It's been a big week for Michelle Obama, the First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS). Not only was her husband inaugurated for the second time as President, but she has turned 49, she has a new Twitter account (@FLOTUS), she had to wear somethign different and gorgeous to all those inauguration events - and she had a new hairstyle.
Courageous to go with a new hairstyle in such a big week! Even the President was moved to say that his wife's 'bangs' - as they call them in America - were "the most significant event" of the week.
But even though the jury might be out on the hairstyle, she wowed them in the fashion stakes.
The dress she wore to the Inauguration Ball was custom-made by American designer, Jason Wu, who also made the white gown she wore four years ago.
This time around she emerged in velvet and chiffon as a bona fide trendsetter.
"I can't believe it. It's crazy," said Wu, at his Manhattan studio. "To have done it once was already the experience of my life. To have a second time is tremendous."
President Barack Obama also struck a similar style chord to his first-term inaugural balls: He wore a white tie with his tuxedo.
The red halter dress was the only one Wu, who went from fashion insider to household name on this night in 2009, submitted for Mrs Obama's consideration. He collaborated with jeweller Kimberly McDonald on the jewelled neckline.
"For this occasion, it had to be real diamonds," Wu said.
He said he felt the dress showed how he has grown up as a designer - and how Mrs Obama's style has evolved to be even more confident.
The US first family headed out to inaugural festivities earlier on Monday with Mrs Obama leading a very family coordinated fashion parade in a navy-silk, checkered-patterned coat and dress by Thom Browne that were inspired by a menswear necktie.
The outfit was specifically designed for Mrs Obama, but Browne said he wasn't 100% sure she was going to wear it until she came out with it on at Inauguration. "I am proud and humbled," he said.
The rest of Mrs Obama's Inauguration Day outfit included a belt from J Crew, necklace by Cathy Waterman and a cardigan by Reed Krakoff, whose ensemble she also wore to Sunday's intimate, indoor swearing-in ceremony.
President Obama wore a blue tie with his white shirt, dark suit and overcoat. Malia Obama had on a plum-coloured J Crew coat with the hemline of an electric-blue dress peeking out and a burgundy-coloured scarf, and her younger sister Sasha had on a Kate Spade coat and dress in a similar purple shade.
"It is an honour that Sasha Obama chose to wear Kate Spade New York," said the company's creative director, Deborah Lloyd. "She epitomises the youthful optimism and colourful spirit of the brand. We are so proud to have been a part of this historic moment."
Jenna Lyons, creative director of J Crew, said it was "a huge point of pride for all of us" to be a part of the day - as the brand was back in 2009 when the girls wore outfits by CrewCuts, its children's label.
"It's amazing to see the evolution of the family. I love the way Michelle looks. She looks beautiful in something so clean and tailored. It's such an elegant choice," Lyons said, "and they all look so sophisticated! You can see how the girls have grown up in the four years, and they're still so alive and vibrant, but more sophisticated."
Simon Collins, dean of the school of fashion at Parsons The New School for Design in New York, said the Obamas dressed in their typical fashion: one that shows pride in their appearance.
"They are a stylish couple and their children look fabulous. Too many people get dressed in the dark," he said. "They show it's good to dress up, take pride in how you look. ... It's a wonderful example for America and the rest of the world."
He also noted that the Obamas seem to understand that the fashion industry is a driving force in the US economy and that its lobby is a powerful one. They don't treat fashion frivolously, he observed.
The US first lady "is so supportive of so many American designers," Browne noted.
At the end of the Inaugural festivities, Mrs Obama's outfit and accompanying accessories will go to the National Archives. As for her haircut, bets are already being taken in Washington DC on whether, and how long, it will last.
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