Thursday
Sep232010
Mrs. O at the Clinton Global Initiative
Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 9:12 PM 
Image by Stephen Chernin / AP Images
The first lady spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative this afternoon, focused on best utilizing the skills of military veterans and their families in the workforce. "Today I promise to continue to use my platform as First Lady to bring people together around this issue. I'll work to spark not just a national conversation, but national action to give our vets and military spouses the opportunities they deserve," said Mrs. O. For further reading, click here.
Mrs. O's dress is from the Moschino Cheap And Chic Fall Winter 2010 collection. The first lady debuted the dress for a Mother's Day luncheon in May 2010.
tagged Moschino Cheap And Chic
Moschino Cheap And Chic
Reader Comments (48)
Beautiful. I love that dres even more the second time around. Her hair looks looks georgous too. She looks so well put together.
I'm not quite sure what to say about the contrasting prints in this dress. Would like to see other comments.
Thanks.
Sorry I just don't like this print (compared with the other two patterned dresses she has worn recently) and think the style is very unflattering especially in the shot you have here - though Huffpost carried some other views and they weren't great either.
MRS OBAMA DRESS IS MIS MACH BUT I LIKE IT AND THE DRESS STILL FIT HER.
I'm with you, NJMRSO, this is a beautiful dress. I had the honor of seeing the First Lady wear this dress at an event last Mother's Day, and for some reason, it's a much more beautiful dress in person than in photographs or on video. It is such a vibrant blend of contrasting patterns, amd as we've come to see and expect, the First Lady carries it off with such panache. As beautiful the second time around as it was last Spring!
The two prints together are just waaay too much. I did not care for this dress when we saw it before. Her last several outifts have been winners, but this one is not up to that standard. Next time!
@ Phoebe Lesko, be careful what you wish for. As I recall, when worn the first time around, the mixed prints in this dress,elicited some very polarizing comments. As for me, I loved it then and I still do.
Part of her speech today focused on the challenges our military personnel face in trying to repackage the many valuable skills and experiences they gained during their military service and make them relevant and desirable in a post military, civilian work environment. To me, the choice of dress today was very much a metaphor for her message. It challenges us to step out of our rigid fashion boxes and see that prints can indeed be mixed, yet still be striking and beautiful.
Mrs. T has pointed out on several occasions that the use of fashion can often be used as a visual communication tool. Mrs. O repeatedly does this well. We just need to be perceptive and open to the messages she is sending.
I happen to think this is a very pretty print dress and the diamond brooch is a nice touch. That being said, it is very disingenuous of some posters to drive away other posters they consider "negative" just because they disagree with opposing view points. Mrs. T, with all due respect, this blog will become a joke if you let it be run by a few exclusive bloggers who do not tolerate diversity of opinions.
I adore Mrs. O and she does prints quite well. So, that said from my Fashion Stylist point of view I'd really love to see Mrs. O start pairing great noticeable textures with one another. Mrs. O an carry off Proenza Schouler, Stephen Burrows, Aquascutum,Dries Van Noten,Celine,Etro,Douglas Hannant,Carolina Herrera and with out question Marc Jacobs!
UGH, I am so tired of people crying about posters who choose to call out posters that are blatantly rude. Yes, there are a few posters that are a little sensitive, but most of the time they (we) are calling out people that are being disrespectful to Mrs. O as a person. They are criticizing her while trying to cover it up as fashion critiques. What I can't seem to understand is why people come on this blog to down Mrs. O. Yes, this is a fashion blog, but when it all boils down this is a fansite. Do you honestly think true fans, admirers, or whatever they want to call themselves are going to let people come on here and be disrespectful towards Mrs. O. I wouldn't let you come in my house and disrespect me or the people I love.
There is a big difference between criticizing the dress and criticizing the woman and if a person chooses to do the latter, you better believe something will be said about it. And if you look to rude comments for entertainment and diversity, there are plenty of other blogs and websites that cater to your needs.
Mrs. T, I think you are doing a great job and people should be happy that this is your blog because if it was mines, half of these people's comments wouldn't be on here, LOL ;-)
I don't know why, but the dress works for her. It shouldn't, but it does!
