Don’t know about you, but we’ve really enjoyed watching what Michelle Obama has worn since she’s been at the White House. Like Jackie O and Princess Diana, Michelle has developed a fabulous signature style that’s fresh and modern.
It’s been exciting to watch her step out in bold new looks that have truly redefined how a powerful woman should dress.
No one knows her look better than Kate Betts. Kate is the author of Everday Icon- Michelle Obama and the Power of Style. She was in Toronto recently and I ( Deborah) got the chance to hear her speak about The First Lady of Style.
Kate pointed out that upon entering The White House Michelle softened her style. She embraced the image of mom in chief and girlfriend and started dressing more casually – In fact, she is the most casual first lady we have ever had! Michelle’s JCrew outfits have made fashion more accessible and helped women feel connected to her. But most of all, she has redefined what is appropriate for a woman in her position to wear.
Kate Betts (left) - author of Everyday Icon, Michelle Obama and the Power of Style - with Deborah
Just think about all the things that she has brought to power dressing, including:
- cardigans instead of suit jackets
- vivid colors instead of conservative colors
- big accessories that have personality like her signature wide belts
- bare legs instead of hose
Kate says Michelle Obama has made powerful more feminine. We agree, and add, she has also made powerful more interesting and a whole lot more fun!
We can’t applaud her enough for her use of vibrant colors and her classic silhouettes, which are so clean lined and chic. We also love that she plays with her accessories (although must admit those wide warrior belts that sit high underneath her bust are…. enough already! – guess that’s her creative side coming out)
Let us know what you think about Michelle Obama style. Is it modern and powerful, or not your cup of tea?
Oh, and here are a few photos of the attendees at the event — a peek at what women 40, 50,60 and beyond are wearing to these types of functions. Cheers!
 Lynn and Maureen looking Fab in colorful Prints. |
 Lynn's red suede pumps are Geox ( How Comfy!!) |
 Lynn's great purse |
 Shelley in a beautiful Roberto Cavalli suit and Nine West leopard heels |
 Sharon, chic in black |
Michelle Obama looked fab recently in L’Wren Scott. She’s been a teriffic fashion role model for women over 40. No dowdy politician’s wife’s outfits for her!
France’s first lady Carl Bruni has also been an elegant inspiration for how to dress at any age,
…and so has the very beautiful 41 year Queen of Jordan, Queen Rania - simple, modern and so graceful.
Now you can add another first lady to that inspiring list. She is 45 year old Mehriban Aliyevan of Azerbaijan. 
Take a look at these fashion photos and let us know how you’d rate her style in comparison to these other first ladies.
It’s barely spring and the flowers are already blooming.. in the stores at least!
I (Deborah) just got back from Florida and was overwhelmed by the abundance of floral pattern dresses in all the stores. Sheath dresses (Michelle Obama’s signature look) are everywhere, which is great news because they’re timeless and absolutely perfect for over 40 fashionistas! Sheath dress are elegant, not bold, but also very fresh, modern and youthful. They’ve always been my personal favorite!
Here’s what I’m seeing in the garden of fashion ……………
| Painted Roses:
The elegant mix of colors and the painterly quality to the pattern makes this dress divine! (Nordstrom) |
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| Blurred Watercolor Floral:
Another very artistic expression in bold black and white softened by watercolor brush strokes and rusched side seams.(Nordstrom) |
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| Fresh and Feminine:
This dress is a knock-out in cream and coral-red. I tried it on, but hesitated and now I’m kicking myself. Time to order online! (Nordstrom) |
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| Touch of Floral:
If the idea of wearing all floral is overwhelmig to you, try this cool summer shift with a floral border.(Nordstrom) |
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| Beautiful Blue:
Blue ( especially deep blue) is a one of the most popular color choices this spring. It’s a nice warm change from black because it is softer looking against aging skin. In other words, it doesn’t wash you out, like black can.(Nordstrom) |
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| Not your Grandma’s Florals:
One thing you’ll notice about all these floral prints, especially this one, is that they are very modern looking. This one has a unique graphic twist that makes the dress look fresh and youthful. If you still have a waist, don’t be afraid to belt your shift.(Nordstrom)
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It’s probably thanks to Michelle Obama that cardigans have become so popular, coming close to replacing jackets in many cases.
<<Remember her famous sparkle one, or
when Michelle wore a cardigan to meet the Queen?>>
We like cardigans for many reasons:
1) they’re comfy
2) they’re a great cover -up for our arms which are chilly because of all the sleeveless tops out there
3) cardigans hide any arm flab
4) they brighten up a plain outfit by adding texture, color and interest.
There are frumpy cardigans out there, for sure, but there are also so many cute ones to choose from… long, short, fitted, loose, in all kinds of knits.
Here’s a few we discovered that are only slightly different from the classic 1950′s type, but look totally modern today because of a simple tweak.
| Sweet Sweater:
It’s called the Diamond disco sweater, and we agree this “disc go really well with dis skirt!” (LOL).. Just enough glam without being over the top. What a pretty complement to the floral skirt which is so in this spring. (Nordstrom) |
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| Grrr..eat!
A sexy animal print and we love the modern color combo……… O.k. Here’s the “dump the frump” lesson for today.. the style of this sweater alone may scream old, but the mix of the brown and turquoise with a touch of yellow is what zips it up and transforms it into a hip and updated great find. (Nordstrom and Saks ) |
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| Ruffle:
Ruffles are in right now and this cardigan has just the right amount to look pretty but not baby- girlish on a grown up gal. Love this color! (Nordstrom) |
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| Rosy touch:
Soft and romantic this feminine cardigan stand on it’s own with jeans or be dressed up with jewelry and a pretty skirt for a night out. (Nordstrom) |
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| Modern Mix:
Coral and turquoise combine in modern floral pattern that brings warm skin tones to life. (Nordstrom) |
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| Honeycomb:
Simple and elegant.Now isn’t this nicer than wearing a big old sweatshirt around the house? (Nordstrom) |
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This week over at the Three Tomatoes we found a great article on what Michelle Obama wore on her recent trip to London.
