As the Michelle Obama era comes to a close we reflect fondly upon the lessons she has bestowed on young women. She has prominently promoted feminism worldwide, empowering girls and women of all ages to be their best selves. She has modeled what a loving and respectful marriage looks like. She has taught us about self-respect and dignity. She has also shown us how to flawlessly pull off a Jason Wu dress. Yes—beyond all of the other wonderful things Michelle Obama is, she is also a style icon, and we’ve been taking notes these past eight years.
1. Florals forever
A lot of people assume flowers give off a delicate, pretty vibe, but Michelle Obama proved you can wear florals and still kick butt. The FLOTUS often wears flower print or detailed dresses and gowns, and she’s definitely not a delicate, little flower herself. Femininity should never be equated with weakness, so wear your most flowery outfits, loud and proud.
2. When in doubt, keep it classic
Michelle Obama was all about timeless silhouettes during her reign as FLOTUS. Cinched waist, knee-length dresses with full skirts were a signature move for the first lady, and no surprise here, she always looked stunning in them. Her daughters were quick to listen to this style tip, and we would be wise to follow it too.
3. Monotones are your friend
The FLOTUS has worn outfits with extravagant patterns, lustrous shine and unexpected color combos, but she also pulls off a single-colored dress like the boss lady she is. She uses gorgeous colors that look great on her skin tone to make a statement. Sometimes she opts for the traditional power-blue, but other times she goes for less obvious monotone looks, like the deep yellow from the State of the Union.
4. Work with what you’ve got
Michelle Obama knows her assets and knows how to accentuate them. She loves to show off her toned arms, and we don’t blame her. Seeing her dress confidently should give us the inspiration to wear what works best for our bodies and find clothes we feel and look good in.
5. Don’t be afraid to stand out
At parties, speeches, charity events, dinners and even boring political functions Michelle Obama oftentimes stole the show with her fantastic style. When the time called for it, she was not afraid to shine and sparkle, as her dazzling chain-link Versace gown at the last State Dinner showed. She also dared to wear nontraditional silhouettes and patterns, never letting standard notions of what a First Lady should wear stop her from looking like a total movie star.
6. Don’t let your style overpower YOU
We could go on and on about the flawless looks Michelle Obama has pulled off over the years, but her non-fashion achievements made her into an incredibly influential and admirable woman, not her style. Her admittedly phenomenal fashion sense was one memorable part of her, but never the whole story. From Michelle, we learn that looking incredible can represent us, but should never replace actually being incredible. She does both, and we love her for it.