Hello ladies, as for me, to avoid any risk of disprespect - especially I wont risk to say sthg unapropriate cause I do not know very well the way to bahave in the US for such or such occasion - I will focus on the outfits and post comment only when I love or just like them.
And this dress deserves a wow : i loved it the first time, I adore it now. Not anyone can deal with such an un expected and brillant mix of patterns, but she can because she herself is both brillant and unexpected. Really inspiring and sort of helpful lady ! Lucky you !
Please put the blue dress back on.....................
The video of the speech along with introduction are finally available http://tinyurl.com/2dzap8z
I can't wait for video and pictures of Friday's event. I hope the White House releases pictures of the reception at the National HIstory Museum soon.
She does it again my oh my how I love this lady.
Well said, Nyon. Nora, I hope finally, you and others who mistakenly equate disrespect, rudeness, and outright hatred as diversity of thought as it relates to how this First Lady dresses and her appearance in the public sphere, will once and for all finally get it. I, and what I've read from most posters on this site, embrace a diversity of opinions and perspectives, but one thing that will not be tolerated is the inartful way some take delight in expressing themselves when they come here to voice their opinions. Maybe it could be that they spend too much time on those other sites where the acceptable norm is to be more obnoxious that the previous poster. But thankfully, we have Mrs. T who is doing a great job in monitoring, filtering, and limiting the flood of that type of negative and destructive commentary while at the same time allowing for a healthy and vigorous debate. Thank you, Mrs. T!
Beautiful dresses in the Moschino Cheap & Chic line. Hope Mrs. O has some more of the Moschino dresses in her closet -- I can dress vicariously!
Isn't she lovely? Oh yes she is!
I like this dress and I like it on her. She wears it with confidence, almost as if she's saying -"I know its different, so what". This is the reason she commands attention, no matter what she wears. She wears the clothes, the don't wear her.
@Nora, I would like to disagree with you.
If you read some of my past comments, you will note that I can be pretty blunt if I don't like what Mrs. O is wearing. I come here because I sew my own clothes, am interested in clothes, don't consider myself a "fashionista" because I sew to save money! BUT, I come here because I like Mrs. O, all the time and her clothes, not all of the time, however, what I cannot stand are those who ONLY come to ATTACK her because they share a different political world view. They ONLY show up to say something negative about the woman, not her clothes. They get here very quickly before most of us do, because we are busy working and/or taking care of our families, they leave their droppings and disappear until the next time. That is decidedly NOT" diversity of opinions", it is crass disrespect and I think you can tell the difference, I can and the classy, educated and thoughtful woman who runs this blog is CORRECT in controlling what is said here. I have tried posting on those other blogs and my posts never appear because I am not ranting and raging against this marvelous woman.
This is my alll time, #1 favorite dress of Our Michelle's. I absolutely love this dress and everything about it. When she wore it to the Mothers Day luncheon it took my breath away. I like how the bottom of the dress is a completely different print than the top half. The floral print picks up the pink color in the plaid and the small band around the waist is a smaller floral print, only it's in the blue tones used in the bottom half. Just brilliant! Moschino really sent a winner down the runway with this one! She looks soooooo pretty in this dress. Yep, this is my favorite (as I gush) and I'm glad to see FLOTUS wear it again.
I thought this dress was hideous the first time I saw it, and, unfortunately, I still feel that way.
It could be the photo, but this is not my fave look for our incomparable FLOTUS. Don't think it's flattering to her bustline.
I love Mrs. O, but I do NOT like this dress on her. It looks too matronly. Not like the fresh look we are used to seeing from her.
Unusual juxtaposition of prints.
There is a glaring error in the construction of this dress: the failure to line up the dark horizontal bars where they should meet at the right side seam. Ok on the left. Very strange.
Left (see photo Mrs. T posted above): Dark horizontal bars in pattern match at side seam. This side is properly constructed.
Right - dark horizontal bars don't even meet a little bit at the side seam: http://www.daylife.com/photo/0cWH7cQ19i2RD?q=Michelle+Obama
This isn't acceptable in inexpensive clothes. Someone should have made sure that the garment that went to her was properly constructed.
