Michelle Obama is almost as celebrated for her style as she is for her role in American culture. But not even the most stylish former FLOTUS can pull off a pajama-inspired pantsuit.
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00:00Michelle Obama is almost as celebrated for her style as she is for her role in American culture.
00:05But not even the most stylish former FLOTUS can pull off a pajama-inspired pantsuit.
00:11During her husband's stint as President of the United States,
00:14Michelle Obama went through a serious sweater obsession. Nearly every public appearance seemed
00:18to include a cardigan, whether she was layering it over a formal frock or dressing it down over
00:23a T-shirt and jeans. NPR went so far as to call it the Obama Effect, arguing that she may have
00:29single-handedly revived the cardigan look. However, it would be pushing it to say that
00:33every single cardigan ensemble was a winner. On the contrary, Obama's glut of sweater-based looks
00:38sometimes veered into the twee and old-fashioned. For instance, the then-First Lady opted for a
00:43modest midi dress and cardigan combo while visiting a London primary school in 2009.
00:48While we certainly wouldn't have expected sartorial fireworks at a school event,
00:52this outfit felt like a dated dud. The blue and brown argyle sweater gave off a distinctly
00:57Mr. Rogers vibe, and the dress' muted tone lacked any of Obama's usual flair.
01:02Completing the look with classy but unexciting pearls,
01:05Obama may have been reaching for a vintage Jackie O feel, but it amounted to more of a Jackie O'No.
01:11On another school visit in 2009, this time to Alexandria, Virginia,
01:15Obama once again wore some eye-catching but short-lived styles. This included a dramatic
01:20silk blouse, a broad, waist-cinching belt, and her must-have cardigan, all in completely
01:25different color palettes. We understand the Ms. Frizzle-esque intent behind wearing bright
01:30clothes to meet young students, but this outfit hasn't held up well over time.
01:34On its own, the ruffled pea-green J. Crew top was a cute lettuce-like choice for visiting the
01:39school's veggie garden. However, it served too much look when paired with the unrelated blue
01:43sweater and tortoiseshell accent belt. Charcoal pin-striped trousers added yet
01:47another color and pattern to the mix, creating a displeasing mishmash of aesthetics.
01:52While we always appreciated Obama's efforts to model affordable high street fashions,
01:56this look embodied the worst of noughties mall shopping.
01:59It's also worth noting that the statement belt was hardly an outlier for Obama,
02:03whose love for chunky belts seems to come second only to cardigans. Her early first
02:07lady looks often featured a thick belt, whether styled over a dress, blouse, cardigan, or all
02:12of the above. There's something to be said for a signature accessory, and sometimes Obama's belts
02:17were perfect final touches. But overplaying this style diluted its impact, especially when the
02:22belt was unnecessary to the ensemble. There's little we can say about skinny
02:26jeans that hasn't been said a thousand times before.
02:29If they were skinny jeans and I couldn't pull them off,
02:30literally took me like an hour to pull them off.
02:33These trousers were the denim du jour of the early 2010s,
02:36available not only in typical blue washes but also in an entire rainbow of hues. However,
02:42this trend has fallen thoroughly by the wayside except in the closets of a few stubborn millennials.
02:47Whether you're still pro-skinnies or find them cringy, we have to cast a little side-eye at
02:51Michelle Obama's skinny jean ensemble at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll in 2012.
02:56While she chose her denim in a relatively normal indigo hue, the rest of her outfit was a study in
03:01eclectic color reminiscent of the then-popular trend of quirky, hipster styling. While swimming
03:06into this trend was a fair enough call, the searingly orange top, mustard-yellow cardigan,
03:11and the randomly robin's egg blue ballet flats just weren't an ensemble that would blend in
03:16anywhere today. To make matters worse, even Michelle's daughters, Sasha and Malia,
03:20were ripping colored skinny jeans at the event in spring green and sky blue.
03:24This entourage of brightly skinny-jeaned Obama women just shows the style's ubiquity at the time.
03:30Pencil skirts and midi dresses may have been her bread and butter while serving as FLOTUS,
03:34but recent years have seen Michelle Obama getting more adventurous in her fashion by
03:38incorporating some incredible jackets, shoes, and pantsuits. Obama wore a lot of particularly
03:44gorgeous separates during the book tour for her memoir Becoming in 2018 and 2019. Sadly,
03:50during the Paris leg of her trip, Obama opted for a more questionable style. Her white and orange
03:55striped pantsuit looked an awful lot like pajamas, especially with its thick cuffs and satiny finish.
04:01Sadly, the familiarity just couldn't be offset with hoop earrings and strappy heels.
04:05We'd call this look outdated, but it would have to have been in style at all for that to be
04:09accurate. Too bold and irregular, the suit's pattern didn't quite manage to predict the
04:13stripe-centric French girl aesthetic. And while the 70s might have come close to Obama's vibe
04:18with some pretty bold leisure suits, her fit ultimately looked more like Burton Ernie's
04:23bedtime attire than any trend we can remember.
04:25I was just wondering if it's the middle of the night just after we went to bed,
04:29or is it the middle of the night just before it's time to wake up?
04:32Leaving the White House hasn't slowed Obama down for an instant. If anything,
04:35it's given her the well-earned freedom to explore her passions and experiment with fashion.
04:40This evolution has been fascinating to watch, even when we're presented with the occasional
04:44head-scratcher. For instance, in November 2023, Obama shared a video celebrating the five-year
04:49anniversary of Becoming. In it, the former first lady looked happy and glowing in an ensemble of
04:54vivid blue denim. However, as infectious as her energy was, the outfit itself came off as outdated.
05:01The central statement piece of Obama's look was the designer denim jacket with its contrast
05:05stitching and leather pocket. A close look at the pocket's embossing reveals the jacket as
05:10a Loewe piece sold in various denim shades. Unfortunately, Obama's choice to rock an
05:15intense indigo hue and match it with equally saturated jeans dated the garment by a few
05:20decades. Her styling didn't help matters, either. By layering all this pristine denim over a camel
05:25turtleneck and adding gold hoop earrings, Obama gave the look a decidedly 90s vibe.
05:30It's an outfit that wouldn't have looked out of place on Queen Latifah circa Living Single,
05:34which certainly isn't a bad thing in theory. Still, it doesn't make the look any more modern.
05:39All told, this outfit was a bit of a toss-up,
05:42but we must admit the former first lady very nearly pulled it off.