But they don’t yet have the ability to question and analyze what they’re told. Instead, they believe just about everything they see and hear, especially if it’s on TV. And when the average child is now spending nearly eight hours a day in front of some kind of screen, many of their opinions and preferences are being shaped by the marketing campaigns you all create. --- And as you all know, these ads work. Kids who see foods advertised on TV are significantly more likely to ask for them at the store –- a phenomenon known as “pester power.” --- And given what our kids are seeing on TV, it should come as no surprise what they’re asking for. --- And I’m here today with one simple request -- and that is to do even more and move even faster to market responsibly to our kids. Now, I want to be clear about what I’m asking here. I am not asking anyone to take the fun out of childhood. As we all know, treats are one of the best parts of being a kid. Instead, the goal here is to empower parents instead of undermining them as they try to make healthier choices for their families. --- So there might be those out there whose strategy is to just wait this out -- folks who might still be thinking to themselves, well, in a few years, this lady will be gone -- (laughter) -- and this whole Let’s Move thing will finally be over, so we can go back to business as usual. And I know that none of you here are thinking that way. (Laughter.) But if you know anyone who is -- (laughter) -- you might want to remind them that I didn’t create this issue, and it’s not going to go away three and a half years from now when I’m no longer First Lady. -- Parents are increasingly anxious as they see their kids developing diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure -- conditions that would have been unthinkable to find in children just a generation ago. There are now 79 million pre-diabetics in this county, many of them young adults, and we’re even seeing people in their twenties and thirties having heart attacks and strokes. --- So I have yet to meet a single parent who doesn’t understand the threat of obesity to their health and to their children’s health. And they are looking for solutions. They’re starting to think about how they feed themselves and their families. -- You have everything it takes right now to seize this societal challenge as an unprecedented business opportunity. -- And while I know I’ve been talking a lot about corporate America’s responsibilities on this issue, the advocates and experts here today have an important responsibility too. Your words matter. You all can help either provide incentives to change, or you can be barriers to change. So we need you to be constructive in your criticisms and strategic in your calls to action, because when it comes to marketing, it can be hard for companies to take risks. -- So when companies do step up and take risks, we need to be supportive, even if we think they haven’t gone far enough. We need to help them make those risks pay off, so that they’ll go even farther, and so that other companies will follow their lead. And as for those of you in the private sector, I hope that you will head back to your companies ready to think big and act boldly on behalf of our kids because while running a profitable business is important, I know that you all aren’t just business executives. You all are also good neighbors, and good citizens, and proud parents and grandparents. Many of you didn’t go into business just to make money, but to problem solve and make people’s lives better. You went into business to create great American products and build great American institutions, and to leave a legacy that your kids and grandkids will inherit with pride. ---"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRT_tdDE2lg
Love it! Just love it! Love the fact that our First Lady, wife of our President and mother of her family, and is 'making a difference' and has taken this job as ambassador from our government to us citizens, love it that she is so sensible and presentable, and love her pluck!
Dolly Madison and Mrs. Wilson, Mamie, Jackie O, Eleanor, Pat, Bess, Barbara and Laura, Betty Ford, as well as Chelsea's non-chocolate chip cookie baking mom, have all had made their mark and have their places in history, as so too, will Mrs. Obama, but oh what an interesting and exciting story.
I love this look and the colors on Mrs. O. :O)
"The still shots don't do this dress and the woman in it, much justice. . ."
@ Audrey, I say that often about many of the photos of Mrs. O.
#ThatDressIsGorgeous!
I love this dress on her. As I may of mentioned before, I'm not a fan of her wearing belts with the outifts she wears. But this belt completes the dress. Anything else would have ruined the style of the dress. IMO. Regarding the shoes, does anyone know what color shoes she wore?
"The still shots don't do this dress and the woman in it, much justice. . ."
Really? I thought it was stunning. One of her best choices.
What can you say except "different strokes"?
Brevity is the soul of wit ;-)
I LOVE this dress! Oh Gosh it is do flattering on Mrs. O. Lovely belt too. Nice width on the belt - perfect for her!
I'd wear that dress in a heartbeat, it's lovely and the belt compliments it perfectly,
Darts add an exquiste finish to the neckline. I love that she chose this great cause which will always be a concern for generations to come and as a great and inspirational leader she'll be able to contribute to this life changing important issue for years to come.
Important speech. Long overdue!!! Our kids are paying for the greed and callousness of so many corporations who put profits before the well-being of our children!!! Thank you Mrs Obama for taking on this most important cause!!! America's children and families thank you!!! And thank you too for looking and being so yummy and amazing while doing such great work !!! You ROCK great lady!!!
That looks like the Jason Wu pleat neck sheath dress.
http://www.lyst.com/clothing/jason-wu-teal-pleat-neck-sheath-dress-blue/