Isabel Toledo - You'd Better Say it Right

by Kristen Seymour (Subscribe to Kristen Seymour's posts)
Posted Jan 21st 2009 at 11:17AM

Isabel Toledo. Her name popped up everywhere after Michelle Obama wore one of her designs for her husband's inauguration yesterday. However, as with many designers, pronouncing Isabel Toledo's name isn't quite as simple as you might think, and now that she's bound to become more well-known, we think it's pretty important you know how to say it right.

Her last name, Toledo, is not pronounced toe-LEE-do, like the city in Ohio. It's pronounced toe-LAY-doh, like tomato. Unless you pronounce tomato as to-MAH-to. And now, we're getting a headache.

We aren't the only ones who are sticklers about pronounciation -- Robert Verdi very politely made a point to say it correctly on CNN last night after Campbell Brown pronounced it wrong! So consider yourself informed, and spread the word -- Toe-LAY-doh!

Style Evolution: Michelle Obama

She claims she's not a natural-born politician. But, when it comes to fashion, America's next new Lady, Michelle Obama, seems to have a strategist's instincts for what will play in Peoria. Her secret lies in knowing how to mix high and low (and we don't just mean her heels). She wears dresses from pricey designers like Isabel Toledo (left), Thakoon and Narciso Rodriguez, whose pieces carry four-figure tabs and are sold in stores like -- yep -- Neiman-Marcus, Barneys and Saks. But she also showed up on the campaign trail wearing designs like the $148 White House-Black Market dress that she chose for "The View" last summer and the J. Crew sweater and skirt that she wore on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," insisting in her best every woman voice, "You can get some good stuff online."

On the night of the election Michelle Obama made fashion waves in this red and black Narciso Rodriguez (left) dress. The designer proved to be a campaign trail favorite and will in all likelihood show up again and again during Obama's time in the White House.

Joe Raedle, Getty Images

The other big winner: Narciso Rodriguez, whose red-and-black confetti-print dress was Mrs. Obama's choice for her Election Night debut. It's hard to imagine it was anything but warm in Grant Park -- where the President-elect addressed an estimated 100,000 fans -- but Mrs. O added a short black cardigan to the tank dress, which came straight from Rodriguez's Spring '09 runway.

Randy Brooke, WireImage.com

Sure she has a law degree, a high-powered job and two adorable daughters. But to fashionista fans, Michelle Obama's most striking accomplishment during the presidential campaign has been channeling Jackie Kennedy -- the trademark flip, the simple '60s sheaths, the no-nonsense strand of pearls. She wore a tangerine version of the look last spring at a primary rally in North Carolina.

AFP / Getty Images

While Barack Obama boasts that he owns five of the same suit -- a dark two-button by Hartmarx -- Mrs. Obama is far more adventurous, especially when it comes to color. Usually, she favors bold shades -- blues, oranges, purples -- but she chose a soft, cantaloupe-colored dress earlier this fall for her husband's acceptance of the Harold Washington Award.

AFP / Getty Images

Their fist-bump got the most attention at the Minnesota rally on the night that Barack Obama cinched the Democratic nomination. Second-most-talked about: Michelle Obama's purple dress by her long-time designer and friend, Chicago's Maria Pinto.

Scott Olson, Getty Images

At the first joint appearance of the Obama-Biden families last summer, Michelle wore a purple and grey shirtwaist -- just the sort of thing Donna Reed would have chosen. And, to ensure that she didn't tower over just about everyone at the Springfield, Ill. rally, the 5-foot-11 Mrs. Obama slipped on silver ballet flats.

AFP / Getty Images

Perhaps it was a bid for Red-state votes? At the second Presidential debate in Nashville, Mrs. Obama wore a bright red Narciso Rodriguez sheath, which just happened to blend in perfectly with the carpet.

Getty Images

Most people have never even heard of fashion designer Isabel Toledo (though she's been at it for more than 30 years). But at a New York fund-raiser last spring, Mrs. Obama looked so comfortable in one of Toldeo's edgy designs (and a Tom Binns necklace) that she sparked gossip she'd be wearing more of the Cuban-born designer's wares if she makes it to the White House.

Marcel Thomas, FilmMagic

Though one of her favorite stores is Ikram -- the high-rent Chicago boutique that carries designers like Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Lanvin and Rodarte -- Mrs. Obama likes to show that she's equally skilled at pulling together outfits from the other end of the spectrum. For an October rally in Miami, she wore this striped dress from H&M with a $34.95 price tag.

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READER COMMENTS

(117)Add A Comment

EA, 1-21-2009, 2:14PM

Duh! Of course it's pronounced Toe-lay-do! It is a Spanish last name! Did any of you take Spanish in ES or HS??

Reply »

ania, 1-21-2009, 3:43PM

Toledo it is pronounced "to- le (as in pen)- do as in (not)" all short sounds in English!!

