Smartly Dressed

Photo by Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

The first lady attended the National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C. today, where she posed the final round of questions to contestants. While there, Mrs. O announced that the White House would host a Science Fair for students from around the country. The New York Times has the full scoop, here.

Style wise, the first lady turned to a minimalist grey pant suit, paired with silver ballet flats and an oversize pin at the shoulder.

Update #1: Mrs. O's light grey silk/wool suit is a Narciso Rodriguez creation. No word quite yet on the absolutely splendid brooch.

Update #2: Mrs. O's brooch is an Erickson Beamon creation. Fabulous!

Tres Chic in Prabal Gurung

Photo by Getty Images

The first lady is wearing a hand-draped, off the shoulder, red matte jersey gown by Prabal Gurung at the White House Correspondents' Dinner this evening. Stunning!

Update: On the jewelry front, it appears that the first lady wore pieces by Bochic and Sutra Jewels. The bottom gold cuff is a Sutra Jewels piece, created from 10 carats of raspberry tourmaline, flanked by rose cut diamonds in a star-burst motif. The top cuff appears to be a Bochic piece, constructed from white bakelite, gold filigree and rose-cut diamonds, seen here.

Mrs. O in USA Weekend

Photo by Kwaku Alston, Stockland Martel for USA Weekend

The first lady is on the cover of the current issue of USA Weekend, accompanied by an interview focused on her parenting approach. To read more, click here.

Several commenters have noted the similiarity between this magenta pink dress and the teal Jason Wu dress, seen here, which Mrs. O wore in London last Spring. The signature similarity is the tight pleating (or "fluting" as Cathy Horyn described it last year) at the waist. I will investigate and report back. Have a wonderful weekend!

Update: As we thought, the dress is indeed another gorgeous creation by Jason Wu -- a "custom silk faille cartridge pleated dress."

Giving Back

Image by Jason Reed / Reuters

First Lady Mrs. O joined a group of congressional spouses at the Marie H. Reed Community Learning Center in Washington, D.C. today, where they painted murals of butterflies and flowers, and helped plant a butterfly garden, as well as a vegetable plot.

Mrs. O dressed casually for the appearance, wearing cropped black pants, a button down blouse and green cardigan. Mrs. O made a nod to her work attire, saying to the group: “It's so good that everybody has made a commitment to step out of our tea dresses and away from the crystal and to roll up our sleeves and be ready to paint and to get a little dirty."

Honoring Dorothy Height

AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari

First Lady Mrs. O joined the President and Vice President this morning to attend the funeral services for civil rights leader Dorothy Height, who passed away at age 98 on April 20. The services were held at the National Cathedral in Washington, with President Obama due to deliver the eulogy.

While most media coverage has naturally focused on Ms. Height's profound civil rights influence, there has also been a bit of attention placed on her legacy of "fashion flair." In a piece today, Robin Givhan of the Washington Post profiles Ms. Height's style influence, celebrating "her formal wardrobe of feminine suits in lush colors and, most specifically, her glorious hats." You can find the full piece here.