Michelle Obama Is Back and Still Winning the Fashion Game
Micelle Obama’s first public appearance post-White House (and post-vacation) proved she’s not saying goodbye to her role as a fashion guru — or, more importantly, an inspiration leader.
As the keynote speaker at the American Institute of Architects’ annual conference, Obama spoke about the role the presidency has on family life. Wearing a black dress that gave off calm and cool summery vibes (she was in Orlando and did just recently return from a tropical island after all), the former first lady reiterated that she wouldn’t be running for president.
“I wouldn’t ask my children to do this again because, when you run for higher office, it’s not just you, it’s your whole family,” she told the audience.
“What people don’t understand is that you run, their lives stop at any age. The next family that comes in here, every person in that family ― every child, every grandchild ― their lives will be turned upside-down in a way that no American really understands. And it’s not for us to complain about it, so you don’t hear complaints. But it is a truth, an actuality, that there is a weight to it,” she said to conference attendees.
While some AIA attendees wore their own Obama fashion statement on their sleeves in “When they go low, we go high” T-shirts, she stuck with a $548 cotton dress from Lafayette 148, available at Nordstrom. Obama paired the neutral black, beige and cream dress with strappy black block heels.
“You don’t have to be first lady to influence,” Obama said in her speech. She added, “Plus, there’s so much more we can do outside of the office, because we won’t have the burden of political baggage.”
She’ll continue to work towards ending childhood obesity and advocating for girls’ education, even from outside the White House walls. Whether it’s for her forward-looking fashion or her insightful words, it’s safe to say Michelle Obama will remain one very inspirational American.
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