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"Every First Lady is put under a microscope, but the lens has been especially sharply trained on Michelle Obama, argues Kate Betts, a former editor of Harper&amp;amp;#8217;s Bazaar and the author of Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style. &amp;amp;#8220;Everything she does becomes a point of discussion, from the kitchen garden to the belts to the ballet flats.&amp;amp;#8221; Betts became interested in writing the book as a way to understand the public&amp;amp;#8217;s fascination. &amp;amp;#8220;In America, we think style and substance have to exist in separate worlds. But Michelle changes that equation. She&amp;amp;#8217;s made a real statement about femininity and making that acceptable in the workplace.&amp;amp;#8221; We spoke with Betts about the First Lady&amp;amp;#8217;s fashion sense. What was Mrs. Obama&amp;amp;#8217;s first big fashion moment? &amp;amp;#8220;At the Democratic National Convention, the night she made her speech. That bold, turquoise, snug sheath dress [far right] made a very strong statement. I remember thinking, Wow, this woman has great style. She&amp;amp;#8217;s letting her style speak for her&amp;amp;#8230;something a lot of women in power are afraid to do.&amp;amp;#8221; How has her style evolved? &amp;amp;#8220;There are some signatures: always the same shoes, the belts, and she loves bright colors. But I think her look during the campaign was a little more playful, and she&amp;amp;#8217;s grown up a bit in the past year into more sophistication.&amp;amp;#8221; The President&amp;amp;#8217;s approval ratings are down. What does that mean for the First Lady? &amp;amp;#8220;Well, her popularity remains pretty high, though of course there are grumblings of &amp;amp;#8216;Enough with the fashion; when will she do something?&amp;amp;#8217; But Michelle&amp;amp;#8217;s style mantra is feeling good about yourself, dressing well and taking care of yourself. That&amp;amp;#8217;s still inspiring women all over the country.&amp;amp;#8221;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/fashion/2011/02/michelle-obamas-fashion-legacy-how-stylish-should-a-first-lady-be>