Michelle Obama appeared during night two of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in a stunningly deconstructed sleeveless suit, an iconic decision for several reasons.
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00:00Remember sleeve-gate? When her husband was in office, critics of then-First Lady Michelle
00:05Obama pounced on her decision to wear sleeveless outfits, calling it informal, unprofessional,
00:11and disrespectful.
00:12This may have been one of the most talked-about moments from last night. Michelle Obama and
00:17her sleeveless dress.
00:19This criticism seemed like, among other things, thinly-veiled envy of her toned arms, especially
00:24since many First Ladies before her wore sleeveless styles without backlash. Despite this history,
00:29Michelle appeared during night two of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in a stunningly
00:35deconstructed sleeveless suit, an iconic decision for several reasons.
00:40Something wonderfully magical is in the air, isn't it? Yeah."
00:47Not only is Michelle making it abundantly clear that she will wear whatever she wants,
00:52her look totally met the moment. As fashion critic Vanessa Friedman wrote for The New
00:56York Times,
00:57"...it was both understated and edgy, kind of armorial. This was going to be a fight,
01:02her tunic and her speech suggested, and everyone should gear themselves up to get out the vote."
01:07And Women's Wear Daily said that the outfit, which also featured Jimmy Choo scarlet pumps,
01:11quote, "...brought futuristic flair to the DNC."
01:14The icing on the cake? Vice President Kamala Harris' night one outfit appeared to be a
01:19direct reference to the tan suit controversy Barack Obama endured a decade ago.
01:24"...it did not show the seriousness of purpose that you need from a commander-in-chief."
01:29And even better? The color of Kamala's chloe-pants suit, according to the designer's website,
01:33was coconut brown.
01:36Unsurprisingly, it didn't take the internet long to point out the not-so-subtle style
01:42messages. One ex-user posted,
01:44"...Michelle Obama's Montse reconstructed suit is perfect, bearing her arms plus a reimagining
01:49of a men's suit. What a statement!"
01:52Another added,
01:53"...Kamala said yesterday that Michelle Obama needs to come out in a sleeveless dress. I
01:56think she heard him, and today she did. Kamala with the tan suit was the chef's kiss. They're
02:01trolling the Republicans real bad."
02:04As NPR reports, Michelle's outfit retails for $2,500 and was from Montse's 2025 resort
02:10collection. But this wasn't a case of the former first lady using fashion to flaunt
02:14her wealth. As The Times reports, Montse is an independent fashion label founded in 2015
02:19by Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia of Oscar de la Renta, and the choice to wear the lesser-known
02:24brand was meant to highlight entrepreneurship, the melting pot, and the American dream.
02:30"...the dream that our parents and grandparents fought and died and sacrificed for."
02:37But the choice to go with Montse was also meant to, simply put, make Michelle look amazing.
02:42Garcia told The Washington Post,
02:44"...Laura and I just want to make women look empowered, but hot."