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As if Michelle Obama doesn't have enough cool cred, she's going to be the first sitting First Lady to ever attend SXSW. That's right, the FLOTUS is hitting the festival circuit. She's giving the opening keynote speech at SXSW Music today, and famous friends including Missy Elliott, Queen Latifah, songwriter Diane Warren, and actress Sophia Bush will join her.
What does festival style look like to a First Lady? Unclear. But Forever 21's festival collection isn't going to cut it, so here are some better options than cutoffs and a suede vest for Michelle Obama's SXSW wardrobe.
First up is a denim midi shirtdress from the First Lady's favorite mall retailer, J.Crew. It's paired here with blocky sandals and round sunglasses, and Michelle could finish the look off with a crossbody bag, a festival essential. (Here's a more colorful Gucci version). This look says "laid-back" and "where are we getting margaritas after I crush this keynote speech?"
J.Crew dress, $138; Schutz sandals, $160; Sun hat, $198; Asos sunglasses, $20.33; Chloe bag, $1890
Michelle knows her way around a dress, so here are three possible outfit options. Her sunny Narciso Rodriguez State of the Union dress inspired these option's colors. Would a First Lady ever wear Birkenstocks? Never say never. SXSW would be the time to do it.
Rosie Assoulin dress, $2690; Ancient Greek sandals, $260; Temperley London dress, $1273.32; Manolo Blahnik slide, $625; Marni dress, $1,544; Birkenstock sandals, $160
If she wanted to go with pants for the festival, maybe Michelle could just re-wear that outfit above. Kate Middleton does that all the time. If not, here's a culottes take on Jackie Kennedy's classic white pants and black shirt combo, paired with a tropical clutch for that festival flair.
J.Crew jeans, $89; Joseph shirt, $235; Vince sandals, $295; Lizzie Fortunato clutch, $475, Tom Ford earrings, $490