The Michelle Obama influence: an exploration of the first lady’s fashion, style, and impact on women

Over the years, across numerous presidents, first ladies have been a prime topic of discussion (Burns 2008; Butler 2013; Caroli 1995, 2010; Edwards 2003; Evalds 2014; Ross 1962; Sferrazza 1990). In particular, these reviews have focused on the presidential framing of first wives (Burns 2008), the political successes and failures of first wives (Caroli 1995, 2010), the impact of first lady Grace Coolidge specifically (Edwards 2003; Evalds 2014; Ross 1962), as well as the emerging power of first wives over time (Sferrazza 1990). Yet, few studies have examined first ladies from a fashion perspective.

Evalds (2014) paints a picture of the fashion influence of first ladies during the 1920’s in her examination of First Lady Grace Coolidge. As Evalds (2014) discusses, Grace Coolidge served as first lady during a time where appearance was of great importance, as cameras and media became more present at this time. Moreover, because first ladies of that era were not as vocal, clothing was a means of communication (Evalds 2014). Specifically, this era brought about press conference and even motion picture appearances of the first lady, thus, the pressure to “dress the part” was more evident (Evalds 2014). This attention to Grace Coolidge’s appearance is apparent given the numerous newspaper articles that were written about her at the time that focused solely on the apparel she wore. The Washington Post, for example, applauded her for setting a standard for American women by stating that Grace Coolidge was “Always meticulous in the matter of dressing in her role as first lady of the land, she sets a high example of clothes, taste, and appropriateness” (Wilson 1924). This statement suggests that even in the 1920’s, first ladies may have had influence on other women regarding their fashion choices, as Grace Coolidge’s example was of great interest. Consequently, more research is needed to understand how the apparel choices of women may be impacted by the examples of first ladies.

Even from a global perspective, the fashion choices of first ladies have had an impression on the masses. Given this, various works have examined the fashion of first ladies (Betts 2011; Sonya 2009; Young 2011). Specifically, Young (2011) explored the role of fashion and style for first ladies and women politicians. The author discusses how first ladies are often judged by their fashion choices, and how what they choose to wear impacts the views the public has of their husbands (Young 2011). Thus, Young (2011) suggests that unspoken fashion rules that first ladies should abide by since the public takes notice. Young goes on to give examples of this notion from the examination of global first ladies and women politicians including Mrs. Roosevelt, Margaret Thatcher, Queen Rania of Jordan, Jackie Kennedy, and Hillary Clinton among others. However, Young’s (2011) assessment is more of a visual examination of these public figures, and does not make reference to how these public figures’ examples of dress may influence others.

The topic of Michelle Obama and her variety of fashion has garnered attention from scholars (Betts 2011; Norwood 2009; Swimmer and Osthold 2009). Betts (2011), for example, traced the fashion journey of Mrs. Obama from her youth, to Princeton University, and, finally, to the inauguration ceremony of January 2009. She noted that Michelle’s love for fashion began during her younger years before she became America’s first lady. As a college student during the early 1980s, Michelle Obama and other Black students organized and modeled in a fashion show in which they showcased clothes they had sewn. Betts (2011) further noted that Michelle Obama exhibited an early interest in fashion, and that Michelle Obama’s style encouraged women towards the individuality of style and has greatly influenced the empowerment of women (Betts 2011). Given Betts’ observation, it is essential to further understand whether Mrs. Obama’s style has impacted women and to what extent. Moreover, marketers and retailers need to explore the impact Michelle Obama has on the apparel choices of women, as her influence may impact the sales and performance of fashion brands.

While limited academic work has focused on the fashion appeal of Michelle Obama, David Yermack assessed the impact of Michelle Obama’s sway on key fashion brands. Specifically, Yermack examined the stock prices of 29 apparel brands whose merchandise was worn by Michelle Obama in public appearances (Yermack 2010). Yermack’s findings confirmed the first lady positively influenced the 29 apparel brands, as there was an aggregate gain of $2.7 Billion in stock value across the 29 apparel brands she wore during her numerous appearances (Yermack 2010). Although Yermack (2010) examined the financial impact of Michelle Obama’s fashion choices, no study to date has assessed specifically how the first lady’s style may influence women and impact their apparel purchases. This understanding is especially needed given Yermack’s evidence of stock increases in the apparel brands Mrs. Obama wore, since this suggests an increase in sales of the brands may have also occurred during this time. Thus, the main goal of this research was to explore the appeal of Michelle Obama’s style, and determine the specific impact her apparel choices have made on women. In addition, given the public position of Michelle Obama, it was expected that discussions regarding Michelle Obama from a social viewpoint would surface as well. Thus, this research provides a holistic understanding regarding the influence of Michelle Obama on women.

