Michelle Obama wore red Jason Wu for the inaugural balls: stunning & lovely?

In yesterday’s Open Post, I claimed that Michelle Obama would never, ever repeat Jason Wu for Pres. Obama’s second inaugural. Well, I was wrong! FLOTUS went back-to-back in Jason Wu gowns for the president’s first and second inaugural balls. In 2009, she wore the now infamous white, delicately-detailed Wu gown which I’m sure is in some kind of museum. Last night she wore this new Wu gown in “ruby chiffon and velvet”. Her jewelry was by Kimberly McDonald and her shoes were Jimmy Choo. I think this is a case of a gown moving differently than it photographs – because I don’t like the gown very much in these pics (it’s too orange-y and stiff-looking), but in motion, I really like it. Here’s the video of the Obamas dancing to Jennifer Hudson singing Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”.

I understand why Michelle is such a fan of empire waists and super-high waists, but there’s a problem when she chooses a high waist and a full skirt – sometimes it adds weight to her lower half.

Also: do you want to talk about Michelle rolling her eyes at Speaker John Boehner? This happened at the fancy lunch at the Capitol just after the swearing in. The menu included lobster and bison and Michelle was seated in between the president and the speaker. Michelle was enjoying her food and it looked like Obama and Boehner were sharing a joke and Michelle was not amused at all. It was funny! But I took it more like “Michelle was rolling her eyes at a dumb joke” more than “Michelle was disrespecting the Speaker of the House”. Here’s the video:

Photos courtesy of Johnny Louis /wenn.

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132 Responses to “Michelle Obama wore red Jason Wu for the inaugural balls: stunning & lovely?”

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  1. Sarabeth says:

    God they’re an attractive couple with two gorgeous daughters. I loved everything they wore yesterday, but this dress is my favorite

    • Alexandra Bananarama says:

      Really cute, genuine couple. They look so in love with each other:) Did her arms get stronger? That’s serious muscle tone!

    • Stephie says:

      Now that we know what Michelle wore, that the President was chewing gum during the parade and who designed the daughters dresses, let’s move on. And address those things that NEED our immediate attention!

    • kevin says:

      Is that Naomi Campbell??

  2. T.C. says:

    I like the top half but the bottom is too material heavy. She loves her Jason Wu.

  3. Riana says:

    Michelle’s hair looks FAN-TASTIC.

    She’s a very educated woman with knowledge of the law, so I’d much prefer to imagine she’s eye-rolling Boehner because its much funnier to imagine.

    “Sure John…absolutely…ahuh.” eyeroll. Like a baws.

    • epiphany says:

      You mean her WIG looks fantastic. You can google “Michelle’s new hair” and pull up a hundred reports that confirm it’s a wig. Yes, it does look nice, but it’s not her hair. This isn’t exactly a ground breaking occurence – every time you see Oprah, you’re looking at a wig – every time.

      • Jane says:

        Are you a black woma? That’s are real hair and STFU.

      • annaloo. says:

        So. WHAT. If it’s a wig, so? If it’s her real hair? So? If she’s bald, so? What makes you think you have something on her?

      • cs says:

        I was wondering the same thing. Is this poster a Black woman. It’s so obvious that’s Michele’s hair. Beyonce, NO she wearing extensions or a fall. No front lace wig this time.

        I like Michele’s Dress. I think it would’ve been more flattering if it was a little more body fitting on the bottom. But she looks good. My sister met her in person several months ago and she said Michele isn’t as big as she appears on TV. She’s very tall.

        I met President Obama and he’s much skinnier in person but has a gorgeous smile and perfect teeth. Really good looking man.

      • Malak says:

        Oprah wears wigs too? Wigs must be popular then. I suppose it’ easier to quickly put on a wig. I imagine wigs must he hot to wear. Not good for the scalp.

    • su says:

      thats exactly how i took it, but the extremely pressed are trying to make it into something its not. ugh

    • Ambergesa says:

      I know, I’d love the chance to give the worlds saddest tangerine an eye roll too. But Iit does look like she’s eyerolling at POTUS and Sad Tangerine’s joking about something.

  4. Roma says:

    Her first gown is in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History… and it’s stunning.

