The former FLOTUS was often heavily scrutinised for everything she did – from her mannerisms to her wardrobe choices. During a interview with Elle magazine, Michelle revealed how she handled the constant criticism from the public.
Most people would assume that the White House would pay for all of Michelle’s clothes.
However, the former First Lady confessed that she actually paid for all her own clothes and accessories.
She said: “I paid for all my own clothes and accessories—with the exception of some items like the couture-level gowns I wore to formal events, which were lent to me by the designers and would later be donated to the National Archives, thus adhering to White House ethics guidelines.”
Michelle also said she wanted to bring attention to lesser known designers and so used herself as a platform for them to be noticed.
She continued: “I wanted to draw attention to and celebrate American designers, especially those who were less established, even if it sometimes frustrated the old guard, including Oscar de la Renta, who was reportedly displeased that I wasn’t wearing his creations.
“For me, my choices were simply a way to use my curious relationship with the public gaze to boost a diverse set of up-and-comers.”
Due to the high amount of criticism she regularly garnered, Michelle also did not want to be known for wearing expensive, high-fashion items of clothing.
Instead she made sure her clothes were diverse and reflected her own beliefs.
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There was one incident where she received immense backlash from the public for wearing shorts on a hot day.
Michelle said: “My pearls, my belts, my cardigans, my off-the-rack dresses from J. Crew, my apparently brave choice of white for an inaugural gown—all seemed to trigger a slew of opinions and instant feedback.
“Late in the summer of 2009, we went on a family trip in the Grand Canyon, and I was lambasted for an apparent lack of dignity when I was photographed getting off Air Force One (in 106-degree heat, I might add) dressed in a pair of shorts.”
But rather than let the constant criticism get her down, Michelle decided to use the unwanted attention as a way to raise awareness for communities.
She explained: “It seemed that my clothes mattered more to people than anything I had to say.
“In London, I’d stepped offstage after having been moved to tears while speaking to the girls at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School, only to learn that the first question directed to one of my staffers by a reporter had been “Who made her dress?”
“This stuff got me down, but I tried to reframe it as an opportunity to learn, to use what power I could find inside a situation I’d never have chosen for myself.
“If people flipped through a magazine primarily to see the clothes I was wearing, I hoped they’d also see the military spouse standing next to me or read what I had to say about children’s health.”
Before becoming First Lady, Michelle attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School.
She had a career as an attorney at a Chicago Law firm called Sidley & Austin, where she also met her husband Barack Obama.