Live blogging Michelle Obama's inaugural style: The gown is by Jason Wu!

After months of speculation, at last we know: Michelle Obama chose New York designer Jason Wu to create her inaugural night gown. This is not the first time the first lady has worn one of the Taiwan-born 26-year-old's designs—she picked a Wu dress last November for a interview with Barbara Walters. Tonight's piece—an elaborate, one-shoulder, floor-length white chiffon gown—is fairy-like, filled with ruffles and sparkles and reportedly costs around $3,500.

Here's the thing for Michelle to remember: No matter what the country thinks about the dress (and you can be sure, they will think a lot), we already know how her husband feels. When the couple entered the Neighborhood Ball tonight (their first of 10) President Barack Obama announced, "First of all, how good-looking is my wife?"

Fashion experts tell us what they think about Mrs. O's Inaugural Ball gown

"Michelle Obama once more does something new and fresh—working with an emerging fashion star and turning Jason Wu overnight into a household name.
This type of dress silhouette is something that's completely unexpected. It's vibrant and aspirational, full and gorgeous. In the past, no one has been this striking or this ravishing. She's bringing sexy back."—Sasha Charnin Morrison, fashion director, Us Weekly

"I actually gasped when Michelle Obama came out in that dress. And the fact that it's by virtually unknown, twenty-something designer Jason Wu makes me love her (and it) even more. The gown hits the mark between classic (flowy and goddess-y) and inventive (floral appliqués and sparkles). She looks so radiant, elegant, and best of all, totally comfortable in her own skin which makes her that much more alluring."—Emily Hsieh, Lucky contributing editor

"This Jason Wu dress makes me very happy. I thought the lemongrass brocade piece she wore earlier today was just shy of matronly, but her one-shoulder gown is lively and fun and flattering—if you have arms like Michelle's you should certainly show them off. I also love the fact that she's supporting an up-and-coming American designer again. This is the second time she’s worn a piece by Wu who once interned for Narciso Rodriguez."—Sarah Bernard, host of The Thread

"For evening, Michelle Obama veered from her love of strong colors to don an off-white shade with an ultra-feminine goddess silhouette.  The one shoulder look of the season gave a traditional gown a totally on-trend feel. (We saw plenty of this particular detail most recently on the red carpet at Golden Globes.) Her accessories were simple and totally current—drop earrings and bangles. Just right!"—Avril Graham, executive fashion and beauty editor, Harper's Bazaar

"Michelle Obama dazzled on the dance floor in an elegant, one-shouldered ivory gown embellished with Swarovski crystal rhinestones. It was a modern yet classic look that will stand the test of time."—Joe Berean, fashion director, InStyle.com

"Leave it to our new first lady to recognize and support emerging talent like Jason Wu, and to be a true leader even when it comes to style. When the president and the first lady made their first appearance tonight, it was picture-perfect sophistication. Her white dress symbolizes a fresh, new beginning."—Sydney Wasserman, fashion editor, Interview magazine

The Morning, Swearing-In, and the Parade
Michelle Obama selected two Cuban-American designers to represent her style during these historic inaugural events. Narciso Rodriguez, who created Obama's controversial election night dress, designed her camel-and-black ensemble on Sunday. For the swearing-in ceremony this morning, Obama chose a gold brocade suit by Isabel Toledo, a 20-year fashion veteran who once worked for Anne Klein and is known for her innovative, unusual take on traditional pieces. Mrs Obama is also a longtime fan of American apparel label J.Crew. This morning she dressed her daughters Malia and Sasha in coats from the company's Crewcuts line. The first lady additionally accessorized her Isabel Toledo design with a pair of J. Crew's green leather gloves.

The Swearing-in Look:  Fashion Experts Weigh In

“Michelle Obama glowed this morning in her yellow lace suit by Isabel Toledo. It was the perfect introductory look for this historic day—bright, cheerful and perfectly stylish.”—Joe Berean, fashion director, InStyle.com

“I love that she went for a neutral, but very glamorous makeup look (hallelujah for false lashes). She’s been known to wear too much color—we’ve caught her with bubble gum pink cheeks and lips—but she nailed it for this special day. As usual, her blowout is perfection.”—Kristen Oldham Giordani, senior editor, TotalBeauty.com

"Wearing Isabel Toledo this morning was such a strong, yet unexpected choice. It definitely has that first lady cut—shift dress, cardigan, overcoat. This is something a mature fashion editor would don, and is so flattering for her shape and coloring. Michelle Obama is showing promise for a brighter and more fashionable White House." —Sydney Wasserman, fashion editor, Interview magazine

"The first lady has an impeccable sense of color and this Isabel Toledo suit is no exception. That golden yellow is like a ray of sunshine to usher in a new era in Washington! I think it was a brilliant choice."—Tracey Lomrantz, fashion writer, Glamour magazine online (she was there on the Mall in DC!)

