Michelle Obama's Dress: A Bold Choice in Designer Isabel Toledo  

First Lady Michelle Obama picked fashion insider Isabel Toledo, 47, to design her Inaugural ensemble. The glamorous, creamy yellow dress and matching overcoat were made of satin-backed wool guipure, a kind of lace used most often in French haute couture. Obama accessorized the look with a sparkling crystal necklace and green leather gloves and shoes. Although the First Lady's office repeatedly said that Obama would not decide on her outfit until this morning, the choice — including the color, fabric and accessories — shows a lot of confidence and planning on the wearer's part.

Cuban-born Toledo, who has been designing for 25 years and worked for a time at Anne Klein, is known in fashion circles as a "designer's designer" for her wit and whimsical sense of pattern, fit and fabric. The Manhattan-based designer also made the black tunic and palazzo pants that Obama wore to a fundraiser last June. But for her husband's swearing-in ceremony, Obama chose an elegantly sunny yellow, a color that for centuries has represented optimism.

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Author: Kate Bettes
Photo Credit: www.stuff.co.nz