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With the ascent of her husband as a prominent national politician, Obama became a part of popular culture. In May 2006, Essence listed her among “25 of the World’s Most Inspiring Women”.

In July 2007, Vanity Fair listed her among “10 of the World’s Best Dressed People”. In September 2007, 02138 magazine listed her as 58th of “The Harvard 100”; a list of the prior year’s most influential Harvard alumni. Her husband was ranked fourth. In July 2008, she reappeared on the Vanity Fair international best-dressed list. She also appeared on the 2008 People list of best-dressed women and was praised by the magazine for her “classic” look.

Obama’s public support grew in her early months as First Lady, as she was accepted as a role model. On her first trip abroad in April 2009, she toured a cancer ward with Sarah Brown, wife of British prime minister Gordon Brown. Newsweek described her first trip abroad as an exhibition of her so-called “star power” and MSN described it as a display of sartorial elegance. Questions were raised by some in the American and British media regarding protocol when the Obamas met Queen Elizabeth II and Michelle reciprocated a touch on her back by the Queen during a reception, purportedly against traditional royal etiquette. Palace sources denied that any breach of etiquette had occurred.

Obama has been compared to Jacqueline Kennedy due to her sense of style and Barbara Bush for her discipline and decorum. Obama’s style has been described as “fashion populist”.In 2010, she wore clothes, many high-end, from more than fifty design companies with less expensive pieces from J.Crew and Target, and the same year a study found that her patronage was worth an average of $14 million to a company. She became a fashion trendsetter, in particular favoring sleeveless dresses, including her first-term official portrait in a dress by Michael Kors.

Obama appeared on the cover and in a photo spread in the March 2009 issue of Vogue. Every first lady since Lou Hoover (except Bess Truman) has been in Vogue, but only Hillary Clinton had previously appeared on the cover. Obama later appeared two more times on the cover of Vogue, while First Lady, the last time in December 2016, with photographs by Annie Leibovitz. In August 2011, she became the first woman ever to appear on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

For three straight years – 2018, 2019, and 2020 – Obama topped the Gallup poll asking who is the “most admired woman” in the U.S.Time magazine features an annual “Person of the Year” cover story in which Time recognizes the individual or group of individuals who have had the biggest impact on news headlines over the previous twelve months. As part of this review, Michelle Obama was named the Woman of the Year for 2008.

 

Photo by Nicola Styles on Unsplash