Michelle Obama wore a custom Thom Browne ensemble for Inauguration Day on Jan. 21, 2013. Browne received the Hewitt-Cooper National Design Award for Fashion in 2012 and attended a White House luncheon hosted by the First Lady for the occasion in July.
Michelle Obama kicked off a day of Inauguration activities this morning in an ensemble reminiscent of the outfit she wore for her husband’s swearing-in nearly four years ago: a dress that hit just below the knee with a matching coat and pumps.
This time, the First Lady chose a navy outfit designed by Thom Browne, an American menswear designer recently honored with the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for fashion. Michelle Obama hosted a White House luncheon in July to toast Browne and the other winners. She also wore a lace design of his to the third and final presidential debate between her husband and Republican candidate Mitt Romney last October.
(MORE: See Michelle Obama’s Inauguration Day 2009 Outfit)
The blue coat’s pattern was inspired by a men’s silk tie, according to the AP, and was custom made for Obama. She accessorized the outfit with J. Crew pumps—which she also wore for Inauguration Day in 2009—and a necklace designed by Cathy Waterman. Obama also wore a navy number to her husband’s private swearing-in on Sunday. That dress was made by Reed Krakoff, the fashion designer behind the controversial $990 bird shirt that Ann Romney wore for a CBS This Morning appearance during the campaign.
The First Lady’s inaugural outfit wasn’t the only familiar ensemble of the morning: first daughters Malia and Sasha Obama wore jewel-tone colored coats similar to the Crew Cut ensembles they chose in 2009. Malia opted for a violet coat from J. Crew, while younger sister Sasha wore a periwinkle Kate Spade number.
See their looks below:
The Obama family arrives at St. John’s Church on Jan. 21, 2013 in Washington, D.C., hours before Barack Obama participates in a ceremonial swearing in for a second term in office.