    I actually spent a lot of time geeking out on the First Family’s china from each presidency.

    • DemoCat827 says:

      I was at the museum twice last year and, as always, spent a lot of time in the First Ladies exhibit. I think the red dress is even more fab than the white one. Loved it!

      • Rumorhasit says:

        It’s always fascinating to compare the gowns worn in the past, to see what these influential women wore on their husbands big nights. That exhibition allows you to do that, and helps those women come to life to the modern eye. I love this exhibit, and I too imagined this dress in it. Not the white one, THIS one. Can you imagine any other First Lady wearing this? Michelle is an educated, modern, maternal (but not matronly) woman, and she owns that.
        Can you begin to imagine Martha Washington, Mary Todd Lincoln, Mamie Eisenhower, or Nancy Reagan wearing something as bold…btw, I think Michelle took red right out from under Nancy Reagan with this dress.

    • Skipper says:

      Yes, there is an extensive exhibit of first lady inaugural dresses. I’m wondering if this dress will replace her first gown in the exhibit. I don’t think they will display both of them. I would love to see this one in person.

    • lucy2 says:

      I saw that last year, it’s really a beautiful gown. I love that exhibit too!

  5. Belle Epoch says:

    I just love it that they love each other! I think he was singing to her when they were dancing.

    I loved the eye roll. I thought it WAS about the Boner, which made it really funny. She has POTUS’s back!

    • alc says:

      Agreed on all points. And I would roll my eyes at Boehner too!

      • Feebee says:

        Saw a clip where a lip reader said Boehner was talking wanting to pop out for a smoke. And he was saying someone wouldn’t let him. Given that he’d just tapped Michelle’s arm made me think he was alluding to her. I’d have given him a massive eye roll too.

  6. K-rock says:

    I think she looks great. You can see they genuinely love each other.

  7. Janet says:

    My DIL and I saw her first dress at the National Museum and had a big argument over it; she loved it, I loathed it. All that white fluff all over it made her look like she’d been in a pillow fight. But this red one looked great. Classy and elegant.

    And that side eye she gave Bonehead was epic.

  8. Jane says:

    He is more celebrity than leader of free world. It’s hatrd to take him seriously. She seems to be nice but that’s all I can say about her.

    • DeltaJuliet says:

      I pretty much feel the same way.

      And I know that this is the President’s big day, yada yada, but seriously, we are in a recession, everyone is hurting to a degree and here our country is spending shitloads of money on showmanship. DC needs to tone it down a little and start showing some solidarity with the rest of the damn country that has had to cut back on all of our spending because they haven’t cut back on theirs.

      • Nina says:

        They did tone it down, cutting the number of balls given from 9 to 2. This happens every four years, it’s gonna happen come rain or shine or republican or democrat where our country puts on a big song and dance for whoever got elected.

      • Anonny says:

        As a DC resident, I cringe when I hear my city used as shorthand for “everything that’s wrong with government.” We have over 600,000 residents — all of whom lack Congressional representation — so please, find another way to code your dissatisfaction.

      • (less)Rubenesque says:

        The inauguration is primarily paid for by private donors/”job creators” who contributed to Obama’s Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC)- not by tax payers.

      • Rachel says:

        Not true @lessrubenesque. The balls & parties are paid for by private donors. The inauguration itself, the security, the traffic control, crowd control, emergency services, etc are paid for through various govt budgets.

      • (less)Rubenesque says:

        Yes, I guess I should have been more specific. The part that is mandated by the constitution is paid for by the government. The balls and etc. that seem to have conservatives in a froth are paid for by donors.

      • Issa says:

        Taxpayer money doesn’t go toward inaugurations. Its paid for by donors & private donors. Some of those donors were probably sitting with them during the parade yesterday. They even pay for their own clothes or the clothes are donated by the designers. BTW…the Obamas did tone down the evening and the parade itself.

    • L says:

      Except that the constitution requires the inauguration and all of its additions (with the exception of the balls, but those are paid for by the state societies anyway) Which is the same thing that was said when people were complaining about when Bush/Clinton/Reagan were inaugurated a second time.

