A new tux is one change Barack Obama didn’t believe in during his presidency, Michelle says
By rjoseph1
Global News
Posted June 9, 2017 5:21 pm EST
Updated June 9, 2017 5:33 pm EST
2 min read
This article is more than 7 years old and some information may not be up to date.
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama smile at each other as they wait to greet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe at the North Portico of the White House as they arrive for a state dinner, Tuesday, April 28, 2015, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin).
Barack Obama wore the same tuxedo jacket for years and no one noticed… except his wife.
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Michelle Obama made the announcement while talking at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference this week where she was speaking about women in technology.
She told people that women constantly face a double standard, especially when it comes to fashion.
“Now, people take pictures of the shoes I wear, the bracelets, the necklaces — they didn’t comment that for eight years, he wore the same tux, same shoes,” she said, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
“This is the unfair thing — you talk about Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers — no matter what we do, he puts on that same tux.”
It’s reminiscent of the time when an Australian news anchor wore the same suit for a year, as an experiment to see if anyone noticed.
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Karl Stefanovic told Australia’s Fairfax Media that while no one asked about his suit, people regularly commented about and criticized the outfits worn by his female co-host Lisa Wilkinson.
The mayor of Coquitlam, B.C., did the same thing just last year.
Michelle said her husband was always pleased about how little time it took him to get ready.
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“He was proud of it too, he was like, ‘Mm! I’m ready. I’m ready in 10 minutes. Mmm — how long did it take you?'” she said.
While she was first lady, she was regularly criticized on her appearance and her style, right from the beginning when she decided to wear a sleeveless shirt.
“Obama’s Choice to Bare Arms Causes Uproar,” a headline from ABC news in 2009 reads.
Since then, she’s become something of a fashion icon, with people still chronicling her fashion even though she’s out of office.
In honour of her words, here’s a look at her evening wear, compared to her husband’s, throughout all the years they lived in the White House.
2009 – Year 1: Barack in a tux and Michelle in silver dress
FILE – This Feb. 22, 2009 file photo shows then-president Barack Obama joined by first lady Michelle Obama walking toward the East Room of the White House for entertainment following a dinner with the nation’s governors in the State Dining Room, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari,File)
2010 – Year 2: Barack in a tux and Michelle in blue gown
First lady Michelle Obama, left, adjusts then-president Barack Obama’s suit as they wait for the arrival of Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his wife Margarita Zavala at the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 19, 2010, for a State Dinner.
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
2011 – Year 3: Barack in a tux and Michelle in fiery red evening gown
This Jan. 19, 2011 file photo shows then-president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the North Portico of the White House in Washington as they wait the arrival of China’s President Hu Jintao for the State Dinner. Michelle Obama is wearing a fiery red gown designed by Alexander McQueen.
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, file)
2012 – Year 4: Barack in a tux and Michelle in blue
Former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama arrive in the North Portico to welcome Britain’s former prime minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha Cameron to the White House prior to a State Dinner, Wednesday, March 14, 2012, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
2013 – Year 5: Barack in a tux (this time with a white tie) and Michelle in ruby-colored chiffon gown
FILE – In this Jan. 21, 2013 file photo, then-president Barack Obama bows as he and first lady Michelle Obama, wearing a ruby-colored chiffon and velvet Jason Wu gown, get ready to dance at the Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington.
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
2014 – Year 6: Barack in a tux and Michelle in black and blue
Former first lady Michelle Obama, left, and then-president Barack Obama welcome former French president François Hollande for a State Dinner at the North Portico of the White House on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, in Washington.
(AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
2015 – Year 7: Barack in a tux and Michelle in a blue lacy gown
Former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama smile at each other as they wait to greet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe at the North Portico of the White House as they arrive for a state dinner, Tuesday, April 28, 2015, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin).
2016 – Year 8: Barack in a tux and Michelle in a navy blue patterned dress
Former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama pose for a photo with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau at the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 10, 2016, as they arrive for a state dinner.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo