Hanukkah at the White House

Photo by Mandel Ngan / Getty Images

The president and first lady hosted a Hanukkah reception at the White House this evening. For the festive occasion, Mrs. O donned a metallic blue dress (quite appropriate as blue is a traditional color of Hanukkah) adorned with strands of navy layered pearls by Erickson Beamon. Lovely!

Update: Mrs. O wears a Metallic Blue and Black pleated silk lame dress by Rodarte.

The Best of 2009

Before the clock strikes midnight and this officially becomes the second day of 2010, I wanted to take a look back through 2009 to highlight a few favorite Mrs. O ensembles of the year. With my top five outlined below, I'd also love to hear your favorite picks.

#1 Orange gold Rodarte dress in Copenhagen worn with a trio of vintage brooches / October 1, 2009

While the Olympic bid for Chicago was not a success, the trip to Copenhagen did bring one of Mrs. O's most stunning style moments of the year. The first lady has improved perceptions of American culture abroad, in part, by projecting elegance and sophistication through her style. It is a powerful, smart use of fashion, purely embodied through the Rodarte dress and vintage pins below, worn as Mrs. O represented the United States on a world stage in Copenhagen.

Photos by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

#2 Peter Soronen Twilight Gown paired with a Tom Binns necklace for the National Governors' Association Dinner / February 22, 2009

The National Governors' Association Dinner happened to fall on the same night as the Oscars, and as one flicked from TV to laptop screen, it was hard to remember which was which. Mrs. O looked unlike any first lady had looked before in her sequined Peter Soronen corset gown, accessorized with ropes of crystals and pearls by Tom Binns. It was the perfect union of classic glamour and modern edge, and certainly one of the most exciting looks of the year.

Photo credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

#3 Isabel Toledo lemongrass dress and coat chosen for the inauguration / January 20, 2009

Many Americans were introduced to Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo on January 20, enchanted by her inaugural creation for our new first lady. Amidst a sea of navy and black wool winter coats, the eye was instantly drawn to Mrs. O's bold lemongrass hue, which projected an optimistic mood on the cold winter morning.

The ensemble in its entirety is an example of classic Mrs. O style. With the Isabel Toledo dress and coat, Mrs. O wore a Nina Ricci cardigan, a vintage pin from the Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection at the collar, green Jimmy Choo heels and J.Crew leather gloves -- a mix of price points and aesthetics, and a fresh play on color.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images

#4 Alaia dress worn for American Ballet Opening Night Spring Gala in New York City / May 18, 2009

Throughout the year, we saw the first lady embrace a wide range of fashion talent -- young, up and comers; established, mainstream labels; and a handful of lesser known, semi-couturiers. Significant among those is Azzedine Alaia, who has been described as the "last true couturier." Mrs. O publicly wore Alaia for the first time during the G-20 and NATO summits overseas in April. Soon following, she chose this frock, said to have been a long-time favorite in her closet, to wear to the American Ballet Opening in New York. The touch of sparkle and structured construction made it one of the best looks of the year.

Image via a kind, anonymous friend

#5 Violet Jason Wu dress with french knot embroidery, worn for a White House kitchen event / February 23, 2009

When seen from afar, one might perceive a simple, printed cocktail dress in this Jason Wu frock. But viewed up close, we discover thousand of hand embroidered knots, clustered in florets to create the pattern on the backdrop of violet fabric. As we whiz through glossy magazine pages, it's often easy to overlook the fine craftsmanship that goes into beautiful dresses. But we see a prime example of it here, offering an entirely new, substantive dimension to following the first lady's style.

White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

Rodarte on a Dime

Image courtesy of Target

We must admit, there's nothing that gets us excited quite like a new Target Go International collection.  Last holiday season we rushed off to Target to scoop up finds from Thakoon, delighting in Shibori print cotton tops and bright nylon jackets. This season will be deja vu as we elbow over pretty holiday dresses and lacy cardigans from another Mrs. O favorite, Rodarte.

Likely coincidence (though one we gladly welcome), Target is on a streak of launching Go International collections from a range of Mrs. O's favorite designers: Jonathan Saunders, Thakoon, Tracy Feith and now Rodarte. The first lady has worn dresses by the Mulleavy sisters on at least three public occasions, twice donning a pleated taupe linen dress, as seen here, as well as this spectacular frock in pleated orange-gold lame for the Olympic bid in Copenhagen.

The Rodarte collection for Target appears to most reference the design duo's Spring 2009 collection, featuring lacy cobweb knits and dresses with skeletal references. We won't see the full line up until it hits stores (and the web) on December 20, but the preview reveals at least one ensemble that might suit Mrs. O style fans. Between the bold hue and belted shilouette, we believe the ensemble above - featuring Rodarte for Target's Lace Cardigan ($29.99), Lace and Tulle Skirt ($29.99), and Bow Belt ($12.99) -  should speak to those who favor the first lady's style aesthetic (sans Doc Martens of course).

Update: As if we couldn't be desperate for the Rodarte for Target collection as-is! We thoroughly enjoyed this video from blogger Tavi via Style.com.

Remarkably Fabulous

First Lady Mrs. O is attending the opening ceremony of the 121st IOC Session at the Copenhagen Opera House this evening, wearing a gold dress with fitted bodice and full pleated skirt, adorned at the neck with a trio of brooches. Gold accessories and a soft chignon give the look an extra dash of polish.

This ensemble has officially taken our breath away. Head to toe fabulous!

P.S. Any ideas about this dress? We thought it might have been Isabel Toledo, as suggested in the comments, but that's not the case. We must know who designed this beauty!

Update: It is confirmed, Mrs. O wore an orange lame pleated dress by Rodarte. Hooray! 

 Photos by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images 

Pleats and Pearls

White House Photo / Samantha Appleton

What a tremendously busy day for Mrs. O! It seems the First Lady also hosted Jordan's Queen Rania in the Yellow Oval Room at the White House this afternoon. First Lady Mrs. O wears a pleated taupe chiffon dress, last seen for a daytime event during the Democratic National Convention. See our earlier post here. This dress is one that eludes us. Truth be told, we've spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to identify it. We've wondered if the March issue of Vogue perhaps held a clue.

In his interview with Mrs. O, the great Andre Leon Talley wrote, "The day of our interview at the Hay-Adams, she wears a soft, silk-crepe accordion-pleat dress by 34-year-old Thakoon Panichgul." If only he had hinted at the color!

Update: The dress has been confirmed as Rodarte! The dress is from the Mulleavy sisters' Fall Winter 2007 collection. It is 100% linen, with a feather bow belt. An additional image of the dress can be seen here. Mrs. O also wears a trio of glass pearl necklaces by Erickson Beamon, from their "Peace at Last" collection. The necklaces can be seen in detail, here.