Abstract
AbstractGiven keen national interest in the fashion sense of First Lady Michelle Obama, few studies have examined the appeal of the first lady’s style and if her example influences women to modify their styles and shopping behaviors. To address this paucity in the research, the purpose of this study was to explore the impact of Michelle Obama’s apparel choices on women. To address this purpose, ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who follow Michelle Obama’s fashion and rated her style as appealing. Qualitative analysis of the interviews revealed three themes: (1) relating through authenticity, (2) permission to defy norms, and (3) brands and the impression of endorsement. Findings reveal that Michelle Obama’s apparel choices make her relatable to everyday women. Participants noted that the first lady’s fashion choices gave them permission to challenge fashion norms for women, and adjust their personal styles. Lastly, several retail brands were thought of more positively by participants, given Michelle Obama’s implied endorsement.
Highlights
“Previous first ladies seemed to feel the need to wear a sort of uniform, whereas Michelle Obama likes fashion and is very comfortable in fashion
The Relating through Authenticity theme entails how Michelle Obama’s fashion choices cause her to be viewed as genuine and relatable by participants
The findings suggest that Mrs Obama’s style makes her more relatable to women, and causes them to view her role as first lady positively
Summary
“Previous first ladies seemed to feel the need to wear a sort of uniform, whereas Michelle Obama likes fashion and is very comfortable in fashion. Websites, and news sources that have chronicled her clothing and style choices, there is evidence that Michele Obama is making her Matthews et al Fashion and Textiles (2015) 2:26 mark on fashion, just as Anna Wintour suggested. Using a qualitative research design, the purpose of this study was to assess the appeal of Michelle Obama’s style, and determine the specific impact her apparel choices have made on women. To address this purpose, the perspective of women who were admirers of Michelle Obama’s fashion was examined. The perspective of this group was assessed since these women would be well versed in her past and present fashion choices
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