EWAShock, 1-21-2009, 4:02PM

Toledo, Ohio

Rob`, 2-19-2009, 10:22PM

She looked like a plucked Chicken in the horrible looking thin she had on her back,,, Now you can see what this Country is really coming too... No taste in fashion.. That dress looked like a nappy bed sheet.. I mean really. SHE IS THE 1st Lady She really should have represented our Country much better.... What an absolute disgrace. And what about the Racists remark the old man said to the US - Quote- "White needs to get it Right" What the Helllllllllllllllllllllllllll....

AM, 1-21-2009, 2:18PM

Who cares, her dresses are ugly. And it doesn't help that they're being dorned by a "Black Grinch."

Reply »

Jesse in Hartford, Connecticut, 1-21-2009, 2:48PM

How dare you say such a thing about our First Lady. Your "mother" looks like the grinch perched atop a mountain of shit. And, to top it off, she has pot holes in her face and is toothless. You moron!!

J in Hartford, Connecticut

J, 1-21-2009, 2:53PM

BOY, ARE YOU A GRINCH!!

Linda, 1-21-2009, 4:18PM

I think it was a bad case of MUTTON DRESSED AS LAMB!

cka, 1-21-2009, 5:46PM

Are you as ugly on the outside as you appear to be on the inside? Just curious.

cal from washington, dc & asian, 1-21-2009, 7:34PM

you are so wrong! i will not call you names or curse you because you're low and you know it. at least she's a "first lady" and married to a president. in a million years you will not have the same significance like they do or "me".
i am so sorry for you AM and Linda.

lunamorgan, 1-21-2009, 8:35PM

How dare you! Regardless of your personal opinions of a person, you can show them respect. Not to mention the implicit racism of your comment. You are behaving like a child and fool and if you want to make people believe you, you should think your comments through carefully rather than spewing ignorant hate speech. You should be ashamed.

Janet, 1-21-2009, 2:19PM

Proud to see that Michelle wore a Latina designer's dress. She should had kept the flow going, and worn an Oscar de La Renta dress for her husband's inauguration ball. She looked okay.

Reply »

Janet, 1-21-2009, 5:59PM

I couldn't agree with you more - it is good tose her take some fashion risk but one should either get a great stylist or have exceptional taste. also, neither dress was flattering for her figure.

Kristine, 1-21-2009, 2:18PM

I was not impressed with what she wore for the inauguration. Although, what she wore was very beautiful, but it looked more like an evening gown than something you wear during the day. She also looked like a glamouros movie star which I didn't appreciate. There was no sophistication or conservative look to her. I hope it gets better.

Reply »

ALH30080, 1-21-2009, 5:32PM

Why should she look conservative? I think whats important is that she look like herself. What she wears really isn't as important as what she can accomplish as a First Lady and as a wife and a mother. I have high hopes for her and we all should stand by her and support her. :)

Roxie2u, 1-21-2009, 5:43PM

My thoughts exactly. The dress was more like an evening gown. I didn't even care for the color. It was very cold and she looked a little strange walking next to the President. He was all wrapped up and prepared for the weather. She looked like she had forgotten that it's January.

lunamorgan, 1-21-2009, 8:36PM

Evening gown? Are you kidding me? It was a knee length shift dress with a cardigan sweater and a conservative overcoat with coordinating cold weather gloves. If that's your idea of an evening gown, I hope you don't attend too many formal events.

I do believe she's dressing in the style of a Mrs. Kennedy you may have heard of. No one complained that she was wearing an evening gown when she wore the very same cut of clothing. She was praised for her style and taste. The only difference is the texture and shade of the fabric. Mrs. Obama was emulating an American style icon and falling back on a tradition of conservative but fashionable day dresses. Know your fashion and your history before you speak out.

Trish, 1-21-2009, 2:22PM

Or you can pronounce it Toe-lay-tho another Spanish pronunciation.

Reply »

LK, 1-21-2009, 2:27PM

I think her outfits were inappropriate for each occasion. Her day dress looked like a cocktail outfit, and her evening gown would look much better on a twenty-year-old, much too frou-frou. It seems one can find tacky-expensive as easily as tacky-cheap.

Reply »

Judy, 1-26-2009, 12:11PM

I agree with you, the dresses were nice just not on her. On her inagural dress the jewel thing around her neck was out of place and the ribbon bow waving in the breeze was tacky. On her ball gown she looked like a heap of whipped creme but she had no cherry on top not even a necklace ( I guess she left it on her day dress). But today was the worst, since when do you go to church in flat shoes and a sleaved dress that would have beed appropriate for a luncheon, maybe. What happened to a nice suit or a coat dress. She was sitting with the VP wife and even Hillary and they knew how to dress. Someone needs to teach her some fashion sense.

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