I think we can safely say that, at least from a sartorial standpoint, Michelle Obama’s first state dinner, for Prime Minister Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur, was a success.

Mrs. Obama looked fantastic. I’ve been critical of her choices over the past 15 months but there’s nothing to complain about here. The silvery color of this magnificent dress by Indian-American designer Naeem Kahn sets of her coloring, and the bare shoulders and slim silhouette highlight her extremely elegant shoulders — her best feature — and her height. (The Obamas towered over the evening’s special guests.) This is the dress I envisioned her wearing for the Inauguration (although I guess in retrospect the ivory was a better choice; this is just a more beautiful dress all the way around). You can get more details about the dress here. (Photo by Nicolas Kamm/Getty Images)

Official White House photo by Samantha Appleton

An even more stunning choice was the day outfit Mrs. Obama wore for greeting the Singhs earlier in the day. It’s a little hard to see the details on this dress in this photo but the dress is a lovely apricot brocade sheath (with matching coat) by Isaac Mizrahi.

Take a look at how carefully chosen the color is. Sure, it’s an homage to the warm colors of India, but it’s really chosen to set off Michelle Obama’s own warm coloring, and it does so absolutely perfectly. In this ensemble, both she and her outfit are all coppery — her skin, her lipstick, her shoes, and the dress. That dress is gorgeous, but the real star here is Michelle Obama herself. The chair upholstery provides a beautiful backdrop for the dress, and the flowers bring together the yellows in the room and the apricot color of the dress.

And look how Michelle Obama’s dress complement’s Gursharan Kaur’s sage-green sari — fabulous. As Mrs. O points out, these are two colors (along with white) in the Indian flag. Make no mistake, every detail is carefully planned and choreographed well in advance.

I’m an avid Michelle Obama-watcher but my purpose in doing so is to show other women how they can highlight their best assets (or detract from their own innate beauty with less flattering clothing choices). What’s your own coloring and how could you use your clothing choices to showcase them?

And, with the holidays (and lots of amateur photography) bearing down on us, how could you plan just a little bit so that those pictures come together pleasingly and flatteringly?

Perhaps you could ask your kids to wear clothes that kinda sorta go with each other’s (and your own) rather than setting out a mapcap floral frock for one and a plaid shirt in a completely unrelated colorway for the other child while wearing an outfit in yet a third color for yourself.

This doesn’t mean buying new clothes or making yourself crazy exerting tight control. (Just what those tension-filled family holidays don’t need!) Rather, find a single color that works well for one of you, a color that person owns some clothes in — say, blue — and work from there. Put the colors that flatter close to the face and call it a day.

It can help to remember that pictures of your dinner likely won’t be broadcast around the globe.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone — hope yours is peaceful, yummy, and stylish. (And please take a minute to subscribe to this blog before you head to the kitchen.)