    • Skipper says:

      No, he is simply a likeable president that is commonly seen on TV and has some famous, celebrity supporters. If you think he is more celebrity than leader of the free world than you need to visit more websites than Celebitchy during the day.

  9. dorothy says:

    Beautiful dress. Her arms are so toned.

  10. aims says:

    She’s stunning. The color looks amazing on her. I love her hair. It’s hip and fun. Her arms are toned and she should show them off. She looked great.

    As far as the eye roll goes. I agree, something may have been said she thought it may have been lame. She is a highly educated women, who knows her stuff. She’s no dummy and I think he may have said something and she’s like ” dude, please.” Overall, it was a great night.

  11. Rikki says:

    Loved it. She looked beautiful.

  12. L says:

    Ah the ‘he’s a celebrity’ talking points from 2009 /sarcasm Go listen to the president’s inaugural speech and then come back and try again.

    As for the eye roll, if you watch the clip, it’s clear that Boehner and Obama are having a conversation behind her back. I think one of them made a bad pun or joke-the two men are clearly both laughing about something.

    That said, if anyone rapped me on the arm with the back of their knuckles like that I would give them a piece of my mind. She’s clearly much more patient than I am.

    • gogoGorilla says:

      +1

      Some of the comments about the celebrity thing get really old. Read the speech and try to wrap your arms around what he’s accomplished.

      I’m glad the eye roll isn’t being taken too seriously. I half expected a headline: THE EYE ROLL THAT ROCKED A NATION!

      LOL

  13. Nina says:

    While eye-cutting boehner would be much more exciting to imagine, her expression while the President and Boehner were cracking up over a joke looked more like that classic wifey-eye roll you give your man when he just said something sorta dumb. Like “men, can’t live with them, can’t shoot them….”

  14. MoxyLady007 says:

    I loved the eye roll. It was a very human moment. Plus she has so much spunk! She isn’t some vacant doll. Love. It.

  15. Marty says:

    I think if the sash at her waist was lowered an inch or two it would have looked better. It would give more definition to that area.

    • Moneypenny says:

      I agree, it cuts her at a weird spot. Amazing color on her, but it makes her hips look bigger. She and I are shaped a lot alike, so I feel that I can say this ;).

      • The Original Tiffany says:

        I feel the same. I am pretty much shaped the exact same way. Have to control the bottom half while showing off the top half.
        Empire waists and higher waists are great, but can make your bottom half look a little big if there is too much material.

  16. Goga says:

    To me that’s not the eye roll, its her eyelashes

    • Dirtnap says:

      For me, it’s the eye roll … and the elbows on the table … and the slouched posture … it made her appear very unhappy to be there.

      • Nina says:

        my take was that she was slouching foward cause her husband was talking behind her back to Boehner, it’s not like she stayed in that position for long. She did look hungry though. lol,

      • Viv says:

        than you for that. I agree. I love her but the elbow made me cringe. Oh dear.

  17. T.Fanty says:

    She does look fabulous in that colour. And the bangs actually work – from a distance.

    There are a few photos of FLOTUS giving that look. I like to think of her as someone who can deliver a well-timed master side-eye. That just makes me love her a little bit more.

    She also looks really hungry in that clip. I’d be giving a death stare to someone interrupting my lunch after a morning like that, too.

  18. Apsutter says:

    I adore these two much! Such a great example of real love and devotion and of what a marriage should be. I have such a girl crush on Michelle. She’s so classy, smart, and sophisticated. Such a great role model for women. I really hope she writes a book about her life and marriage after the presidency is over.

  19. mel2 says:

    Luv the dress but I agree it makes her bottom look like she’s got a big booty but the color looks good on her.

    This cracked me up seeing the first Lady roll her eyes at Boehner. I think I would have accidently spilled my drink on him. Hehehe.

  20. bea says:

    Perfect dress for her. The color and the cut. The neckline really shows off her shoulders.

    I too noticed her irritation with Boner! The clip is magic.

    Yesterday was a great day for the USA.

  21. Syko says:

    Love her, love the dress. Especially love how into each other the Obamas are. But why no comment on Mrs. Boehner clearly removing things from the table and tucking them into her bag? The silverware? Some bread for a snack later?