She had some hits and some misses…so we wanted to put our spin on this. WHY does an outfit work or not!
Let’s all learn from her hits and mistakes together….
1.This is the best look of the week. WOW! The bright yellow color looks great on her. It is very today. The simple black overcoat gives the illusion of thin. Simple pointy toed shoes look elegant and elongate her beautiful legs. Look at how simplicity works, no extra jewelry needed. Also, the dress length is perfect on her, not too old, not too young, but just right.
2. This cream and mint green outfit was from J.Crew. It looks great in this photo, but not so great on the news. One problem was the skirt was made of a shiny fabric that showed all the wrinkles.
Remember, fit and fabrication is very important and you always want to play down your tummy area. Normally, Michelle can really rock a pencil skirt when she wears it in a darker fabric that is not shiny.
3. Oops. Lots going wrong here! First off, let’s talk style. Gathered skirts make hips look bigger! This is just not a flattering style on Michelle who has a lovely shape. Preppy meets cocktail?
When dressing you should stick with one theme. If you’re going preppy, you should be at a casual outing, not in London with the Prime Minister’s wife! P.S. Sarah Brown could have used some SHAPEWEAR with that tight blue dress or better yet, a totally different dress. This did NOT flatter her at all!
Anytime you are going to be photographed, try a test shot at home and see how your dress looks on you. You will be shocked at how you look in person vs. a photograph!
4.Here we go again, this time not as much gathering in the skirt, but still not so flattering.This black and white outfit is way too safe and boring. We agree with the Three Tomatoes on this comment… ” The queen, looking lovely in pink, outshone her here!”
5. When your bow is bigger than your head, you can be sure you have gone overboard with the accessories! Subtle is better, if you think your dress or outfit is overpowering you, then try something else.
6. Yeah, we love this dress! The design is perfect. Not too sexy, with the wide straps on the top and perfectly placed ‘V’ neck. Nice and fitted around the waist and hips. Just feminine and classy.
Continuing our series on 5 ways to look fashionable over 40 this spring….
Question# 4 Michelle Obama Style
I really admire our new first lady’s style and I’d like to emulate her look. What’s a quick and inexpensive way to get Michelle Obama style? …Carol
Hi Carol,
Michelle’s unique style has been a smash hit with women for many reasons. First Michelle loves simple classic styles which are universally flattering, and always look age appropriate after 40. The first lady also favors wearing bright colors – a refreshing and optimistic change from black , black, black. And most interesting of all, she chooses to accent her wardrobe with bold jewelry and accessories which really adds a modern twist. Al this, plus the fact that she’s very comfortable mixing a little high priced with lots of lower priced fashions, make her a style icon everyone wants to copy.
The easiest way to get Michelle’s look is to purchase a simple shift dress in a bright color. Michelle loves pink and fuchsia judging by this famous floral gown she wore, and the wonderful shift dress she graced on the cover of Vogue.
Yes
We picked out this cute shift dress with jacket that we could easily imagine her in. If you don’t like pattern, any bright colored shift would do. You might even pair it with a cashmere sweater as he first lady often does and add a bright pin at the neck or some great earrings or a thick belt.
Don’t know where to start to look. Shift dresses are everywhere, but you may want to try J. Crew, one of Michelle’s affordable favorites.
We woman over 40 have been ignored for too long, but it looks like thing might be changing!
Michelle Obama on The View
It seems Michelle Obama has just the right combination of practicality and style sense to finally get the attention of designers. In fact, designer Elie Tahari has made Michelle his muse.
According to a recent article from the Wall Street Journal, Boomer style (actually she is a Generation Jones) has been ignored for too long, but designers and retailers just might be seeing the light. We mature women as a collective have the money and the taste, and just need the clothes! So why have we been ignored?
According to the article, “One factor that makes mature women tough to please is that, as a group, they wear a wide range of sizes. They lean toward colorful, trendy styles, but they don’t want to look like teenyboppers. They also want clothes that flatter their aging bodies – dresses that cover their arms, pants that are slimming and comfortable. And they don’t have time to graze malls as younger women do and so want sales associates to help navigate the clutter of clothes they often find in stores.”
We, Glam Gals at Fabulous after 40, have been shouting this message for years…FINALLY, thanks to Mrs. Obama, designers and retailers are finally perking up their ears.
Lets hope that we will start seeing more styles to be marketed to our demographic and if we could wave a magic wand, maybe even have over 40 models wearing the clothes in the ads!!!
As frivolous as it might be in these tough economic times, we are surprised at all the attention the media is giving to the first lady’s wardrobe. However, we are secretly gloating that the press is so fascinated with Michelle Obama’a sense of style and fashion!
(Photo courtesy of Chris Greenberg)
Her husband is all about change, and Michelle Obama is obviously changing things up as to how a first lady needs to dress! One thing is for sure, we LOVE the direction Michelle Obama is taking. She’s twirling that fashion baton right around to what has been called “real world style”! She has been consistent with wearing updated classic styles with just the right amount of jewelry. She has not shied away from color and sure looks good in it! Even on a recent date night in Chicago, she was reported at Mrs.O.org to be looking effortlessly chic, in a black swing coat, over sized clutch and hair neatly pulled back !
Spohisticated (first) Lady!
How refreshing to have some style back in the White House! Welcome to a new way of Power Dressing!
