Maria Pinto, is that you?
Michelle Obama spoke at Georgetown University yesterday in a purple sleeveless sheath that had us doing spit-takes -- it looked very, very similar to the famous dress by Maria Pinto that Mrs. O wore in 2008 when Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination over Hillary Clinton.
Michelle whipped the dress out again in September 2011 as the 2012 elections heated up, which (because we love to read into these things) we took as a sartorial statement saying, "Game on!" to all those candidates who would oppose her husband once again.
So we were all but expecting to see the dress again, cinched with a black belt, when the first lady wore violet at a mentoring event at Georgetown yesterday. But this dress, from Roksanda Ilincic's Pre-Fall 2011 collection, was similar but not identical to the famous Maria Pinto dress, featuring uncovered arms but with a looser, more a-line silhouette and neckline.
Michelle did, of course, tie a black belt around her waist, making the whole ensemble also reminiscent of her most recent state dinner outfit by Doo-Ri (lady loves her purple).
Looking comfortable in her chosen outfit, Mrs. Obama addressed the crowd of students with stories of her college years, saying:
"When I started out at my freshman year at Princeton, I wondered whether I'd be able to compete with my classmates. And believe me, these were kids who had gone to the best schools all over the world. They were wealthy, they were privileged, and they didn't go to public schools like me, many of them. [... But] I realize that it didn't matter where I was from or how much money my parents made; what mattered was how deeply I was willing to believe in myself. That was the primary thing that got me through, was sort of looking at my performance and saying, yes, I can compete."
It's that sort of advice and more, said the first lady, that she and Barack always tell their "girls."
We wonder if she also gives them fashion advice, as she'd be well qualified to do so. We absolutely adore Michelle in this purple hue (she clearly does as well) -- but how does it compare? Take a look below at Tuesday's ensemble as well as the Maria Pinto frock (twice) and her Doo-Ri state dinner gown. Which purple dress is your favorite?
