Former First Lady Michelle Obama opened up about the “white hot glare” of public scrutiny she faced as a Black woman during her White House years, reflecting on how it shaped her fashion choices.
According to the New York Post, Obama, 61, who says she now feels more confident than ever with her husband “settled,” discussed the pressures of style while promoting her new book, The Look, which explores how she communicated through clothing.
“We were all too aware that as a first black couple, we couldn’t afford any missteps. And that as a black woman, I was under a particularly white hot glare,” Obama wrote in her book.
The three-time Vogue cover model added that “we didn’t get the grace that I think some other families have gotten.”
“Making a mistake in a political environment where you’re the first and people are where your opponents are using your race as a fear-based strategy to make you seem like the other, then everything matters,” she told ABC News’ 20/20.
During her time in the White House, Obama was cautious about discussing fashion, viewing it as a potential distraction from her work. Now, she embraces fashion as a form of “soft power.”
“Style and fashion, and how we show up in the world is an important way that we send a message,” she explained. “What you’re wearing says something about what you care about. It speaks to your background, your culture. So, I really thought about what I wanted to say.”
She also considered the opinions of “mothers and grandmothers out there who I knew would be shaking their head if I didn’t show up right.”
Obama noted she rarely wore white to ensure her wardrobe felt “welcoming” and criticized the tendency to target women based on their appearance:
“We live in a culture, sadly, where, you know, if somebody wants to go after a woman, the first thing they do is go after our looks, our size, our physical being, as a way to, you know, make us feel small, to keep us in place.”
She also addressed how some designers acted as if they “own the first lady,” limiting opportunities for others.
Co-authored with her stylist, The Look features photos from her time in the spotlight along with explanations of her wardrobe decisions.
Obama also reflected on her life today, saying she’s enjoying a sense of freedom in her 60s:
“You know, there’s something about the 60s. It is the best time of my life now that my daughters are launched and doing well. My husband’s settled. There’s a certain freedom that I feel I’m at that stage in life where I can say, ‘Yeah, maybe I know a few things.’”
