Michelle Obama wears rare casual look for Annie Leibovitz photo
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Michelle Obama is continuing to show different facets of her post-White House freedom with a rare casual look at herself – in a T-shirt and jeans.
The former first lady took to social media Friday, Nov. 21, to share a photo taken by Annie Leibovitz in honor of the famed photographer’s new edition of her photo book, “Women.”
Dressed down in a dark gray henley shirt, lightly distressed blue jeans, a brown leather belt and complementing brown heeled suede boots, Obama’s eyes are closed peacefully as her braids flow in the wind for the photo.
“@AnnieLeibovitz has always known that a photo can do more than preserve a moment — it can say something,” she wrote in the caption. “Her book Women did exactly that, expanding how we see women and the lives they lead through her lens. It was an honor to be photographed by Annie for the new edition, capturing the many ways women are showing up today.”
Obama, 61, has been embracing her style in recent months on the press tour for her fashion memoir “The Look,” which chronicles iconic moments from her tenure as first lady during husband and former President Barack Obama’s two terms in the White House.
Though casual looks were a rarity as first lady, she’s incorporated denim, sequins, bright colors and more into her wardrobe in recent years. She recently donned jeans at a live taping of her “IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson” podcast during the 2025 Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival in August. She also rocked double denim with an oversized jacket and cuffed jeans for her interview with Robin Roberts aired earlier this month.
Obama got candid on the complications of her fashion journey during an interview with People published Oct. 28. “I purposefully did not talk about fashion and beauty during the eight years in the White House,” Obama told the magazine. “I was afraid it was going to take over everything.”
Obama, who made history as the first African American woman to serve as first lady, also reflected on the cultural tightrope she had to walk as a Black woman holding the office. “I felt that I had to make sure that people could see my feminine side,” she said.
In 2022, Obama shared that she wanted to wear braids during her tenure but decided not to because Americans were “not ready” and she preferred the focus be on the Obama administration’s policies, not her hairstyle. “It was a complicated assignment. The role of first lady is a kind of job, non-job,” Obama told People. “You know that you’re supposed to be inspirational, yet accessible. You should be uniquely yourself, authentic, but representational at the same time.”
Obama has made positive headlines since leaving the White House for her candor on her podcast and on her book tours, as well as for her style.
For her latest book tour, working alongside longtime stylist Meredith Koop, she’s donned looks from Chanel, Loewe, Balmain and more.
Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
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