Part of the fun of a blog such as this is not only enjoying the fashions FLOTUS wears--the good the bad and the ugly--but also the characters who post. Among others there are the Xs who will always blah-blah-blah hate every belt, and the Ys who gush mush over everything, and the zzzs who (mostly mildly) snipe away at FLOTUS (and each other). In the end it all becomes a rather zany but mostly cosy cyber-place where people annoymously come together over one issue like mutts on the same bone. If as Nyon suggests, "half of these people's comments wouldn't be on here" it would spoil a great deal of the fun. Bland and boring is the last thing you want a blog to be.
"Our Michelle" I like that. Anyway, this is a woman who will never let us put her in a fashion box! She has a bold femininity.
@Nyon, well said. I suppose the people you are describing think they are cleverly hiding their insults behind fashion critique, when in fact they reveal their true intent in a rather blatant manner.
I would stop coming to this blog if comments that insulted Our Michelle were left unchallenged.
New pics up on yahoo....is it a Tracy Feith dress?
Looking at pics from today on Huff Post. Mrs. O is wearing metallic flats (I'm assuming they are flats, anyway). She looks very nice and comfortable in this dress. Good silhouette for her shape.
Cameroon's First Lady's hair is ABSOLUTELY INSANE!!!
I do not understand why people like this dress - it is "messy" looking and not at all flattering on Mrs. Obama. I also want to comment that we are supposed to be commenting on FASHION here, I don't think the site is either a platform for fawning over the first lady, nor should comments be used to "trash" the first lady as a person. Some respondents seem to attack those of us who dare to EVER criticize Mrs. Obama's fashion choices. If this is to be a legitimate "forum" about FASHION, then it's "open season" on both accolades and criticism about her clothing choices - nothing more or less. If the first lady doesn't want to see anything negative, then she should not try to make fashion statements or take risks with her style choices. Note that Mrs. Bush wore about the same style at all times; thus, no one really commented on her clothes. Mrs. Bush was clear that she was not trying to be a fashionista - Mrs. Obama obviously wants to be considered that way, so it invites various comments -pro and con.
I wasn't in love with this look in the beginning but now I loooooove it! She wears it well.
I like the dress. Yes, it takes a minute to "get it," to take it in. It certainly challenges the matching, "Garanimals" aesthetic. Yet, like a Jackson Pollock painting, once you relax and step back from your own personal taste, the cacophony begins to "come together," become "symphonic," if you will.
And, Mrs. O. seems to pull it off so effortlessly. She dresses with confidence and charisma. She never seems to be "trying to wear a particular look." She DOES it! And whether we like the clothes or not, she WEARS them fearlessly, despite her critics. (And I respect that, even when I'm in disagreement.)
Also, *high-five* and a *fist bump!* to Nyon. I agree with you completely.
I am not crazy aboaut the mix-matched pattern but the message is clear and offset by a beautiful smile.
@ Lisa H,
So you didn't like the dress, so what, that's it? No comments or elaboration as to why you don't like it? I thought people like you come on this site to "express" your views as to why you don't like what the First Lady chooses to wear on any given day. What? The cat got your tongue, or is it you can't dig deep enough to find the "appropriate" words to express your dislike? Your comments were neither enlightening or instructive to the rest of us, so that just leaves the obvious reason for your outburst...just plain, unadulterated, and yes, childish dislike of the person.
Another thing, since you don't like the dress, did you consider taking the time to delve beyond the superficial and listen to the First Lady's speech. No, I don't think so, that would require too much effort or better yet, cause you to move beyond your usual pettiness and spite. But for the rest of you who haven't done so yet, I urge you to take the time to listen to her speech. Like everything else Michelle Obama does, she made a forcefull, insightful, informative, and impassioned presentation to the CGI audience in support of the skills/exjperiences of the men and women in the armed forces and their spouses that go mainly untapped by civilian employers and NGOs alike. She had the entire audience's wrapped attention, including former President Bill Clinton. As her husband said of her when he introduced her to the audience, she was truly "impressive". This is a woman of great substance, intellect, superb education, training, and preparation, so it doesn't come as any suprise ( at least not to me) that when she took that stage she was doing so with a great degree of authority and knowledge. So you see, Lisa H, maybe the next time you hop on this blog and decides you don't like the First Lady's attire that day, maybe you'll take the time to look beyond the visual and find some other aspect of her day or activities that day that may resonate positively with you. But if nothing does, as you usually implies, then this is not the place for you, and maybe for all our sakes. you should come to the realization that it's time for you to move on. We have nothing to learn from you, so good riddance!
