Michelle Obama is reclaiming her narrative—and her style—in her new book, ‘The Look’
“’The Look’ is about confidence, identity and the power of authenticity,” Michelle Obama’s new book comes out Nov. 4.
Michelle Obama has always understood what it means to live under a microscope and particularly what that microscope looks like when it’s pointed at a Black woman.
This week, the former First Lady announced “The Look,” a new book dropping November 4 that digs deep into her relationship with style, beauty, and self-expression.
“During our family’s time in the White House, the way I looked was constantly being dissected — what I wore, how my hair was styled,” Obama shared on Instagram. “For a while now, I’ve been wanting to reclaim more of that story, to share it in my own way.”
From the second she entered the national spotlight, Michelle’s body, hair, and wardrobe became a topic of conversation. Her bare arms were deemed unprofessional. Her love of color fashion was called unpresidential. And the conversation around her hair, whether it was straight, curled, natural, or pulled back, was always coded with exhausting racist undertones.
In “The Look,” Obama is flipping the script. Featuring over 200 photos—many never before seen—and intimate stories about the moments behind the fits, the book takes readers on a journey through her evolution, not just in fashion but in selfhood. From the campaign trail to state dinners to her post-White House glow-up in braids and wide-leg suits, the former first lady says the book is “a reflection on my lifelong journey with fashion, hair, and beauty.”
“I’m thankful to be at a stage in life where I feel comfortable expressing myself freely — wearing what I love and doing what feels true to me,” she continued. “And I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned along the way.”
To help her tell her story and bring readers behind the scenes, Obama tapped some of the many creative hands that contributed to her style evolution, like her longtime stylist Meredith Koop, hairstylists Yene Damtew and Njeri Radway, makeup artist Carl Ray, and some of the many designers behind some of her best sartorial moments.
“Obama’s intimate and candid stories illuminate how her approach to dressing has evolved throughout her life—from the colorful sheath dresses, cardigans, and brooches she wore during her time as First Lady to the bold suits, denim, and braids of her post-White House life and all the active looks and beautiful gowns in between,” the book’s synopsis reads.
“The Look is about more than fashion. It’s about confidence. It’s about identity. It’s about the power of authenticity,” Obama concluded her caption. “My hope is that this book sparks conversation and reflection about the ways we see ourselves — and the way our society defines beauty.”
“The Look” is currently available for pre-order on michelleobamabooks.com and wherever books are sold.