Michelle Obama wowed in a $12,000 Carolina Herrera gown at a state dinner honoring French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday.
"From the White House to Versailles it's not that far," Susan Swimmer, author of Michelle Obama: First Lady of Fashion and Style, told The Associated Press. "It's much more keeping in a French aesthetic than I've seen her wear before. It's very French in terms of how ornate it is and the use of lace and the velvet sash."
The gown was out of the norm for Obama for a few reasons, including its sleeves, which came to her elbows.
"I don't know that she's ever worn sleeves for a formal occasion," Swimmer said. "Why would she? She's got fabulous arms!"
With its train and A-line shape, the gown also differed from Obama's usually streamlined silhouette.
The top of the dress was black, with hand-sewn and beaded embroidery. The skirt, meanwhile, was blue - a color seen on both the French and American flag. The dress also included a black velvet belt.
Based in New York City, Herrera is an American-Venezuelan designer who was born in Caracas in 1939. Her clients have included Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis, Nicole Kidman, Shakira, Salma Hayek and Renee Zellweger.
Previous designers worn by the first lady include Tracy Reese, Rachel Roy, Narciso Rodriguez, Michael Kors, and Jason Wu.
