[pearlescence]

They could easily be a loan arranged by the photo stylist if real. I loan pearls to stylists often for shoots.
Btw - does MO have mumps or some mouth problem or is that a seriously unflattering photo of her. it is badly lit, and she looks as if she is posed against a photo background rather than anything real..it does not even look in focus

[Raisondetre]

The smaller freshies won't be that expensive anyway, so I don't think cost would be a problem there - those are too small to be Tahitians. The big ones might be, but noone really dyes high-grade freshwater pearls especially in that size and they still don't look Tahitian. I know we can't really see the surface, but they look too round/uniform and shiny. Something about them just screams fake. It is a creative use of pearls, but I don't quite fancy the color. Why is it such a big deal about whether it's real or not anyhow? It's a nice style that we can modify to use on ourselves and it promotes wearing pearls with everyday outfits. Again, I'm just stating my opinion/observation that they might be faux, it does not detract from the fashionability of pearls themselves.

[Hanaleimom]

Yes, those are glass pearl. And it's a photo background. Since I am so opinionated, I must add that I love the croco pattern. See link http://mrs-o.org/

"The first lady gave a speech this evening at a dinner in support of Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. In a change of ensemble, Mrs. O wore a custom electric blue jacquard sheath dress by Jason Wu accessorized with a glass pearl necklace by Erickson Beamon. More to follow"

It's the designers' "Peace at Last" collection http://www.charmandchain.com/product...-last-necklace

[Hanaleimom]

She has worn Ms. Erickson and Ms. Beamon's pieces in other events http://mrs-o.org/newdata/tag/erickso...?currentPage=2

"White House Photo / Samantha Appleton What a tremendously busy day for Mrs. O! It seems the First Lady also hosted Jordan's Queen Rania in the Yellow Oval Room at the White House this afternoon. First Lady Mrs. O wears a pleated taupe chiffon dress, last seen for a daytime event during the Democratic National Convention. See our earlier post here. This dress is one that eludes us. Truth be told, we've spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to identify it. We've wondered if the March issue of Vogue perhaps held a clue. In his interview with Mrs. O, the great Andre Leon Talley wrote, "The day of our interview at the Hay-Adams, she wears a soft, silk-crepe accordion-pleat dress by 34-year-old Thakoon Panichgul." If only he had hinted at the color! Update: The dress has been confirmed as Rodarte! The dress is from the Mulleavy sisters' Fall Winter 2007 collection. It is 100% linen, with a feather bow belt. An additional image of the dress can be seen here. Mrs. O also wears a trio of glass pearl necklaces by Erickson Beamon, from their "Peace at Last" collection. The necklaces can be seen in detail, here."

[Heidi]

Originally Posted by pearlescence

They could easily be a loan arranged by the photo stylist if real. I loan pearls to stylists often for shoots.
Btw - does MO have mumps or some mouth problem or is that a seriously unflattering photo of her. it is badly lit, and she looks as if she is posed against a photo background rather than anything real..it does not even look in focus

Wendy,
I think we're seeing a case of SERIOUSLY bad lighting. Super bad.

Random aside: There once was a hilarious Seinfeld episode wherein Jerry was dating a beautiful woman who always seemed to get caught in terrible lighting so he didn't really know what she looked like/was always surprised. Probably hard to convey, but funny; I always think of it when considering how important balanced lighting is to photographing people.

Back to the style topic, apologies.

[lisa c]

So true about lighting, and color, and overall silhouette.

She has got to GET AWAY FROM BELTS, and dresses that nip in at her natural waistline. If she wore two piece outfits with short, skimming over the curves tops that were hemmed an inch or two below her natural waistline, and slim fitting skirts, she'd be a total knock-out. Chanel suit, from the 60s(?), only NOT THE BOXY JACKET STYLE! and NO FULL FROM THE WAIST SKIRTS! This blue dress is getting closer to what she needs, but isn't quite there yet.

That's it! I'm going to write her secretary, or email someone. This B**** (me) has got to get in motion. She (or staff) accept and evaluate feedback from the public, you know. Did anyone notice when she lightened her dramatically dark eyebrows toward the end of the campaign? I'm thinking Focus Groups! (Her dark, very low over the nose eyebrows made her look angry to the public). Has anyone noticed that when she feels 'comfortable' in her outfit her posture is good?and that she rounds her shoulders when she knows something is 'off'.

Darn. I'm back on the soapbox. Pls Forgive. But, I am right.

I do wish I had her arms and pearls.