Michelle Obama 'Loved' One Of Husband Barack's Most Controversial Choices

Since leaving the White House, Barack and Michelle Obama's relationship has changed — but in a good way. They endured a lot during their eight years of Barack's presidency, from criticism of the former president's policies to unbridled racism and repulsive rumors. On top of that, the Obamas were also navigating life as parents to two daughters who grew from tweens to teens as the world watched. Now that they're private citizens and empty-nesters whose political days are far behind them, the Obamas are finding ways to reconnect; Michelle has let fans know they can ignore any rumors of divorce that may be circulating. Free to pursue her own interests and style, the former first lady has gotten candid about the pressures she and Barack faced to conform to the expectations of what a presidential couple should look like. In an exclusive November 2025 interview with People, Michelle dished not only about her own clothing choices, but also one very famous one her husband made.

In 2014, then-President Obama appeared at a White House press conference wearing a light beige suit, setting off what became known as the "Obama tan suit controversy." Critics slammed him for supposedly looking too casual for a serious Q&A session on foreign military policy; a darker color, they argued, would have been more appropriate. The first lady, however, felt differently. "I loved that tan suit!" she told the outlet. "When he had it on, I was like, 'Oh, my God, you look so cute.'" But once the backlash began, "I was like, 'Oh, you got clocked for that one. Welcome to my world.'"

One might think that a president donning a light-colored jacket and trousers to a presser would be less offensive than, say, a first lady wearing a jacket literally saying, "I really don't care." But Barack Obama was held to a different standard than previous POTUSes. Even though Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Dwight Eisenhower, and other commanders-in-chief had appeared in tan suits without anyone batting an eye, the fashion choice became one of Obama's most famous scandals during his time in office. He was accused of projecting an image of weakness at a time when the U.S. was taking on ISIS. Now, we chuckle at the thought of getting bent out of shape over a bit of taupe fabric. 

Similarly, Michelle Obama was taken to task for wearing sleeveless dresses, despite the fact Jackie Kennedy had already paved the way several decades earlier. Today, Michelle unapologetically sports bare arms, along with her preferred hairstyle of braids. Sadly, in the White House, Michelle had to strategically keep her hair straightened so as not to be distracting. As the first Black first family, the Obamas had to work harder to seem relatable to the entire country. But, as she explained to People, she made sure to wear braids when she and Barack attended their official White House portrait unveiling in 2021: "I wanted to send a message, add to the discourse of Black women in places of power, saying, 'This, too, is an appropriate and beautiful way to wear your hair.'" The 44th president, on the other hand, played it safe by wearing a dark charcoal gray suit.