After THAT McQueen drama, Michelle Obama strikes careful balance between Brit and U.S. labels on UK and Ireland tour

If Michelle Obama was worried about keeping up in the style stakes with Samantha Cameron and the Duchess of Cambridge, there was little sign as she paraded a very fashion-forward wardrobe for her state visit to the UK this week.

Favouring elegant knee-length dresses, she stayed true to her signature style, while striking a careful balance between British and American labels.

She went for designs by Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Rachel Roy and Barbara Tfank from the U.S. and Roksanda Ilincic and Preen from the UK.

Best of British: Michelle Obama at Westminster Abbey this afternoon in Roksanda Ilincic (left) and arriving in the UK this morning in royal blue Preen (right)

It appears to be the first time the First Lady has elected to wear British labels since the drama surrounding the Alexander McQueen gown that she wore to a White House State Dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao in January.

Though its colour was a clever choice - red is a symbol of prosperity in China - the fact that the dress was by a British designer, rather than a Chinese or American one, was received badly in the U.S.

American beauty: In Tom Ford at tonight's State Dinner with the Queen at Buckingham Palace (left) and earlier in the day in a floral dress by LA-based designer Barbara Tfank (right)

Signature style: Mrs Obama kept her look elegant in knee-length shift dresses during her visit to Ireland yesterday, in Rachel Roy (left) and Marc Jacobs (right)

TV presenter Joan Rivers and fashion designers Diane von Furstenberg and Oscar de la Renta were among the names to speak out against Mrs Obama's choice.

This week's dresses, however, were spot on politically as the form for a visiting premier's wife is to either show support for one's own native designers, or the host country's.

And Mrs Obama was as imaginative in her choice of British labels as she is in American ones. Rather than opting for major international brands, she chose smaller labels - Preen and Roksanda Illincic - that will benefit to much bigger degree from the exposure.

Controversy: Mrs Obama sparked anger among fashion designers in January when she wore a dress by British label Alexander McQueen to host Chinese President Hu Jintao at the White House

Jason Wu, for example, was an unknown designer until she wore his showstopping white gown to one of her husband's inaugural balls in January 2009. He is now a major international player.

The British First lady, Samantha Cameron, proved hot competition however. As a creative consultant to luxury accessories company Smythson, she has a strong sartorial instinct of her own and looked every inch the fashionista in British label Peter Pilotto.

The new Duchess of Cambridge, despite being married to a prince, still favours High Street however, opting for a £175 ($340) Reiss dress.