Michelle Obama was stunning at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner style. Her draped red dress by Prabal Gurung was, no question, unbelievably beautiful. But, more important, she looked fantastic. That is my big takeaway from this dress: A big-deal dress should be fabulous, sure, but it should shine a spotlight on its wearer, not overpower her.

This dress lived up to that standard. (You can see more images here — especially the jewelry — and here.) Here’s why. The dress itself is so, so gorgeous. But it looks as if it was designed for Mrs. O — that neckline that frames her best assets — her shoulders, neck, and arms — so perfectly. The draping around her hips flatters her there, too. Need convincing? Compare these lines with the buttoned-and-unbuttoned cardigan style she often wears, which just makes her looks hippy.

Here’s another reason it was fantastic for her: the color. She has warm undertones, and the warmth of this yummy tomato red makes her glow. She can wear anything, but she doesn’t look nearly as good, in my opinion, in cooler colors, like the hot pink of this dress. I think she probably knows this and frequently picks dresses in orange and red, like this beauty (below right).

Orange crush

Compare that to the way her skin looks in this cool fuchsia dress. Pretty? Sure. Glowingly incandescent? No, I’d say just a wee bit ashy.

Now, let’s talk about her accessories. The earrings and the upper bracelet are apparently by Bochic, and Mrs. Obama apparently wore another pair by the same company at the Indian State Dinner, as seen here.  I have two things to say about them. First, no matter how much money a client of mine had, I’ve never recommend spending $17,500 on a bracelet that, although striking and beautiful, wouldn’t be something you’d get a lot of wear out of. But maybe she didn’t actually buy them — I really hope not, in fact, because a purchase like that in these times would seem foolish and out of touch politically.

But the other quibble I have is this: The two bracelets, while effective, move the observer’s focus from beautiful Michelle to the bracelets. I get that she loves bracelets on her left hand, and I get that she made the risky move of subbing out her engagement ring for one that better complemented her outfit and bracelets, but the three pieces are too much, and she should have stuck with just one bracelet. (Who’s that second — lower — bracelet by? Leave a comment and let me know!)

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