Once Barack Obama’s tenure as U.S. President came to an end, his and his wife Michelle Obama’s lives have grown in different ways. However, despite an end to his political career, Barack and Michelle are still not completely free of public scrutiny.
Their personal decisions and fashion choices are still judged with similar intensity, and recently Michelle opened up about the kind of hypocrisy she and Barack faced when he was the President.
In a November 2025 interview with PEOPLE, Michelle Obama talked about her own style and the criticsm that both she and her husband faced for their fashion choices while being at the White House. She spoke about one choice of Barack in particular, the infamous tan suit that he wore as the President in 2014.
During a White House press conference that year, Barack Obama appeared in a light beige suit. The choice was criticised thoroughly as critics felt that the color was too casual, especially given the press conference’s serious topic, military policy.
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While the backlash was almost instant, Michelle mentioned that she loved the suit. “I loved that tan suit!” she said in an interview with People, describing her reaction the first time Barack wore it: “When he had it on, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, you look so cute.’” Once controversy swirled, she told him, “Oh, you got clocked for that one. Welcome to my world”.
Many argued that the suit projected weakness during a critical moment in U.S. foreign policy. The seemingly minor fashion controversy became a headline-grabbing “scandal.” Yet, other presidents had worn similar outfits without the choice being criticized harshly. Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Dwight Eisenhower all sported tan suits, but their fashion choices rarely drew the kind of attention and hate that Barack’s did. The critics’ double standard was clear.
Michelle also had to go through similar scrutiny as the First Lady. Her sleeveless dresses and braided hairstyles made headlines, even though past first ladies, like Jackie Kennedy, had already worn similar looks. For most of her White House years, Michelle kept her hair straightened, worried braids might draw a little too much attention and seem distracting.
But she set a new precedent at the unveiling of their official White House portraits 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,’” she explained.
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Being the first Black family in the White House meant the Obamas were always on their toes about their public image. Every wardrobe choice of theirs was scrutinized. Michelle wanted to feel comfortable, but she was also aware of the fact that her outfits were making statements, sometimes even sparking debate. Therefore, in her years of being at the White House, she had to restrain herself from dressing freely or styling herself the way she wanted.
Barack, meanwhile, became cautious after the tan suit uproar. Since then, for major public events, he’s stuck with classic dark suits. When the couple attended the portrait unveiling, Barack opted for charcoal gray, a safe, presidential choice.
Looking back, many see the commotion over a tan suit as ridiculous. Michelle agrees the uproar was overblown. Today, both Obamas are relatively freer to be themselves. While their fashion choices are not constantly scrutinized, the couple faced a plague of divorce rumors after they made various solo appearances at different events and places.
However, Michelle herself has addressed those rumors and mentioned clearly that the divorce wasn’t happening between them. Despite the clarification, the Obamas continue to draw the spotlight for different reasons even after stepping out of American politics.
