designers and had a playful sense of color and texture. After Barack’s election, I
was able to persuade her to move to Washington and work with me as a personal
aide and wardrobe stylist. Very quickly, she also became a trusted friend.
A couple of times a month, Meredith would roll several big racks of clothing
into my dressing room in the residence, and we’d spend an hour or two trying
things on, pairing outfits with whatever was on my schedule in the coming
weeks. I paid for all my own clothes and accessories—with the exception of some
items like the couture-level gowns I wore to formal events, which were lent to
me by the designers and would later be donated to the National Archives, thus
adhering to White House ethics guidelines. When it came to my choices, I tried
to be somewhat unpredictable, to prevent anyone from ascribing any sort of
message to what I wore. It was a thin line to walk. I was supposed to stand out
without overshadowing others, to blend in but not fade away. As a black woman,
too, I knew I’d be criticized if I was perceived as being showy and high end, and
I’d be criticized also if I was too casual. So I mixed it up. I’d match a high-end
Michael Kors skirt with a T-shirt from Gap. I wore something from Target one
day and Diane von Furstenberg the next. I wanted to draw attention to and
celebrate American designers, most especially those who were less established,
even if it sometimes frustrated old-guard designers, including Oscar de la Renta,
who was reportedly displeased that I wasn’t wearing his creations. For me, my
choices were simply a way to use my curious relationship with the public gaze to
boost a diverse set of up-and-comers.
Optics governed more or less everything in the political world, and I
factored this into every outfit. It required time, thought, and money—more
money than I’d spent on clothing ever before. It also required careful research by
Meredith, particularly on foreign trips. She’d often spend hours making sure the
designers, colors, and styles we chose paid proper respect to the people and
countries we visited. Meredith also shopped for Sasha and Malia ahead of public
events, which added to the overall expense, but they, too, had the gaze upon
them. I sighed sometimes, watching Barack pull the same dark suit out of his
closet and head off to work without even needing a comb. His biggest fashion
consideration for a public moment was whether to have his suit jacket on or off.
Tie or no tie?
We were careful, Meredith and I, to always be prepared. In my dressing
room, I’d put on a new dress and then squat, lunge, and pinwheel my arms, just
to be sure I could move. Anything too restrictive, I put back on the rack. When I
traveled, I brought backup outfits, anticipating shifts in weather and schedule, not