  22. Walice says:

    She was gorgeous – and I luv the BANGS!!

  23. hope says:

    Dude, Malia needs her own post for her pop and lock moves at the ceremony. Why are they the best first family ever?

    http://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotopoulos/check-out-malias-adorable-dance-moves

    • Debbie says:

      That was amazing but my favorite moment was Sasha yawning in the middle of her dad’s speech. Love those girls, great family.

  24. ladybert62 says:

    Her hair looks awful and that dress looks like it belongs on the beach.

  25. lisa says:

    the top part of the dress is a poor fit, she needs more support. it’s a good color though

    i dont like the hair at all, it brings too much attention to her face which isnt that good, esp the bottom half where she looks like she has a perpetual case of the mumps

    • emmie_a says:

      Agreed. Her bangs draw attention to her face & makes it look all smushed together. Her dress draws attention to her large lower half. She has a problem flattering her figure. She knows how to show-off her arms but she gets everything else wrong.

      • Nina says:

        or maybe she’s just not neurotic about not being a model and wears what she likes and cuts her hair the way she likes without worrying if she’s hiding this, that or the other, you know? Like I get the point about making the most of your strengths physically, but she comes of pretty comfortable in her own skin and that’s cool too.

    • Jane says:

      She is 100 % better than you. Stop hating.

    • ??? says:

      Pray tell, do you have even a fraction of the intelligence the FLOTUS has?

      Judging from how utterly vacuous your comment is, I would venture to guess that you don’t.

  26. Faye says:

    I usually like her clothes, and I *loved* her coat and dress for the day ceremony, but I was not a fan of this dress. The color is beautiful on her, and the top shows off her toned arms, but the bottom half does not flatter her.

  27. The Original Mia says:

    Loved the dress. It was gorgeous. I even liked what they did with her hair. Much better than straight.

    They are a gorgeous couple and it’s nice to see their obvious love and affection for each other. Same with the Bidens.

    • c'est la vie says:

      Agreed. They (and the Bidens) are a great couple. I liked everything she wore that day, coat included. The Jason Wu dress definitely played up her strengths. It was stunning – I loved the velvet and chiffon combination.

      And I loved the bangs!

  28. mel says:

    She looks great. Not an Obama fan…to me he is a lackluster leader…but it could be worse. I am keeping an open mind on what the next four years brings…this will be the real test of his presidency. After four years he needs to stop blaming Bush and Congress. He has four years of experience under his belt so lets see what he can accomplish.

  29. Dee Cee says:

    Obama supporters served unglamorous feast of Cheez-Its, peanuts and pretzels at glitzy inauguration party

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2266260/Obama-supporters-served-unglamorous-feast-Cheez-Its-peanuts-pretzels-glitzy-inauguration-party.html#ixzz2IiYSKOY3

    • Lori M. says:

      That was likely the craft services table food for the camera and lighting crew! I am quite confident the President did NOT sit down for a dinner of Cheez-It’s and pretzels.

      • Mich says:

        Nah. It was the standard fare for everyone. These balls aren’t sit down dinners and the food is apparently always like this. People don’t go for the food, they go to be at a party with the President.

    • TrustMeOnThis says:

      They never miss an opportunity to bash Obama over anything they can at the good old Daily Fail! They’re really reaching with their Inauguration coverage, even more than usual. Bunch of tossers!

  30. TG says:

    I loved the gown and am glad she picked Jason Wu again. I wish I could afford him. I absolutely loved the white gown she wore 4 years ago. That one was magical and is the only reason I know of Wu’s name. I see his dresses in fashion magazines and am so jealous that I don’t get to wear them and always wonder why celebs arent’ racing to his door. His dresses are so feminine and flattering.

  31. Ally says:

    How much better that would have been if the legendary Al Green had sang his song, I think Jennifer Hudson is over-rated….all the needless tonsil gynmastics.

    Beautiful couple, must feel weird dancing intimately in front of the world.

    • Apsutter says:

      YEEEEES!!!! I was thinking that too! I love Al Green and would never want to listen to any other version of that song but his.

    • The Original Tiffany says:

      Too funny. I was playing the clip this morning, my 15 year old daughter walks in and says “No one else should ever sing that song”. Good taste, my kid.

