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The First Lady’s first dress Michelle Obama chooses a pale gold classic shift by Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo

Posted on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 and is filed under Photo Gallery, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

The eyes of the world were on Barack Obama as he was sworn in as President of the United States today, but while they may have been listening with rapt attention to his inaugural speech, wife Michelle also found herself in the spotlight.

As future First Lady taking her place on the world stage next to her husband, Michelle was aware that some of the focus would fall on her – and her fashion choice.

And now we can report that the woman who looks as effortlessly stylish in a chain store dress as she does in a catwalk creation has chosen a pale gold dress by Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo for the first leg of inauguration day.

Accompanying Barack Obama on the day of his official inauguration, Michelle Obama chose a pale gold dress by Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo

Mrs Obama paired the dress with a matching embroidered coat by the same designer, a pale yellow cardigan with embellished fastening and a pair of contrasting emerald green stiletto shoes.

Michelle Obama first wore a dress by Toledo for an official engagement last June, to a fund-raising ball held by US Vogue and Calvin Klein.

Back then, the designer admitted she was thrilled that Michelle Obama had chosen one of her pieces – and even more thrilled that she’d simply gone to a shop in Chicago and bought it, rather than getting in touch with Toledo.

“She looked amazing,” Toledo said at the time. “I understand that she buys a lot of my work. I’m very, very honored for that. It’s even better than her contacting me, the fact that she just goes out and buys it!”

The bright, sunny colour chosen by Michelle Obama for inauguration day is unsurprising. Jewel colours – emerald green, amethyst, sapphire and ruby as well as yellow and gold – have formed the backbone of her wardrobe since the election trail began.

Brighter future: Left, Michelle Obama, pictured at a rally last week, wears a vivid jewel purple jacket, while right, pictured at an inauguration concert on Monday she wore a yellow-toned cardigan acccessorised with a jewel-buckle belt

Indeed, a £75 yellow cardigan, £130 skirt and £80 yellow print top from American chain store J Crew that she wore on the Jay Leno show garnered so much approval that all three had sold out across the country in hours.

She wore another pale yellow cardigan at Monday night’s Kids’ Inaugural concert, which she accessorised with a belt embellished with a jewelled buckle.

Today’s look was a safe choice for Michelle: a classic shape, and an understated, solid – though cheerful – colour rather than the vivacious florals or bright scarlet, purple or blues she has been wearing lately.

Chain store chic: Left, Michelle Obama wore a yellow cardigan from mall chain store J Crew for an appearance on the Jay Leno show, and true to form, she customised the piece with a vintage brooch. Right, Michelle sports one of the jewel-coloured dresses that have become her trademark over the course of her husband’s campaign