Michelle Obama revealed a secret about Barack Obama’s formal wear during his eight years in the White House: He wore the same tuxedo and shoes the entire time.
During a talk at Tuesday Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California, the former first lady lamented on how every detail of her outfits was critiqued while her husband got away with wearing the same shoes and tuxedo for years, and no one seemed to notice.
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Credit: Mark Wilson
Credit: Mark Wilson
“This is the unfair thing,” Michelle Obama said. “You talk about Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers -- no matter what we do, he puts on that same tux. Now, people take pictures of the shoes I wear, the bracelets, the necklace -- they didn’t comment that for eight years he wore the same tux, same shoes.
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“And he was proud of it, too. He’s like, ‘Mmm, I’m ready. I’m ready in 10 minutes. How long did it take you?’ I’m like, ‘Get out of here.’”
The former first lady also shared the story behind a photo of her fixing her husband’s bow tie. She told the audience that they would always greet visiting state leaders at the North Portico, and while they were waiting, there were 100 members of the press also waiting and clicking away with their cameras.
Credit: Chip Somodevilla
Credit: Chip Somodevilla
“So, we’re standing there waiting for the cars to roll in, and I was bored,” she said. “So I sort of thought, let me make sure my husband looks good.”
It’s unclear how many sets Barack Obama had of his signature outfit, but he was photographed wearing at least one different tuxedo jacket during his term.
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Fashion wasn’t the only thing that Michelle Obama discussed at the conference. She also talked about her passion for education, especially the education of young girls.
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“I’m very passionate about girls’ education, and we still have a long way to go on equality and access,” she said, talking about the absence of women in STEM fields. “We have to teach young girls they are smart and can compete.”
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