      While I love that the first couple is hip enough to have Let’s stay Together played, I really wish they had let Al Green’s voice be heard, what a song!

  32. lucy2 says:

    Great color, love the dress.

    LOL at the eyeroll. To me it looked like an ‘Ugh, men and their dumb jokes” kind of look.

  33. Mrs. Ari Gold says:

    I wish we, as a country, didn’t spend time thinking about what the First Lady wears. This conversation depresses me. I wish we were talking about all the issues she’s tackling instead. This is a smart, educated & charismatic lady with an influential position.

    • Suze says:

      I hear your point, but this is a gossip site so it skews toward the clothes and how the First Lady looks.

      There are places to talk about what she does, which I agree, is very important.

    • Issa says:

      This is CB not the BBC news network. Didn’t know this was a hard-hitting news site?

    • c'est la vie says:

      We already know Michelle Obama has core issues that she’s supporting, in fact President Obama mentioned one of them last night – her support for and work with veterans. She’s a wonderful FLOTUS and a great role model. Not arguing with that one.

      This thread is about what she wore and what is more – what it means to the American fashion industry. Like it or not, she’s a fashion icon who can make careers and she does often support fledgling designers for just that reason. Jason Wu is just one example of that trend.

  34. Theresa says:

    Although I don’t live in the US I feel the world is a very different place and the POTUS has to be a different kind of person. They have to be able to handle themselves in a world where information is dispersed in seconds instead of hours, where opinion and assumption is mistaken for expertise and fact too quickly. Where even when errors are corrected, they are so buried in the firestorm of indignation and conjecture that the truth doesn’t seem to matter anymore. Scary stuff.

    Anyone that takes on this job has to be as savvy with PR and photo ops as they have to be on policy making.

    I think Obama is as good as he can be in these dangerous waters, it can’t be an easy job at the best of times. But I would rather a man with a good heart and good intentions be at the wheel than any other.

    Just my opinion.

  35. Suze says:

    Great color – it definitely pulls the eye in a crowd. Which is what she needs on one of those nights.

    It’s not fitted as closely as some of her clothes, but I think after a long day she probably wanted a dress that was comfortable, and I can appreciate that. Plus it shows off her considerable assets, her shoulders and arms.

    I like the fact that she doesn’t look trussed up to high heaven and like she’s sucking in her stomach.

  36. Tig says:

    Loved the white Wu- not this so much. However, the day outfit was amazing- I want that coat!

  37. ChocoChipDstryr says:

    Are they the tallest President and First Lady ever? I know the President is usually six feet or taller, but former First Ladies seem short.

  38. Suzy from Ontario says:

    I love them together, such a great couple and family. I think her new haircut looks amazing on her and that red dress is gorgeous!

  39. Jayna says:

    I loved loved loved her coat and boots and belt for the parade. When she was walking next to him in the parade it was so striking. The dress under the coat with the little sweater was bland and awful I thought, ill-fitting.

    The evening gown was gorgous in photos. But I loved the white one when they were dancing the last inaugeration. It was so different and fresh and looked beautiful against her skin.

  40. DianeP says:

    Mrs. O. would look good in ANYTHING. The President,the First Lady and their beautiful daughters make me proud every time I see them.

  41. Janet says:

    I noticed something… she has absolutely great skin coloring. She can wear any color and look fabulous in it. I’m black but I have a lot of yellow in my skin and that blue outfit she wore yesterday would make me look like a jaundice case. Some of her outfits have been more miss than hit but I give her props for knowing her own style and what she wants.

  42. Get a clue says:

    She always looks beautiful IMO.

  43. Heather H says:

    Why is the white gown from the last inaugural ball “infamous”? I thought it was well liked?

  44. Starlight says:

    Love Michelle.

  45. blonde on the dock says:

    They’re an attractive couple. Glad to see he made it for another term. I hope he stays strong regarding gun control. The NRA has tried to get Canada to change our laws. I have two words for them. F*ck off!

    • Janet says:

      What?! How can they interfere with another country’s laws?

      Those people aren’t just psycho, they’re borderline criminal.

