Michelle's Most Outdated And Unflattering Looks
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.