Michelle Obama Wears Halston and Statement Silver Jewelry

Until Michelle Obama, we haven't really had a fashionable First Lady in the White House since Nancy Reagan and Jacqueline Kennedy. And I wasn't really old enough or born yet to appreciate the styles of Nancy and Jacqueline, so I'm really delighted that I have Michelle to appreciate.

Michelle's love of fashion is no secret. She loves to mix and match designers, she wears vintage, and she's not afraid of the statement necklace. And while she favors designers like Thakoon and Jason Wu, she also help put more affordable brands like J.Crew and White House/Black Market on the map as a fashionable alternative for the budget-conscious.

Last night at the White House Correspondent's Dinner, she wore a chocolate, deep-V neck Halston dress, which may or may not be vintage. She mixed in a stack of bracelets with layered necklaces and matching earrings. I love her Marilyn-esque wavy do and her smoky eyes. And while I might have taken off one of the accessories, like the necklace or the earrings, she looked absolutely gorgeous!

(AP Photo)

Top 5 Statement Necklace Looks Worn by Celebrities

When Anna Wintour first put Kim Basinger on the cover of Vogue in 1991, she introduced us to an entire new culture of style icons. It makes sense, we can't help but be influenced by the people we feel we know, whose faces we see everyday on our movie and television screens, and larger-than-life stares from 100' billboards.

Today, entire publications and blogs are dedicated to celebrity style, with sprinkles of their jewelry thrown in. If I had it my way, the focus would be reversed, with more attention to jewelry and accessories than their clothes. To me, the jewelry is the outfit and the clothes are the accessories. Imagine the outfits in the list below without the necklaces - not the same is it?

So here's my top 5 list of statement necklaces I've seen worn by celebrities.
1. Malin Akerman wearing vintage Miriam Haskell:

2. Kate Moss wearing Fiona Paxton (I know, technically she's a model, but I consider her bordering the model/celebrity line)

3. Amanda Seyfried wearing Tom Binns (love the blue/magenta contrast):

4. Rihanna wearing Burberry:

5. Michelle Obama wearing Fenton Fallon (Michelle gives Carla Bruni, France's First Lady and a former model, a run for her money!)