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Michelle Obama’s style has been scrutinized in countless op-eds and social-media deep dives since she first entered the public eye in 2008. Almost two decades later, the former First Lady is rewriting the narrative in her own words.
“During our family’s time in the White House, the way I looked was constantly being dissected — what I wore, how my hair was styled,” the lawyer, mother, wife, and self-proclaimed “hugger-in-chief” shares in a recent Instagram post. “For a while now, I’ve been wanting to reclaim more of that story.”
The result? None other than a new book to add to her roster of bestselling works, including the hit memoir “Becoming” and “American Grown,” which details the rich and delicious history of the White House Kitchen Garden. Titled “The Look,” it officially hits shelves on November 4, but you can already pre-order the hardcover (for 35 percent off) on Amazon, with Kindle and audiobook versions available. Should you be interested in listening to it with a little help from your wired earbuds, this can be done for free with a 30-day Audible trial — but at the cost of missing out on the 200-plus photographs that enrich the storytelling here.
The book’s 287 pages are filled to the brim with Obama’s intimate recollections of her most pivotal fashion moments while living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and beyond. Because no one works alone, quotes from her glam team (including makeup artist Carl Ray plus hairstylists Yene Damtew, Johnny Wright, and Njeri Radway) are also featured heavily, and so are those of her longtime stylist Meredith Koop.
The evolution of Obama’s personal aesthetic, from the time Barack was elected for his first term in office to now, is finally given its due in “The Look.” Reading it grants an unedited look (hence the name) at her sartorial choices — outside of the external commentary–backed echo chamber that cropped up while she served in one of the most important and public-facing positions of our time.
Fans of Obama’s iconic outfits are brought behind the scenes of how the looks came together, with Obama revealing her go-to brands and pieces across time: whether that be the Missoni x Converse collaboration high-top she often wore during South Lawn programming or the Michael Kors sheath dresses that contributed to her charisma on the campaign trail and while she sat for White House portraits.
“My first questions when considering any outfit or look were ‘Do I love it? Does it reflect who I am?” Obama remembers. “Sensitive to how many were struggling financially, I tried to mix affordable but fashionable brands into my closet.”
The tastemaker brings to light a particularly poignant anecdote to illustrate the fact that her style decisions in the White House were nothing if not calculated — in many cases exerting a certain degree of soft power. She did an interview with Jay Leno before the 2008 election, during which Leno tried guessing the total price of his talk-show guest’s ensemble.
Per Obama, her response consisted of a single word: “J.Crew.”
Much like the “Taylor Swift effect” — a phenomenon involving Swift’s habit of boosting the popularity of small brands by wearing their clothing and accessories in paparazzi shots — Obama’s wardrobe picks often constituted make-or-break moments for business owners. American designer Tracy Reese has an excerpt in “The Look,” in which she details the night that changed it all for her as a professional. Obama wore one of her dresses to speak at the DNC in 2012, after which Reese was blessed with an almost-instant backlog of orders.
Michelle Obama waves on stage after speaking at the Democratic National Convention on September 4, 2012. She’s wearing a custom dress made by designer Tracy Reese and paired with pink J.Crew pumps. This outfit, among many others, is discussed in Obama’s new book “The Look.”
Courtesy Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
“We had to custom weave that fabric to make thousands of dresses. It was very personal and special,” says Reese.
“The Look” is already a #1 bestseller in Amazon’s “Black & African American Biographies” category, and it hasn’t even been released yet, which should tell you something about the importance (and overwhelming support) of Obama’s latest endeavor.
As for the ethos that continues to guide how the former FLOTUS dresses up on any given day? “Every look had to meet my baseline criteria: Could I give anyone a hug at the moment?”
Now that’s a fashion philosophy you’d be remiss not to follow… and read all about, below.
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‘The Look’ by Michelle Obama
Price upon publish date of this article: $32.50
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Meet the Author
Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, Cosmopolitan, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, covered tentpole sales events, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska regularly reports on new fashion book releases penned by celebrities.
