t was the moment
everyone had been
waiting for. World
I leaders had gathered in
Strasbourg to discuss
the war in Afghanistan, and there
was only one question on everyone’s
lips: who would wear a better dress,
Michelle Obama or Carla Bruni?
The ‘Michelle seen in new shoes
shocker’ headlines have reached fever
pitch, with newspapers and
magazines scrambling to break
‘exclusive’ news of Michelle’s toned
arms (really, how does she do it?), or
Samantha Cameron’s latest highstreet
purchase. Which leaves us
asking just one question (no, not,
which branch of M&S has that polka
MICHELLE OBAMA:
INSIDE HER MIND
NOT HER
WARDROBE
There is far more to Michelle Obama than
cinched-in waists and toned arms.
Kate Graham explores the life and achievements
of America’s First Lady
dress in stock?): why are women in
politics represented as clothes horses
instead of thinking, intelligent beings?
The fascination with style wouldn’t
be quite so hard to stomach if it applied
to men too, but when did you last
read a four-page article on Todd
Palin’s penchant for open-collared
shirts, as opposed to the more
traditional shirt/tie combo? Or an
indepth discussion on who has the
best shoes: David or Gordon?
Clearly, such coverage would be
laughable, so why is it so acceptable
for Michelle to be viewed entirely
through a fashion lens?
The obsession with style over
substance isn’t new. Over the years,
exhibitions have been dedicated to
Margaret Thatcher’s fashion – our
first, and only female Prime Minster’s
greatest accomplishment, surely? –
and lawyer Cherie Blair took a
hammering by the press in 2003 for
daring to open her own front door in
a nightgown. Looking tired. Horror.
As one of the world’s most
powerful women, Michelle has fallen
victim to fashion-first coverage. Of
course it’s great to see that power can
also equal glamour, but when this
coverage is at the cost of genuine
insight into her work and her mind,
the balance needs to be addressed.
Stephanie Himel-Nelson, director
of new media for Blue Star Families,
who has met and worked with the
First Lady several times, describes
Michelle as “a people person, equally
comfortable with families, children
and heads of state.” She adds: “It
annoys me when the media focuses on
Mrs Obama’s physical appearance to
the exclusion of her accomplishments.
That’s something women face all too
often and it’s frustrating.”
A�STAR�IS�BORN
Michelle’s stratospheric rise from
working-class girl to White House
star is nothing short of extraordinary.
Born into a poor family in Chicago,
her one-bedroom home was so tiny
that the living room had to be divided
to give her and her brother
Craig somewhere to sleep.
Their father suffered from
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