I still don't "get" this dress, but Mrs. O (as always) glows.
OMG - that's is an odd dress -what a miss match...what was she thinking ??? her stylist should be fired!
Not in love with the mixed print. Yet, she is still the pretty and wonderful.
Cheap?yes. Chic.?...swing and a miss! LOL
If you dont like this look than you dont no nothing about fashion baby .......print and patterin is
So hot and im just so glad to see this lady were it she the best in the game rianna, victoria and
Sera jessica parker eat yo hart out baby ..........
It's really puzzling how Mrs. Obama can wear something very flattering and appropriate one day and totally miss it with a dress or outfit another time. Either her stylist is still trying to find a "look" for her or they have another reason, but we just aren't sure what it is.
I like clothes and fashion and like to see them presented well when Mrs. Obama has a public occasion. I do not like to see her wear things that don't fit, emphsize the wrong parts of her body or look like they belong to a teeny-bopper rather than a mature woman who is supposed to be representing our country on the world stage.
The contrasting prints are crazy. They don't seem to go together at all. AT ALL! Very strange dress.
I usually like what Michelle O is wearing but this just looks peculiar!
Thanks you guys! *Fist bump* right back at you, Marcus.
@philly, good thing this is not my blog, right ;0)
MSZONIAN 524: You are way out of line and are being ultra sensitive to a comment that expressed a simple dislike for a certain dress. Are you some kind of conspiracy theorist? Sometimes simple statements are just that and nothing more. Don't try to make more out of something than is really there. It sounds paranoid. Personally, I don't think your very long, outrageous comment should have been allowed.
@philly
You made a few really good points.
If the blog was all positive comments it would be so boring.
@ ms......524, someone needs to slow down on the coffee and maybe review your comments before pressing send - imagine telling someone they obviously didn';t listen to her speech because they don't like her dress.
I heard the speech and I still don't like this dress, but I appreciate her efforts.
Most of us are AMERICANS - we can disagree and state our disagreements without hendering participation.
@philly: Couldn't disagree with you more on the issue of bland and boring. I frequent another blog where the most divisive poster is someone who freely admits that if everyone agrees it's boring for her, so she posts nasty comments just to get an argument started. I think that sounds like someone who doesn't have a life. Someone who likes causing a row just to get some action in her own bland and boring days.
Personally, if everyone agrees, that's fine by me. If everyone could be polite enough to say "well, it's not for me, but she looks very happy today" that's also good. Saying nasty things or stirring other posters up for the hell of it, that, to me, is just bad manners and says that the poster is only there to make trouble, not because they care about Mrs O, or fashion, or anything much.
The other crap excuse I see a lot is "well it's a fashion blog, we have to talk about the fashion." Yes we can talk about the fashion. But that doesn't mean to say that we need to lay destructive criticism on Mrs O if she wears something we don't like. We could just say, "you know what, I really don't like this, but that's just me - I've always hated prints/frills/mauve/shiny fabrics...." Me, if I see something I don't like, I usually say "well, it's not for me, but she looks radiant."
So, for today's dress? It wouldn't be my choice, but Mrs Obama looks radiant in it. And the cause is such a great one that it's just good she is speaking on behalf of it.
Well said, Nyon, Posh, and other regular posters who get sick of the remarks that are thinly veiled criticisms of Mrs. O the Person as opposed to any relevant critique of her fashion choices.
...Another snarky remark from Edie - "or look like they belong to a teeny-bopper rather than a mature woman who is supposed to be representing our country on the world stage...." to add to her collection of "observations" that are rude and boring.
Really, some of you would do well to ask Michelle Malkin to add a fashion link to her vitriolic site - she and you would all be well served.
That speech, and this woman, are amazing.
Personally, this is not a favorite. While I am not into "matchy matchy" this just not excite me. I did not like it the first time, and I still do not like it. Just my opinion folks.