The hidden reason why Michelle Obama might be showing skin on the cover of her memoir

The official cover for Michelle Obama’s memoir has been released.

On Thursday morning, the former first lady took to Instagram to share what the final version of Becoming will look like when it hits bookshelves on Nov. 13.

“I’m thrilled to share with all of you the cover for BECOMING. The process of writing this book has been so personally meaningful and illuminating for me,” she wrote in the caption. “As I prepare to share BECOMING this fall, I hope you’ll also think about your own story, and trust that it will help you become whoever you aspire to be. Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own.”

In the photo, Obama is smiling with her right hand resting underneath her chin. She wears a simple white T-shirt that’s pulled off of one shoulder and hoop earrings. Her hair is blown out in loose waves and her skin is glowing.

According to Obama’s stylist Meredith Koop, she started with the idea of jeans and a T-shirt and wanting to portray her as all-American, relatable, and real. “It’s what Michelle wears as Michelle, not First Lady Michelle Obama. I wanted the modern ease of a tee mixed with the regal drapery of a toga. A little pinch of post-White House edge with that sexy shoulder, the tee falling off. No fancy designers, no distractions, just Ms. M herself, up close and personal,” Koop revealed.

The fact that she’s so obviously showing skin could have a hidden meaning. In 2009, after the White House released her first official photo as FLOTUS, people criticized the fact that she was wearing a sleeveless dress and showing off her toned arms. In the years following, she continued to make similar style statements despite the critics by wearing strapless gowns and off-the-shoulder dresses.

Commenters can’t wait to get their hands on the memoir and think the cover photo is “elegant,” “gorgeous,” “inspiring,” and “beautiful.”

In the lead-up to the cover debut, Obama has been sharing personal photos and stories that are in the book, including a picture from her wedding night.

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