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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

State of the Union style: First Lady wears Barbara Tfank
Guests applaud first Lady Michelle Obama during President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Front row, from left are, Adm. William McRaven, Jackie Bray, Obama, retired Capt. Mark Kelly and Jill Biden. Second row, from left are, Bruce Cochrane, Eric Schneiderman, Juan Jose Redin, Debbie Bosanek, Laurene Powell Jobs and Alicia Boler-Davis. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

In 2010, she wore red. In 2011, she wore white.

So, what did Michelle Obama wear in 2012? A politically-charged, patriotic shade of blue.

The First Lady looked regal in a short-sleeved, sapphire-blue, Barbara Tfank dress Tuesday evening for the President's State of the Union address. She accented the piece with a jewel-encrusted brooch by Alexis Bittar.

Tfank, a New York and Los Angeles-based designer, prides herself upon designing pieces that are "timeless." Her most famous client (up to this moment) was Adele, who has flaunted the designer's pieces at various occasions including the 51st Annual Grammy Awards and most recently, at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.

The First Lady has also stepped out in public on numerous occasions in Tfank, including her visit to Buckingham Palace in May to meet Prince William and Kate Middleton. The dress she wore Tuesday evening for her husband's speech is from Barbara Tfank's Spring 2012 Resort Collection.

It's not surprising that for the third year in a row, Mrs. Obama selected a U.S.-based designer, considering her husband's challenge and push to bring jobs back to America. After all, when it comes to highly-publicized political events, almost everything is pre-meditated, and what FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States) wears, matters.

In 2010, the First Lady wore a plum-colored Isaac Mizrahi long-sleeved dress. The year after, she stood tall in a conservative, white-gray sheath dress by Rachel Roy. She added a thoughtful touch to her look with a black and white ribbon to honor Rep. Gabby Giffords, who missed last year's event due to a gunshot wound from the Jan. 8 Tucson shooting tragedy. A beautiful, touching moment transpired Tuesday evening when the President greeted the newly-retired congresswoman with an extended hug.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton created some buzz on Twitter with her sparkly headband. We especially appreciated this tweet from Vanity Fair on the hairpiece. Paging Blair Waldorf!

Read Elizabeth Wellington's take on Hillary's hairdo, here. View our slideshow of the fashionable First Lady, here.
Posted by Esther Lee @ 11:20 PM  Permalink | 13 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:47 AM, 01/25/2012
    she's doing pretty good for someone who doesn't like this country!
    — rtp1728
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:18 AM, 01/25/2012
    She looked like a cocktail waitress on an oil rig.
    — JamesJ
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:00 AM, 01/25/2012
    What a mean comment. The gal can't do anything to please anybody. I think she always looks beautiful and classy.
    — Fran P
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:53 AM, 01/25/2012
    This is news? Seriously? Good grief.
    — squat9
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:25 AM, 01/25/2012
    Yes you hater, for the Style page it is news... go "good grief" someplace else
    — PelosiForPrez
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:02 AM, 01/25/2012
    she's gross!
    — Stu Cazzo
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:08 AM, 01/25/2012
    Stu, I'd like to see a picture of you. I'm sure you r a prime specimen. Jealous much??
    — micconway
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:09 AM, 01/25/2012
    She looked a bit in appropriate for the event. My take is that it was a business meeting...she looked like she was attending a Grand Cocktail party.
    Maybe the party was later????
    — jcpaul
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:24 AM, 01/25/2012
    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG She looks so FAB!!! Oh, what is the unemployment rate at again? I forget?
    — Ron Paul 2012
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:38 AM, 01/25/2012
    Look at how she sticks out in that picture! Again, another inappropriate dress for the occasion but then again whith this woman it's always about HER!
    — gone with the wind
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:52 AM, 01/25/2012
    Looks like Patrick Ewing in a wig
    — MilesLong1
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:59 PM, 01/25/2012
    She is the First Lady, she is not on of the others in the photo or the rest of the building, she should and needs to be dressed regally and not blend in. I think it was very appropriate and looked great.
    — ezd


13 comments
About Esther Lee

Esther is Philly.com's Style editor. Her take on style is that it is a simple way of saying something complex -Giorgio Armani. She has a voracious appetite for news, fashion and Philadelphia. Contact her here.

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