Michelle Obama wears iconic 2008 dress to husband’s jobs speech

Was Michelle Obama trying to bring a bit of political good luck to her husband's speech before Congress Thursday night?

The first lady attended President Obama's jobs speech wearing the same dress she wore on the day in June 2008 when her husband clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, after a hard-fought battle with Hillary Clinton. (Barack Obama's victory in the Montana primary on June 3, 2008, put him over the top.)

The fuchsia sheath dress, created by Chicago designer Maria Pinto, branded Michelle Obama as a fashion icon and has long been associated with one of her husband's key political victories.

But there is a bit of a downside to the dress: Pinto, who later went on to dress Obama in several other looks, filed for bankruptcy and went out of business in 2010. The designer blamed her troubles on the nation's struggling economy.

It's unclear if the First Lady was deliberately trying to invoke the magic of 2008 for a speech that was widely regarded as a formal kickoff to his 2012 campaign--or if she was simply recycling an outfit. A spokesman for Michelle Obama didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.