Michelle Obama Styles Her $3,700 Bottega Veneta Bag With Baggy Cargo Pants and Slingback Pumps
The former First Lady elevated her casual outfit with sleek accessories.


Michelle Obama's latest outfit, which combines a cute Bottega Veneta bag with baggy cargo pants, perfectly encapsulates the former First Lady's post-White House style.
Obama—whose stylist is Meredith Koop—has been cultivating a brand new aesthetic since her husband's presidency ended. On Thursday, April 17, the former-FLOTUS was photographed in Los Angeles with her brother, Craig Robinson, who also just so happens to be her new podcast co-host. For the outing, Obama carried a Bottega Veneta Small Arco Intrecciato Leather Tote Bag in black, which retails for $3,700.
The Becoming author wore an almost entirely olive green outfit. She matched her cardigan to a V-neck sweater in the same shade, while her baggy cargo pants, which were cuffed above her ankles, were a lighter khaki green. Obama completed the sleek outfit with brown slingback pumps and gold knot earrings, while she wore her long hair in a ponytail.
Michelle Obama carrying her Bottega Veneta bag.
Of course, Obama isn't alone in her love of baggy pants. Rihanna regularly makes a case for wearing cargo pants, while Jennifer Lawrence has proven parachute pants to be extremely wearable. Marie Claire editors even earmarked lightweight cargo pants as one of their spring essentials for 2025.
The host of IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson has mastered the high-low outfit, managing to take her presidential wardrobe to a more relaxed, yet still designer, place. Recently, Obama attended SXSW where she nailed boho-chic in a Western-inspired matching set by French label Rabanne, and invoked the '90s with a braided mohawk. Obama is also comfortable in a safety pin Versace suit or a futuristic pantsuit when the situation calls for it.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.
-
Youn Yuh-Jung Didn't Want to Make Another American Movie—Then Came 'The Wedding Banquet'
The Oscar winner shares why the LGBTQ+ rom-com hit close to home and the message she hopes it sends to ''conservative'' Koreans.
By Quinci LeGardye
-
The 17 On-Sale Beauty Finds I’m Stocking Up on Ahead of Summer
From glowy blushes to the all-time best sunscreen.
By Brooke Knappenberger
-
My Incredibly Picky Mom Told Me Every Beauty Product She Wants for Mother's Day
Shopping made easy.
By Samantha Holender
-
Michelle Obama Lassos Spring 2025's Zestiest Color Trend at SXSW in a Western Matching Set
She seems ready for the 'Cowboy Carter' tour.
By Halie LeSavage
-
Michelle Obama Delivers a Georgia Speech in Her Most Relatable Campaign Trail Outfit Yet
She wore an unusually causal outfit on the campaign trail.
By Kelsey Stiegman
-
Michelle Obama's Armor for a Battleground State Speech With Kamala Harris? A Theory Suit
The look was polished and purposeful—while matching with VP Harris.
By Halie LeSavage
-
Michelle Obama Makes a Rare Red Carpet Appearance in a Safety Pin Versace Suit
Between this Versace and her DNC look, she's on a suiting streak.
By Danielle Campoamor
-
All the Must-See Fashion Moments From the 2024 Democratic National Convention
From Kamala Harris’s "coconut tree" suit to Michelle Obama's futuristic power set.
By India Roby
-
Michelle Obama's Futuristic DNC Pantsuit Represents Hope in the 2024 Election
"The exhilaration of once again being on the cusp of a brighter day," said the Former First Lady.
By Kelsey Stiegman
-
Michelle Obama Wears Purple to Biden-Harris Inauguration
The former First Lady showed her support on Wednesday in a magenta-hued jacket.
By Neha Prakash
-
Why Wearing Purple on Inauguration Day Is So Significant
Wondering why iconic women from Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton to Kamala Harris are wearing purple for the 2021 inauguration? It's a symbolic gesture.
By Sally Holmes