Michelle Obama Takes South Africa In Style (PHOTOS, POLL)

The Obama women arrived in South Africa on Monday night and Michelle packed ensembles perfect for each of her engagements, so far.

She stepped off the plane in Pretoria in a printed jacket by Nigerian-born, British designer Duro Olowu paired with black pants. And on Tuesday morning, FLOTUS stopped by the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg and went skirtsuit-to-skirtsuit with his wife Graca Machel. Read all about their visit here.

In the afternoon, she, Sasha, Malia and First Granny Marian Robinson visited the Emthonjeni Community Center in Zandspruit Township to dance and read with the kids. FLOTUS wore trousers and a vest by J.Crew and a blouse by ASOS Africa (available on ASOS.com).

According to the site, "ASOS Africa brings forth a sophisticated collection of cool, laidback pieces. Using hand-woven fabric, produced exclusively for ASOS AFRICA in Mombasa, the collection features a mix of elegant separates and playful feminine pieces, shot through with vibrant Kitenge prints from Tanzania. The collection is complimented by a unique range of accessories from fair trade jewelry brand MADE. Continuing the collaboration with SOKO, Bedi and the Crochet Sisters, our ASOS AFRICA collection maintains its dedication to providing vital employment to underprivileged communities in Kenya."

And that's what we call smart dressing.

Check out Michelle and the gals during day one of their Africa trip.

Comments

[Nina Buckler Eckhoff]

03:27 AM on 07/16/2011

FLOTUS should be wearing American designers. She represents the USA, not Africa.

[Caribbean Lady]

11:21 AM on 07/16/2011

Dear Nina Buckler Eckhoff:

Our First Lady has worn several American designers since being in the White House. When Countess Catherine just visited the U.S., while in Los Angeles, she wore a dress by an American designer - not a British one. Think this is a sign of respect for the country a particular person is visiting. Nothing wrong with that idea. It fosters much needed goodwill between nations. When Nancy Reagan was First Lady, she wore outfits by Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta, etc. - not American designers - always. Nothing much was said in the media about that fact. Let's measure all our First Ladies by the same yardstick - OK.

[Nina Buckler Eckhoff]

12:57 PM on 07/16/2011

No, Caribbean Lady. FLOTUS represents the USA. We have the best fashion in the world. We need the business. She needs to promote American designers - that's her "job." One respect's other countries by following their customs and etiquette. FLOTUS needs to PROMOTE THE USA. BUY AND SELL AMERICAN.

[captainad]

04:32 PM on 06/24/2011

Instead of asking us to vote on a rediculous photo of Michelle, Why not have a poll about whether we support her flying around all over the world spending millions of our money on her and her clans vacations.

[bobbynorwich]

07:27 PM on 06/26/2011

Mrs. Obama participat­ed in twenty public events in 5 days, quite hard-worki­ng and hardly a vacation. http://www­.forbes.co­m/feeds/ap­/2011/06/2­6/general-­af-michell­e-obama-af­rica-analy­sis_853562­4.html

Did all you critics complain about "a government paid vacation" when Laura Bush made 5 official trips to Africa including 1 with a 4 day safari with her daughters? It looks like Mrs. Obama has some catching up to do.

Btw, Mrs. Bush also visited 75 countries during Pres. Bush's 8 years in office. http://geo­rgewbush-w­hitehouse.­archives.g­ov/firstla­dy/

The White House has announced that the Robinsons' are paying for any added expenses for their part of the trip --- and it certainly doesn't cost more for Air Force 2 to carry 6 people instead of 3.

[Nina Buckler Eckhoff]

03:30 AM on 07/16/2011

Of course it costs more to fly more people. More weight and wear-and-tear on the aircraft. And Air Force 2 isn't any regular plane. It costs more to fly.

[Caribbean Lady]

11:25 AM on 07/16/2011

Dear captainad,
First of all, Michelle's trips have not all been "vacations" as you stated. When on vacations, one's personal funds are used for the most part - except for Secret Service protection, etc., I believe. Many First Ladies before her have gone on overseas goodwill trips to meet foreign dignitaries. I can name quite a few, but won't at this time. Check back into U.S. history and you will find the facts.

[FiredUpRTG]

06:12 PM on 06/23/2011

Every outfit she purchases and wears, the more people buy that designer's work. It keeps the designer going, his/her assistants, the distributors, truckdrivers, seamstresses, cloth makers, dye makers — a whole bunch of people get and keep their jobs. Thanks for helping the economy by not sitting on your money but by spending your book sales profits, Obamas!

[Nina Buckler Eckhoff]

03:30 AM on 07/16/2011

She needs to wear American designers. She represents the USA and American business and interests.

