Shopping Mrs. O's Style

 

We were window shopping at theoutnet.com, and couldn't help but notice several pieces from Mrs. O's wardrobe featured at a considerable discount (though sadly, not quite considerable enough...). Still, we had to share.

The first is a dress that makes our heart flutter -  the rose print dress from Thakoon's Spring 2009 collection. The cheeky, fantasy-filled print, which features roses that have sprouted legs, was the result of a collaboration between designer Thakoon Panichgul and artist Laurie Simmons. Perhaps deemed a bit much for the first lady, Mrs. O wore a pixelated floral version of the same dress, sans legs, when visiting Strasbourg, France in April 2009. (In the New York Times panel this spring, Thakoon also revealed that Mrs. O's version of the dress had been a contender for the Inauguration.)

Next is another dress from a more recent international trip, worn by Mrs. O as she arrived in Moscow this summer. At the time, the linen blend coral dress by Narciso Rodriguez was paired with a coordinating coat by Michael Kors, concealing hidden details such as the cocoon skirt and exposed zip at the back. We are delighted to take them in now!

Finally, we also stumbled upon a dress that goes a bit further back into Mrs. O's wardrobe. Not yet first lady, Mrs. O was a guest on The Ellen Degeneres Show in September 2008. For the appearance, she wore a printed skirt, paired with a purple wrap top and trio of floral brooches. The skirt, we believe, is Hanii Y, shown as a dress here. 

Just a bit of fun to start off the week! P.S. Fans of the White House kitchen garden will be delighted to learn that the Office of the First Lady nonprofit group Fresh Farm Markets has applied for a farmers market permit near the White House, with support from White House chef Sam Kass. Read details here.

Update: We just spotted the same Thakoon dress, in size 8, on ebay, here.

When in Rome (Updated)

 

Photo by Alessia Pierdomenico / Reuters

As the President and First Lady arrived in Rome, Mrs. O dazzled in a yellow sheath dress, accessorized with an oversize green brooch at her shoulder. We love that Mrs. O has mixed two of her signatures - a classic sheath and a statement brooch - while introducing a fresh play on color.

Update #1: Mrs. O wears a Jason Wu canary yellow silk faille custom sheath dress. The pin is a rare 1960s vintage piece in paper mache, purchased at Ikram.

For the afternoon, Mrs. O changed ensembles to visit the Coloseeum with her daughters, wearing a white sundress with an Erickson Beamon turquoise brooch pinned at the neckline. The brooch was first seen in August 2008, as Mrs. O opened the Democratic National Convention.

Update #2: Mrs. O wears a white cotton silk dress by Narciso Rodriguez.

 

Photo by Tiziana Fabi / Getty Images

Pretty in Peach

Photo by Stringer / AFP / Getty 

The Os have deplaned in Moscow and Mrs. O is wearing a lovely peach ensemble, reminiscent of her white ensemble worn on D-day, and belt at the waist with a Sonia Rykiel belt. More to follow.

Update #1: Mrs. O wears a Narciso Rodriguez dress, paired with a Michael Kors collarless coat, both in a peachy coral hue. The first lady wore a similar combination from the same designers in white when she visted France last month.

Update #2: The little Os both wear J.Crew -- Malia wears a silk taffeta trench and satin ballet flats by J.Crew, while Sasha wears a twill trench and flats by crewcuts.

Happy Fourth of July!

Photo by Jewel Samad / Getty Images

The Os celebrated Independence Day with an event to honor military heroes and their families at the White House. First Lady Mrs. O wore a streamlined black and white dress, with an empire waist and cocoon skirt, which coordinated with her daughters white sundresses.

Hope everyone is having a happy and safe July 4th! Update: Mrs. O's dress is Narciso Rodriguez!

Photo by Jewel Samad / Getty Images

CFDA Honors Mrs. O

On Monday night, First Lady Mrs. O received the Board of Directors' Special Tribute award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in New York. Mrs. O accepted her award via a pre-taped video speech (thank you MJ Strong for the link):

Beyond her words in the March 2009 issues of Vogue, when Mrs. O said, "If I can have any impact, I want women to feel good about themselves and have fun with fashion," this is the first we've heard the First Lady more formally articulate her appreciation for fashion. The qualities she calls out -- art form, ingenuity and craftsmanship -- are all hallmarks of the otherwise quite diverse range of designers she has embraced in recent months, from Isabel Toledo to Maria Cornejo to Jasmin Shokrian.

In honor of the award, Mr. Andre Leon Talley of Vogue wrote a piece for Style.com in which he highlighted a few of his favorite Mrs. O looks. His picks? The recent Michael Kors, Narciso Rodriguez and Givenchy ensemble worn for D-Day; the Alaia belt and blue VBH clutch worn for date night in New York; and one of our personal favorites, the argyle Junya Watanabe cardigan with teal Jason Wu dress worn in London.