simply h² : Fashion from the 2013 Inauguration and Inaugural Ball

On January 21st, 2013, President Barack Obama was sworn in as the 57th president of the United States of America. I tuned in to watch the highlights of both the inauguration, and of course, the inaugural ball that was held tonight. My main focus was on the ladies' fashion, including first lady, Michelle Obama, and herr two daughters, Natasha and Malia.

The inauguration took place this morning outside the White House in Washington D.C., so obviously the weather was a bit chilly. Michelle kept herself warm in a custom silk, navy, checkered coat by Thom Browne. The belt and shoes she wore were by J. Crew and the small pop of color came from her magenta gloves. Malia, the oldest of the two daughters, wore a violet J. Crew coat, while Natasha wore an indigo Kate Spade coat. The color choices of the two coats were extremely complementary of each other and were a great choice for the occasion.

I also couldn't help but notice Beyonce's amazing ensemble. She looked (and sounded) amazing when she sang the National Anthem in a Pucci dress, Christian Dior coat, and Lorraine Schwartz emeralds after the president was sworn in. I absolutely loved the detailing throughout the dress. The pop of green from her emerald jewelry was the perfect pop of color. She looked both elegant and fashionable on the arm of her hubby, Jay-Z.

And of course, I was extremely excited to see what the first lady would be wearing at the 2013 Commander-In-Chief's Inaugural Ball. There had been rumors flying around that she was choosing from a flurry of high-end designers including Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Tracy Reese, Marchesa, and many more, but she ended up choosing Jason Wu...the same designer that she used for the last inaugural ball in 2008.

The scarlet, velvet and chiffon halter-style dress was stunning, although I would have liked it so much more if it were strapless. The dress was gorgeous, but I think the halter top style made it look much cheaper and not as formal.