[Caribbean Lady]

11:28 AM on 07/16/2011

Just think about this fact. A lot of our clothes in the U.S. today are often outsourced and parts of outfits, or whole, are made in another country - China, Phillipines, India, etc. - not America.

[jean22]

06:11 PM on 06/23/2011

I especially love pics 7 and 8. Beautiful!

[GSR]

05:19 AM on 06/23/2011

Christ I'd like to meet this women. A dinner party at my place. I'd invite Rache, Reich, Sam Harris,
Wiener and Stewart. We'd all get shitfaced on Rache's cocktails. How 'bout it guys?

[Drew2U]

01:20 AM on 06/23/2011

Mrs Obama has shown everybody that she is comfortable in her own skin. How many women can make that claim? She's an incredible role model for her daughters and all young women because she's shown them that being educated, caring and human is the new "beautiful." I couldnt think of a better message to give young women.

[ReckingBall]

02:37 AM on 06/23/2011

Just like almost every first lady before her.

[GSR]

05:22 AM on 06/23/2011

Yeah like the tea leaf reader 1981–1989

[Nina Buckler Eckhoff]

03:32 AM on 07/16/2011

Oh, come on! There have been millions of women who've done that already.

[dovelove]

10:16 PM on 06/22/2011

Love these pictures.

[Drew2U]

06:54 PM on 06/22/2011

..Did you ever stop to think that maybe Mrs. Obama is not ashamed of her figure? She dresses to please herself. Good on her.

[lageorgia]

07:25 PM on 06/22/2011

Actually loose clothing makes one look larger. Fitted clothes make one look better no matter what your size. A lot of heavy women think that loose fitted clothes will help but in reality they look even larger.

[mombabytiger]

06:19 PM on 06/22/2011

I used to get mildly upset with commenters who were angry about the money being spent on these junkets. Now I'm one of them. Until the economy is fixed and everyone who wants one has a job, stay home. I would say the same thing about any First Lady in similar conditions. Nothing to do with politics - this is just bad PR.

[Drew2U]

06:56 PM on 06/22/2011

Do you understand that part of the FLOTUS job is to be the Goodwill Ambassador around the world? That China is now courting the African continent, and that we need to keep our presence there in order to compete? You need to think beyond the fences of this country--we live in a big, complicated world.

[jean22]

06:06 PM on 06/23/2011

Obviously she doesn't.

[Caribbean Lady]

11:34 AM on 07/16/2011

Dear Drew2U:
Thanks for enlightening some naive folks that are bloggers on this topic. Some can't see beyond their own small perspectives. We all need to see the world-at-large. We have to co-exist together whether we think about that fact or not. Certain trips are not frivilous, but have a purpose and significance. Too bad more folks don't educate themselves about the reason behind a particular action. It's important to keep us with what's going on in the world around us - not only in one's own country. America is not the whole world. There are many nations we have to get along with.

[lageorgia]

07:22 PM on 06/22/2011

This is her job. By creating good will abroad more businesses will come here. We are very lucky that we have had some awesome first ladies and for free.

[xlntcat]

05:13 PM on 06/22/2011

We couldn't ask for a better ambassador to represent this country than Michelle Obama.

[Nina Buckler Eckhoff]

03:33 AM on 07/16/2011

Beg to differ. Hillary Clinton is the most admired woman in the world. She works for the USA.

[Caribbean Lady]

11:43 AM on 07/16/2011

Yes, Hillary is admired, but so too is Michelle Obama! There have been many first ladies who have been greatly admired such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Jackie Kennedy. Let's give praise where praise is due. Each of these ladies have made a mark on society in her own unique way. Be honest.

[bobbynorwich]

04:04 PM on 06/22/2011

Why have all the comments that are respectfully critical of some of Mrs. Obama's outfit choices (such as the tiny black vest) removed by moderators as violating guidelines? Why bother commenting on HuffPost if it's not an honest dialogue, just a slanted fan fest of FLOTUS?

[mombabytiger]

06:16 PM on 06/22/2011

The moderator of "All Things Michelle" is a sycophant. Good luck seeing this post.

[Drew2U]

06:56 PM on 06/22/2011

...and yet here it is. Next?

[patriciacaldwell]

08:31 PM on 06/22/2011

You appear to think that your opinions are fact-based. It IS possible to communicate that you dislike a vest without making a negative comment about the First Lady's figure.

[naschkatze]

12:12 AM on 06/23/2011

Why do we all have to lie and pretend about Mrs. Obama's figure?

