Michelle Obama Reveals Barack Wore the Same Black Tuxedo for 8 Years and No One Noticed

Former first lady reveals 44th president used one black tie suit for two terms in office

By Samantha Schnurr Jun 08, 2017 4:00 PMTags
President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, TuxedosGetty Images

While all eyes were on Michelle Obama, Barack Obama had a not-so-hidden secret up his sleeve. 

Eight years after the fact, the former first lady revealed her famous husband wore the same tuxedo through two full terms in office—and no one noticed. "That's the unfair thing," Michelle told a crowd at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on Tuesday. "No matter what we do, he puts on that same tux."

The former FLOTUS proceeded to make a significant point about how fashion is covered differently for men and women. 

"Now, people take pictures of the shoes I wear, the bracelets, the necklace—they didn't comment that for eight years, he wore that same tux, same shoes," she pointed out as the crowd applauded her. 

Meanwhile, according to Michelle, the 44th president wore his suit in stride. "He was proud of it too, he was like, 'Mm! I'm ready. I'm ready in ten minutes. Mmm—how long did it take you?'" she recalled. 

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Michelle Obama's Best Style Moments, by the Year
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

As she pointed out, everything the former FLOTUS chose to wear for black tie events was heavily reported, analyzed and discussed. While Michelle became a full-fledged style icon in the course of her years in the White House (who can forget her final State Dinner sequin Versace gown?), not all of her viral moments were about her clothes alone. 

In 2015 while waiting to greet Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, the former first lady adjusted Barack's tie. The moment became an instant hit, memorialized in one signature photo. As she recalled for the crowd, they were standing at the North Portico of the White House waiting for their guests to arrive with a crowd of photographers waiting to capture their every move. 

"So we're standing there, waiting for the cars to roll in, and I was bored, so I sort of thought, 'Let me make sure my husband looks good,'" she explained.

Needless to say, they both did.