5 style lessons from Michelle Obama every woman must learn

Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of America, wife of a former President and an ardent changemaker. Many wish to do in numerous lifetimes what Michelle has been able to do in one. At 61, she is still inspiring the world with her speeches, books and smile. While she might not be the First Lady anymore, Michelle carries with her an aura that is unforgettable and unmatchable. Most know it comes from her life experience, but some credit also goes to her fashion choices, which she has talked in length about in her new book 'The Look'. Here are 5 style lessons every woman must learn from Michelle Obama.

There's a reason why every girl carries a pair of hoops in her bag, they could come in use any time, anywhere. One of the easiest ways to amp up your outfit is by making a clever choice of accessories. Be it a pair of heels, a statement belt or some minimalistic jewellery. In her coffee table book 'The Look', Michelle shared how she would change her looks during her husband's campaigning days by "switching up accessories or changing from a flat to a heel to bring the look up a notch."

As a first lady, Michelle was known for her love for cardigans. The simple and comfy knits almost became her signature style that brought her scrutiny from some and admiration from others. “The media had much to say about my cardigans – criticism ranged from ‘rather unconventional’ to ‘you don’t go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater.’ But to me they were the ultimate practical yet stylish piece,” she writes. “A cardigan worked with everything.” Be it a dress or a turtleneck, with the winter season in peak, cardigans make for the ultimate style statement offering a combination of protection and beauty.

Along with her coffee book, Michelle also launched a podcast called 'The Look' on her YouTube channel. In a recent episode on the power of hair, she shared her struggle with her hair as a black woman and how understanding it and finding the right people to help improved it a lot. She shared how she got her hair braided for the first time in her sophomore year and felt "not only beautiful but also free." From bobs to braids and even curls, Michelle has experimented with styles but only because she wanted to. She advised women not to get into the pressure of their hair looking a certain "right way."

There's a popular advice in fashion, that if you find something that just works on you, get it in every colour. From a sweater to a pair of heels, it could be anything that makes you look good. In the first chapter of her book, she talked about her looks during Barack's presidential campaign and shared how she opted for one silhouette in "a dozen different fabrics and colours." She added that she could style them up or down with cardigans, belts or jewellery but having a staple saved her a lot of time.

After her first-lady life, Michelle has really evolved in her own personal style. From jumpsuits to pant suits, she has truly experimented with fashion. For instance, she donned a sequin Balenciaga over-the-knee boot for her Becoming book tour in 2018, with a yellow top and skirt. “The one time I broke my no-dress-or-skirt rule was when I wore a Balenciaga look, which consisted of a sunny yellow skirt and matching top with gold sequinned thigh-high boots,” she writes. “That was for the Brooklyn show, where Sarah Jessica Parker was the moderator, so it felt right!”

From parenting to marriage and now fashion, Michelle Obama has been serving the community in every role she has taken on. As the first lady of America, an author and a podcast host, she is bringing in important conversations to the centre, talking about issues that many face but seldom talk about. As a woman of colour, she aims to normalise these topics and make everyone comfortable in their own skin, she shared on her podcast.