Three themes were identified from the interviews: (1) Relating through Authenticity, (2) Permission to Defy Norms, and (3) Brands and the Impression of Endorsement. Each theme speaks to the impact of Michelle Obama’s fashion choices from three different perspectives. The Relating through Authenticity theme entails how Michelle Obama’s fashion choices cause her to be viewed as genuine and relatable by participants. The Permission to Defy Norms theme discusses how the first lady’s fashion choices gave participants permission to challenge traditional social fashion norms for women. Lastly, the Brands and the Impression of Endorsement theme entails participants’ positive assessments of several fashion brands, given the impact of Michelle Obama’s implied endorsement of those brands.

Results of this study shed light on the appeal of Michelle Obama from a fashion and style perspective. Moreover, this study provides every day perceptions of the First Lady from a consumer perspective, which is not present in past literature. The findings suggest that Mrs. Obama’s style makes her more relatable to women, and also causes them to view her role as first lady positively. This data is essential, as no studies to date have discussed how a first lady’s style may cause the general public to view her as more accessible. Butler (2013) and Evalds (2014), for instance, confirmed that the media in particular was interested in the physical appearance and attire of first ladies, however, they did not assess whether women specifically also had a vested interest in the attire of first ladies. Therefore, this study provided evidence that women are generally interested in the attire of first ladies, and may make assumptions about these women based on their attire choices. In this study, participants had a noted interest in Michelle Obama’s attire choices, and frequently referenced her being down-to-earth and approachable because of her choices, namely her willingness to shop at the everyday retailer Target. This implies that even though the social mission of first ladies may be important, it is also vital that the first ladies’ appearance be appropriate, yet also relatable, as participants in this study suggested that this made Mrs. Obama seem more genuine in nature. This finding may be valuable for political strategist in their branding and marketing of future first ladies.

Lastly, participants mentioned being more drawn to certain apparel and retail brands, given Michelle Obama’s implied endorsements of those brands. While formal endorsements of certain merchandise were not provided by Mrs. Obama, participants’ impression of an endorsement made them seek out the brands or retailers the she wore during her appearances. This confirmed the financial impact exhibited in Yermack’s study (Yermack 2010). Yermack confirmed the financial impact of apparel brands and retailers that Michelle was featured in, but no study to date has examined the consumer appeal of these apparel brands and retailers. This study suggests that even an implied endorsement by Michelle Obama can cause women to seek out apparel brands and retailers, as a large majority of the women gave instances of when they have done just that after seeing Mrs. Obama in a certain type of clothing. This implies that apparel brands and retailers should look further into the impact of Michelle Obama, and how an implied yet formal endorsement by Michelle Obama might impact the sales and the overall image of their apparel and retail brands. As one of the first academic studies to explore the influence and appeal of Michelle Obama’s style, it also points to the pressing need for further research on the topic.

Although this research has made a valuable contribution to the scholarly literature, the limitations must be noted. For one, the majority of respondents were ethnic minorities, specifically African American. Therefore, future studies should consider more diverse population segments. Second, as the majority of women in the study were highly educated, the sample lacked socioeconomic diversity. Future studies with women from a lower socioeconomic level might confirm the major findings herein, or reveal very different themes. Third, since the participants in this study resided in the southeast region of the United States, it would be advantageous if future studies examined whether women from other geographical regions share the same views as the ones in the present study. Lastly, for this qualitative study, data was solely collected from in-depth interviews. However, given the prevalence of blogs and websites that have solely focused on Michelle Obama’s fashion, further studies should examine data from websites dedicated to the fashion of Michelle Obama. Future research could utilize a comparative analysis of the fashion and social influence of Michelle Obama versus former first ladies.