  46. Madriani's Girl says:

    Politics aside, you can see how in love these two are and I think that’s awesome.

  47. AC says:

    I love this couple…what a beautiful family!!

  48. Jane says:

    I thought she picked great choices for both day and evening wear. She looked classy, stylish, and beautiful. I like the new hair style also.

    I think I read somewhere she added the belt to the dress coat and if so, excellent decision. I think the dress coat was fine without it, but the belt was a smart choice and complimented the already great look of the coat dress.

    • Janet says:

      She did. The belt is from JCrew.

    • Sassy says:

      I loved the coat and her red gown, but I was not overwhelmed by the dress and small cardigan over it. She looked like a PTA mom at a meeting, not a presidential wife attending a fancy inauguration luncheon.

  49. SimpleRed says:

    She looked lovely and sexy without revealing too much… She is truly a woman in her own right.. I love how the dress flow on her..
    The eye rolling was too cute and on point

  50. Jaxx says:

    The love and respect they have for each other just shines out of them. They both look wonderful. Such a lovely family. I pray that his next four years are productive and he can get all the haters working together to get things done. The country has voted for him twice so they need to listen and quit trying to block his every initiative.

  51. babythastarsshinebrite says:

    My President is so sexy!

  52. Isa says:

    I love the dress! She looked amazing!

  53. Elizabeth says:

    Why would anyone be surprised that she rolled her eyes at John Boehner? She frequently rolls her eyes and shows her lack of respect towards the military and the American flag.

    • Mich says:

      Riiight… All that charity work she does for military families is such a show of disrespect.

      Pardon me while I roll my eyes at you.

    • Suze says:

      One of Michelle Obama’s initiatives is the support of military families. This has been in place since the first six months of Obama’s first term. I doubt that she has spent any time at all “rolling her eyes at the military.”

    • Jayna says:

      They had a lipreader on and he said Boehner asked Obama if he was going to smoke a cigarette. Obama has quit. Boehner is still a heavy smoker. Then Boehner said, she won’t let you. I’m paraphrasing what I heard on TV. That’s when she rolled her eyes. Who knows if the lipreader is right. Just passing along what I heard on TV a little while ago.

    • Janet says:

      Post a single link to any photo that shows her disrespecting the flag or the military. Just one.

      If you can’t, then shut the hell up.

  54. Onyx XV says:

    If I had to eat lunch next to him, I’d be rolling my eyes too. A lot.

  55. MsAubra says:

    LOVE the FLOTUS, Capricorn ladies rock!!

  56. Emma says:

    I like the dress a lot, just not so much on her. The color is brilliant on her but something needs done with the waist.

    I have to take back the comment I made this weekend about not liking her bangs so much, because these pictures show it off and it looks really good!

  57. NinaS says:

    She is gorgeous and has such a great classic style. I adore her, and them. I love how they interact and can imagine that she is quite smart and keeps him grounded. Great parents too. I also love that both came from very limited means and are self-made. I have tremendous respect for that.

    Class returns to the White House for a second round.

  58. Wallcally says:

    That’s not an empire waist it’s her natural waist. Empire is right below the bust and in general most women’s natural waist is much higher than they think. Blame skinny jeans.

  59. Kosmos says:

    LOL…that doesn’t appear to me to be eye rolling at all, only that she’s hungry and wants to get back to that FOOD !

  60. homey says:

    stunning in the outfit, hair wig, whatever, she looks inspiring. strength beauty brains dedication style- really the whole package. and faa aa aaarrr from the celebrity barbie a thon of too many years past

    as far as the eye roll. whatever fox news, it’s so normal, probably agreeing that we’re all off our diets since christmas. get over it!!

  61. Nan says:

    They’re a breathtaking couple and Michelle always looks great. Her Inaugural Ball look was stunning. Remember, she’s not some top model or top actress but has every bit of the *wow factor* as if she was. Give her props because that’s impressive to pull off. I think she’s really admirable in the public eye — the Boehner thing just makes her human to me, I would’ve punched him.

  62. lisa says:

    LOL what a fangirly group you are! i have no idea why or how mo elicits such excitement. she’s perfectly ordinary and that’s not a dis. but a lot of you sound like you are talking about one direction.