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Michelle Obama‘s inauguration outfit was incredibly meaningful - find out why

The former first lady stunned in a deep plum and burgundy Sergio Hudson look.


michelle obama© Photo: Getty Images
Brandi Fowler
Fashion and Lifestyle Writer
Updated: January 22, 2021
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Michelle Obama made the Twitterverse - and us - go wild when she stepped onto the stage of the U.S. Capitol Wednesday for Joe Biden’s inauguration.

RELATED: Kamala Harris’ purple outfit made a poignant statement at Biden Inauguration 

With her hair styled sleek in voluminous curls, the former first lady wowed in a stunning Sergio Hudson look - a deep plum coat over a black turtleneck tucked into flared trousers in a berry hue that were cinched with a matching purple and gold statement belt.

michelle barack obama inauguration© Photo: Getty Images

Twitter went wild as soon as they caught the first glimpse of Michelle and Barack 

But Michelle's outfit also had a special meaning. The color is one of the official colors of the suffragist movement (purple, white, and green are the colors of the flag). Michelle's stylist, Meredith Koop, completed the look with Stuart Weitzman suede boots, a black Christy Rilling Atelier face mask, and black leather gloves.

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“I want Michelle Obama’s coat so I can wear it to the end of the driveway and back,” one person tweeted. “The hair is laid; the outfit is on point. Michelle Obama came to slay, yass!,” another chimed in. The comments not only continued into the night but again on Thursday. 

michelle inauguration© Photo: Getty Images

Michelle stunned in a Sergio Hudson look

Fashion lovers and Michelle’s fans simply could not get over her inauguration look, which deserved a round of applause when she walked down the steps hand-in-hand with former president Barack Obama. And for good reason. Not only did it ooze sophisticated - and effortless glam - the ensemble also had a special meaning behind it. It was a style statement that made a statement in so many other ways as well. 

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For starters, the Becoming author chose to rock a look by a black designer, as did Vice President Kamala Harris, who wore a purple coat and matching dress by Christopher John Rogers. Putting the spotlight on a black designer on such a monumental stage was huge on its own.

RELATED: Everyone is talking about Ella Emhoff’s Miu Miu Inauguration Coat

To do that during a time when there has been a huge push for the support of black creators and brands made that moment even more special. 

michelle barack obama© Photo: Getty Images

Michelle and Barack walked hand-in-hand down the U.S. Capitol steps 

it wasn’t just Michelle who chose to wear the special color, though. If you noticed, Kamala and Hillary Clinton both wore purple too.

For the suffragettes, purple represented “the color of loyalty, constancy to purpose, unswerving steadfastness to a cause,” according to the National Park Service. It also stood for “royalty and the royal blood that flows in the veins of every suffragette, the instinct of freedom and dignity.”

Wearing purple is also used to indicate bipartisanship for Inauguration Day, considering that it’s a mix of Democrat blue and Republican red.

Although Michelle didn’t confirm her reason behind her color choice, one thing is for sure: it’s a style moment that we won’t soon forget.

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