"I love that Mrs. Obama chose to wear gold today almost as much as I love the fact that she is wearing an Isabel Toledo outfit. The color is regal and hopeful and the designer is well-respected and somehow often overlooked. Mrs. Obama is a savvy dresser with an innate sense of taste and confidence. I can't wait to see what she chooses for this evening."— Treena Lombardo, fashion market editor, W magazine

"This particular look is a little sparkly for day, and wearing a matching coat and dress is a little 1962."— Linda Wells, editor-in-chief, Allure magazine

"I'm loving the Isabel Toledo dress and coat. Yellow is a tough color to pull off, and she wears it better than pretty much anyone. It's also such a fresh, unexpected choice considering it's the middle of winter and as our first lady the obvious bet would have been something more stereotypically patriotic. The all-over sparkles are a festive, glamorous twist, and though, again, this sort of thing can be risky (think bad '80's 'Dynasty'), Mrs. O manages to pull it off looking modern,graceful, and totally one-of-a-kind."—Lucky contributing editor Emily Hsieh

“We saw this weekend that Michelle Obama tends to wear well-tailored items—skirts, trousers, cardigans, and long jackets—in bold colors and textures. She has a ladylike approach to style that is elegant and inspiring. What we’ll see as a result is this idea of looking put-together and sophisticated, as opposed to being daring or flamboyant.”—Hal Rubenstein, fashion director, InStyle magazine

The Kids
The country's new first daughters, Malia, 10 and Sasha, 7, arrived to the swearing-in ceremony wearing bright, festive coats with silk ribbons from J.Crew's children's line Crewcuts.

Sasha's version came in a soft and girly peachy pink, which she wore with an orange scarf and gloves. Malia's was bold and blue, paired with a more grown-up black scarf. Both replicated the elegance of their mom's cinched-at-the-waist Isabel Toledo ensemble.

More importantly, the girls looked happy, excited, comfortable, and completely age-appropriate (and so adorable!). By choosing J.Crew, Michelle Obama is once again showing her talent for finding great, expensive-looking clothes that don't actually cost a lot.




Tuesday, 11:00 a.m.: The swearing-in is about to happen! Michelle Obama is wearing an ensemble by Cuban-born designer Isabel Toledo for the ceremony (where, let's not forget, Barack Obama becomes the nation’s 44th president!) Toledo, whose line has been around for 20 years (before that she worked at Anne Klein), has created an interesting, pretty, feminine ensemble. I love the yellow-gold color—it's very, well, let's face it, hopeful. The texture and the beading at the top make it appear almost regal and tremendously elegant. I am not, however, crazy about the green heels and matching gloves—the combo seems off to me.
With her choice of Toledo, Michelle has lent some credence to the odd Cuban-support theory I wrote about below. I think she looks spot-on, exactly right for the occasion. Your thoughts?








Tuesday, 2:30a.m: And, we're off! Michelle Obama launched into the inaugural festivities with two streamlined yet unique ensembles from designer Narciso Rodriguez (the very same man who made her controversial election night dress). The almost-first-lady began Sunday morning at Arlington National Cemetery wearing a purple coat and dress specially created by Rodriguez for the occasion. Later in the day, she made a grand entrance for the “We Are One” concert in a chic camel coat and pencil skirt paired with a sparkly beaded black top and black scarf—all also by Rodriguez. In addition to the camel-hued outfit, according to Women's Wear Daily, Obama  wore a borrowed pair of $17,000 diamond chandelier earrings by designer Loree Rodkin.

While her dress choice for tonight's big event—the inaugural ball—remains a closely guarded secret, fashion bloggers are already speculating that Rodriguez may be the guy (I've even seen one report that this choice would be an effort to support relations with Cuba—Rodriguez is Cuban-American—a theory so ludicrous as to be kind of laughable, right?).

Also, not so fast—the weekend wasn't entirely devoted to Narciso. For the train ride to Washington, Mrs. O had on an amazing coat from the Zero Maria Cornejo line.

For tomorrow night's gown, I could imagine Obama staying loyal to her hometown favorite, Chicago designer Maria Pinto, or choosing something edgier from Thakoon Panichgul— she turned to both designers numerous times during the campaign.

The bottom line is: Whoever has created tomorrow's outfits, I predict they'll be memorable. Fashion lovers are sure to see something modern, sophisticated, and, ultimately, unexpected.
What do you think of Michelle Obama's inaugural looks so far?

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