For the President's private swearing-in ceremony (pictured above at left), which took place at the White House on January 20, 2013, Michelle Obama wore a blue Reed Krakoff dress, a cardigan sweater with three-quarter length sleeves, and low-heeled pumps with pointed toes. A petite woman could wear this same ensemble just as well as a taller woman. The simple styling and the dark color of the dress would flatter petites, especially if the hemline hits somewhere around the knee, as does Mrs. Obama's dress. Although short women sometimes assume that the highest heel is the best, an extremely high heel can look out of proportion on a short woman, and a very high heel isn't too practical much of the time anyway. Michelle Obama's shoes, with their pointed toes and sleek styling, would be ideal for petites.
As she did for her inaugural ball gown in 2009, Michelle Obama picked Jason Wu to design her long dress for the 2013 inaugural ball (pictured at center). The custom-designed gown was a creation of red chiffon and velvet with a halter top and deep V back.
As pictured at right above, Mrs. Obama wore a blue checked Thom Browne coat and coordinating dress of silk jacquard for the official inauguration ceremony on January 21, 2013. True to her penchant for mixing high-end designer fashion with off-the-rack styles, Michelle Obama accessorized with a belt from J. Crew. She also wore burgundy leather gloves. The vertical seaming of the coat and dress would also work perfectly for a petite woman, making her look a bit taller. Of course, the First Lady doesn't need any help in that department!