[Popaluma]

03:59 PM on 06/22/2011

Ms Obama looks well, very well indeed. She's doing a sterling job for America in a country which has a strong anti-American bias and her charm and intelligence, plus the fact that she's such an eminent black woman from such a prestigious first world nation, is rebounding positively, not only in South Africa per se, but throughout other parts of that benighted continent.

Of course and as usual, she's dressed more than appropriately on every occasion. Her innate good sense and understated style while mixing with ordinary South Africans is spot on. She is not above her company and her clothes reflect that.

The goodwill that she's spreading is invaluable to her own nation which should be very proud of her and her ability to touch millions of people throughout the world. She's the world's number 1 goodwill ambassador and the international community loves her.

Michelle Obama, from what I can tell, proudly flourishes and predominantly promotes American design. The beautiful and elegant Jackie Kennedy was famous for wearing Dior, Givenchy and Chanel with Oleg Cassini thrown into her haute couture mix.

[Nina Buckler Eckhoff]

03:37 AM on 07/16/2011

How can she promote American design, when she's not wearing it? She should always only wear American fashion because she represents this country.

[Caribbean Lady]

11:49 AM on 07/16/2011

See comments stated about other First Ladies wearing non-American fashion designers. Be fair in your comments & judgments. Look back into history for the facts. You will certainly realize that other First Ladies before Michelle Obama wore non-American designers. Please stop beating a dead horse, will you.

[Caribbean Lady]

03:56 PM on 06/22/2011

TO ALL THE CRITICAL ONES ON THIS POST WHO REFER TO THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TRIP: The White House has stated that the Obamas will be billed for personal expenses related to this trip so what is the problem? This is an important part of the First Lady's role.

[youvegot2bkidding]

05:03 PM on 06/23/2011

It's just hit-&-run tro//ing--conjecture, disingenuousness, and outright lies are the goal.

Those determined to h8 will do so; facts do not matter to them. That s why everything an Obama does is reduced to fakeness, arrogance, photo-ops, vacations, "bad optics", bad PR, & blah, blah, blah code words.

Trying to reason with or educate such beings is a pointless endeavor--don't waste your time.

[captainad]

04:44 PM on 06/24/2011

You must be insane, The Obama's don't have enough personal wealth to pay for this one Africa trip alone. I want to see the check when they write it to reimburse the taxpayers a hundred million dollars.

[Caribbean Lady]

08:19 PM on 06/24/2011

Captainad,
No, I'm not insane! In my post, I said personal expenses! Of course, Secret Service is provided by government - just like for any other First Lady or President who travels away from Washington, DC. Did you make any comments when other First Ladies traveled overseas - or other Presidents? As far back as I can remember, all Presidents and First Ladies have done overseas travel to foster goodwill between the U.S. & those countries. All the trips were not for vacation purposes or for re-election purposes as implied by many on this post. Goodwill is diplomacy that has positive results internationally. We cannot isolate ourselves as a country and expect people to understand us, respect us, and help us. Just because another person has a different view than you does NOT make them "insane." Peace and no other comments necessary from you at this time.

[Caribbean Lady]

11:52 AM on 07/16/2011

Yes, they do. And, by the way, The Obamas (not Obama's) do have personal wealth. They have authored and sold millions of books, do you know that? Please become educated about all the facts before you post.

[imonlyhereforthelaughs]

03:50 PM on 06/22/2011

Hmm. Interesting how even intelligent and non-attacking comments that are slightly critical of the style with which the First Lady was dressed were deleted for alleged violation of guidelines. One was a rather intelligent comment that was hardly attacking, quite the opposite it was apparently meant as a concerned suggestion.

[sdanca4]

10:29 AM on 06/24/2011

It appears that most commenting would want our First Lady in "stiffed" suits, checkered shirts and wranglers. Nothing wrong with the "wranglers"....but the majority of Americans are as fashionable and forward as our country.....we don't wish to dress as "baggers"..., there's no point. Mrs. Obama is young, vibrant, loving and caring...And her style reflects HER! Now that's real. I love her and her style.

[Nina Buckler Eckhoff]

03:46 AM on 07/16/2011

You are making assumptions. The majority of Americans are not fashion forward; they live in the heartland and they don't care about this stuff the way that you do. They are too busy raising the food that we eat. More and more Americans are overweight and that's not fashionable or healthy.

[makestotalsense]

03:00 PM on 06/22/2011

Your post has absolutely no basis in fact.

[Bafun]

03:41 PM on 06/22/2011

an insult to Onassis family? Have you seen ever Onassis family s' "style"?? marriages, divorces, partying, cheating... The only one who has style is Athena, but only because she was raised down to earth by his father.
For Jackie "O" yes, she had style to have married this guy!