In Uplifting (J. Crew) Fashion

Photo by Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

For tonight's "Kids' Inaugural: We Are the Future" concert, Mrs. O again dazzled in true First Lady style. The colors of the night were blue and yellow, a palette that exuded much needed optimism.  Mrs. O's message? In keeping with the theme of National Service Day she told her youthful audience: "You kids are the future of this great nation. We need every American to serve their community, including our young people."

Wearing a silver blue metallic lace shell paired with a sky blue pencil skirt, Mrs. O kept her look young and fresh by adding a canary yellow cardigan into the mix. An elastic belt cinched her waist, closed by a distinctive (and familiar) enamel buckle. Again recycling accessories, Mrs. O wore a set of diamond bangle bracelets we recognized from election night; and might her drop earrings have been the work of Loree Rodkin for a second night running? For a full view of Mrs. O's outfit, click here and here. T

onight's ensemble was feminine, while full of unexpected pairings - and for both of these things, thoroughly modern. By our account, this is already an inauguration for the ages, style and otherwise. Needless to say, we look forward to tomorrow immensely.

Update: For Monday night's "Kids Inaugural" concert, Mrs. O turned to chic and affordable retailer J. Crew for her wardrobe. Mrs. O wore a classic olive cashmere cardigan over a French metallic lace shell with a deep blue wool serve pencil skirt (the shirt and shell were lined in silk charmeuse). The ensemble was specially designed for Mrs. O, but highlights will appear in the Fall 2009 J. Crew collection.

A sketch of the J. Crew design: 

A Casual Take on the Yellow Cardigan

Photo used with kind permission from photographer Brian Bjolin

On a warm Fall weekend in central Ohio, Mrs. O again wore J. Crew's Crystal-button colorblock cardigan in Silver Honey. A nod to the cardigan's versatility, Mrs. O wears it here as part of a more dressed down ensemble paired with a white tee and azure blue jeans. A trio of yellow and blue beaded pins pulls the look together and adds a personal Mrs. O touch.

Photo used with kind permission from photographer Mike Doel

We were a fan of this cardigan when Mrs. O wore it on The Tonight Show last Monday and love it again here. Dressed up or down, yellow is a fantastic color on her. And at the risk of reading too much into the ensemble, we can't help but feel the choice of color reflects Mrs. O's mood: bright and optimistic.

Date: November 2, 2008

Venue: Campaign rally, Ohio Statehouse, Columbus, OH

J. Crew x Two

Photo credit: Flickr user Barack Obama // Creative Commons

One J. Crew ensemble certainly has elicited much excitement. Following Mrs. O's Tonight Show appearance, the media is having a heyday, J. Crew sales are soaring and jcrew.com even has a page dedicated to the full ensemble. We love it! Who can forget the frenzy around the now famous Donna Ricco dress from White House Black Market that Mrs. O wore to co-host The View? As such, it shouldn't come as a complete surprise that this ensemble has garnered so much attention.

As if this wasn't enough good news for J. Crew, what did Mrs. O wear the day following her Tonight Show appearance? More J. Crew. Seen above at a New Mexico rally, Mrs. O wears J. Crew's Sketchbook roses Belle skirt paired with a purple cotton cardigan and violet shell. In fact, we've seen this skirt once before. Mrs. O wore it on October 7 while campaigning in North Carolina.

Date: October 28, 2008

Venue: Campaign rally, Las Vegas, NM and Sante Fe, NM 

Mrs. O on J. Crew: "We ladies know"

Mrs. O made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night wearing yet another J. Crew ensemble. Mrs. O was at her most stylish in this look. A bold yellow, classic lines, all put together with personal flair. Mrs. O was dressed head to toe (or knee that is) in J. Crew. She wore the Italian Deco tank, Crystal-button colorblock cardigan in Silver Honey and Metallic cloque pencil skirt (Update: the skirt appears to be the Pembridge-dot pencil skirt in Yellow Gold. The color is available exclusively through the J. Crew Collection store.) Mrs. O added a bit of sparkle with a multi-colored jeweled brooch to close her cardigan.

When Mr. Leno brought up the subject of Mrs. O's style, "I want to ask you about your wardrobe. I'm guessing about $60-grand? $60-, $70,000 for that outfit?" Mrs. O replied, "Actually this is a J. Crew ensemble. We ladies, we know with J. Crew. You can get some good stuff online." Mr. Leno, perhaps surprised to hear about Mrs. O's online shopping habits then asked, "Do you order it online? Doesn't that take the fun out of it?" to which Mrs. O replied, "When you don't have time, you've got to click." Mrs. O has been spotted in J. Crew at least three times in the past few weeks. Seen here, here and here.

Last night's ensemble, however, was by far our favorite. The best part? The tank and cardigan are now on sale. As a side note, there was a great retrospective on J. Crew as part of a profile on Creative Director Jenna Lyons in this month's Domino Magazine - worth a quick peruse.

Date: October 27, 2008

Venue: Appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 

Abstract Rose Refresh

Photo used with kind permission from Toia Michelle Images

When Mrs. O appeared in Ohio last Friday, something familiar caught our eye. A fully printed version of the abstract rose J. Crew frock worn the week before in Pittsburgh. Thanks to J. Crew-aholics for pointing us to this strapless edition of the dress, which we believe to be underneath Mrs. O's belted cardigan.

Update: There was also a skirt in the same print, which is likely what we see here.

This marks another occassion in which Mrs. O has bought in multiples; in late September she notably wore the same jacket in two different colors. From a practical standpoint, this may be a necessity given Mrs. O's grueling travel schedule and multiple public appearances per week. It perhaps also says something greater about her personal style - that she has a distinct sense of what she likes and what works well on her, that she doesn't play by the celebrity-driven rule that one shouldn't be seen in the same thing twice, and that she knows a good bargain when she sees one. At full price, the dress retailed for $180 and the skirt for $135.

This look is also an example of an oft preached but hard to pull off fashion principle: extending your wardrobe across seasons. Particularly relevant in tough economic times, "Buy now and wear through summer" is even a headline on the cover of November's Vogue. While this concept sounds great in theory, it can be more difficult when face to face with one's closet. Mrs. O's ensemble is a great example of how to successfuly meld attire from neighboring seasons.

Pairing a J. Crew summer Fall collection (but still summery print) skirt with a black twinset, tights and boots, Mrs. O effortlessly transitions the look into fall. The prominence of black and the nature of the abstract print are key to making this work. Also notice the orange buckle on Mrs. O's belt, this week's more fall appropriate answer to last week's tangerine floral pin accent. While we're not in love with the black boots here - they seem to weigh down the look a bit - we very much applaud the overall effort.

Date: October 24, 2008

Venue: Campaign rally, Buchtel High School, Akron, OH