Barack Obama: Eight Years Of Style And Grace
Barack Obama in 2010, donning a formal ensemble that looks just as good today as it did then - and years before.
Today America bids adieu to Barack Obama after eight years of progress. Eight years ago, our nation had endured the worst economic crisis since the great depression. While racial and class tensions have exacerbated in recent years, Obama has not made them worse, but has bought these issues to the forefront so that we can confront them. He has fought for progressive reforms while encountering countless roadblocks from congress (the opposite of progress) along the way. He has changed the social blueprint of the country, legalizing gay marriage, bringing health care to countless uninsured and improving access to birth control, to name several of his many accomplishments. Say whatever you will about his legacy, but Obama’s calm, cool and collected demeanor helped him achieve much more than most presidents could with such opposition. Plus, his presidency was scandal free, a feat in this day and age, no less for two terms.
Is this Brioni? I think not.
Moreover, Obama is a master in grace and presidential style Not just in comparison to the orange Brioni-wearing buffoon (man is too much of a compliment) who is his successor, but as he carries himself through life. Despite Obama’s unfortunate tendency toward dad jeans, he bought it on the style front in a way that no president since JFK had. He stuck to a wardrobe of crisp black and navy suits and paired them with classic ties and tailored topcoats during the colder months. The silhouettes he chose hung looser from the body than the slim-fit trend at the beginning of his first term, but they filled out his lean, lanky frame well and looked good on him when he moved. Not enough consideration is given to this latter point because a suit must complement the form when in motion. Too often - since loose suits have gone the way of the dodo - men will wear suits that look good at rest but too tight in action. Not Obama, who found his sartorial sweet spot as a junior senator and refined it as Commander in Chief.
And did Obama ever move gracefully. His effortlessness permeated everything he did. The way he walked and talked indicated a man sure of himself, a man who holds deep convictions and confidence in his every move, even his mistakes. There are few public figures whose articulation rivals Obama's and his charismatic rhetorical abilities helped keep the attention and win the hearts of the American public during his presidency. When watching clips of him, however, Obama is just as much a skilled listener and makes people feel important. His eye contact is unbreakable, his posture upright without being rigid. This is a man at ease around others, not a blubbering barbarian prone to 3A.M. Twitter rants.
A very young Barack Obama rocks a wide-brimmed hat better than you ever will.
Obama knew how to be casual when the occasion called for it, too. Though he looked most comfortable in a suit and tie, his sarong-wearing days as an undergraduate at Los Angeles’ Occidental College set the template for his breathable casual choices. Obama started on rough footing during his first term, where loose polos and the aforementioned dad jeans were his off-duty ensemble. By his second term he started sporting form-fitting polos and knits in dark, sophisticated colors.
Barack and Michelle Obama in 2013. His midnight blue tuxedo is on point, but doesn't outshine her dress. Perhaps the best-dressed presidential couple since JFK and Jackie O - and without the scandal.
At no point, however, did Barack upstage Michelle Obama's style, a sign that he knows when to shine and when to show restraint. Michelle was one of the most - perhaps the most, alongside Jackie O - beautiful and stylish First Lady to date. Much like her husband, she carries herself with grace and dignity. When spotted together, they appear the ultimate power couple not in a contrived way like celebrities, but in a genuine way in that they seem to bring out the best in each other. Though she's said she won't run for president in 2020, so many of us hope she'll change her mind.
Lest we enter sartorial and personal doldrums over the next four years, it’s worth taking Obama’s style and mannerisms to heart: To act with confidence, to carry one in grace and style and to let actions speak louder than words. Barack, we’re going to miss you. Thank you for making our lives better than they were eight years ago.