2010s' most iconic outfits by first families: Michelle Obama's Tom Ford number, Barack’s tanned suit and Melania’s ‘don't care’ parka
While it has been an all-important decade for the ever-changing political landscape of the United States, with two presidents along with their first families - who could not have been more different in almost every sense - residing at the White House, it has also redefined the fashion world.
For the first time in history, first families became responsible for launching the careers of up-and-coming designers, get attacked by political rivals due to their choices of outfits and make controversial statements through them.
While first ladies Michelle Obama and Melania Trump mostly shouldered the burden of stunning us with their iconic looks across the decade, their spouses and children also pitched in at times.
As we inch toward the 2020 election cycle, here is a look back at the last decade and some of the unforgettable outfits donned by members of the first families:
First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner (2010)
Michelle Obama did not overnight become the style icon she is today. She took her time finding her footing in the fashion world. The first time the former first lady gave us all a glimpse of the fashionista inside her was when she stunned in a Prabal Gurung dress at 2010's White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, which she paired with Sutra Jewels gold raspberry tourmaline cuff and Bochic earrings.
The flattering dress was one of those few times in her initial years as POTUS' better half that she was not afraid to show some skin and her outfit perfectly complimented her curves.
Michelle Obama at Buckingham Palace (2011)
Michelle, who preferred sticking to American fashion and emerging designers like Jason Wu, Christian Siriano, and Brandon Maxwell, and was lauded for it, opted for designer Tom Ford when it came to visiting the Buckingham Palace in 2011 in an outfit which has gone down in history as one of the most iconic dresses donned by a first lady.
The outfit did get drawn into a bit of a controversy years later, in 2017, when Tom Ford - a self-admitted Democrat - said on national television that he would not dress Melania Trump for President Donald Trump's inauguration.
"She's not necessarily my image," he said on 'The View'. "Even had Hillary won, she shouldn't be wearing my clothes. They're too expensive, and I don't mean that in a bad way...but I think to relate to everybody, you shouldn't be [wearing such pricey clothes]."
He explained why Michelle had been an exception to his rule. "Michelle, I dressed once when she was going to Buckingham Palace for dinner with the Queen, and I thought that was appropriate," said Ford. "I live in London so that made sense, and it was an honor."
Michelle Obama at White House Correspondents' Association Dinner (2012)
Keeping her style flawless as usual, Michelle opted for a whirlpool of eye-catching colors as she donned a multi-colored strapless ballgown by Naeem Khan. She accessorized the look with a pair of studded, hoop earrings and opted for a wispy, retro hairstyle.
Michelle Obama at the presidential inaugural ball (2013)
No one was left in any doubt regarding Michelle's unabashed endorsement of Jason Wu after she picked an outfit by the designer yet again for her husband's second and final inaugural ball. The second time around, it was a long halter-neck ruby chiffon custom gown with velvet detailing. She paired it with an armful of sparkly bangles, Jimmy Choo shoes, a ring by Kimberly McDonald and Kimberly McDonald for Forevermark Diamond bangles.
President Barack Obama's tanned suit at White House briefing (2014)
The current president's political scandals have led the House of Representatives to start an impeachment inquiry against him and former President Barack Obama's tanned suit which he wore to a White House briefing in 2014 has become a fond reminder of the simpler times when our commander-in-chief's lack of fashion sense was America's biggest problem.
Nevertheless, the so-called "tan suit scandal" did not go down well with the fashion police as well as the Republicans at the time. While style gurus chastised him for wearing a summer suit to a briefing, his political rivals, as well as the right-wing media, overanalyzed his choice of the outfit by shunning it as "unpresidential."
Michelle Obama at state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping and wife Peng Liyuan (2015)
When Vera Wang offers to customize a ball gown for your curves, you know you have made it in the fashion world. The former first lady's state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping's wife Peng Liyuan was that occasion.
Although Michelle usually chose more colorful and conservative gowns for state dinners with high profile guests like other world leaders, in 2015 she opted for a black Vera Wang number with gauzy, off-the-shoulder straps and a super-fitted mermaid skirt, which perfectly accentuated her toned body.
Michelle Obama at state dinner with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore and wife Ho Ching (2016)
Brandon Maxwell, a designer who rose to prominence after being favorited by Lady Gaga and later chosen by A-list celebrities like Naomi Campbell, Karlie Kloss, Kerry Washington and Kate Hudson, got the opportunity to dress the first lady for the arrival of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore and his wife Ho Ching at the White House for a state dinner in 2016.
Needless to say, the dress in question - custom, strapless ivory sponge crepe gown with a dramatic neckline that flowed into a split train - went down in history as one of the iconic dresses ever worn by Michelle.
"A very proud moment," wrote Maxwell on Instagram at the time. "It has been an incredible honor for me and my team to create this dress for the First Lady. Strong and elegant, she is the embodiment of the woman that inspires me to create, and a role model for women all over the globe. I am very thankful for this opportunity."
Melania Trump at the Freedom Inaugural Ball (2017)
Come 2017, with a new POTUS at the White House enters first lady Melania Trump and how! The former Slovenian model collaborated with French-born designer Hervé Pierre with a vanilla silk crepe off-the-shoulder gown with a slit skirt, a ruffled accent from neckline to hem and a claret ribbon around the waist.
The dress now sits in a glass box at Smithsonian's First Ladies Collection of past inaugural frocks, after Melania donated it at a ceremony held the same year at the National Museum of American History in Washington.
Melania Trump's visit with migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border (2018)
Although Melania wore an array of spectacular gowns in 2018, not a single one topped the kind of controversy and social media memes created by a single jacket of hers. It wasn't so much about the $39 army-green parka.
It was more about the words, "I really don't care, do u?" emblazoned on the back with white paint that sparked a heated debate over what it signified, especially because she wore it to a June 2018 trip to visit with migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border in the wake of her husband's already unpopular "zero-tolerance" immigration policy that separated more than 2,500 immigrant minors from their parents or caregivers.
In an interview following the backlash over her choice of overalls, Melania clarified that it was "obvious" the jacket's message was not "for the children," but instead, was aimed at "the left-wing media who are criticizing me."
Ivanka Trump's visit with female police cadets in Bogotá, Colombia (2019)
The Johanna Ortiz dress Ivanka Trump wore while visiting female police cadets at General Santander National Police Academy in Bogotá, Colombia made headlines after she suffered an unfortunate fashion mishap while posing alongside the country's vice president Marta Lucia Ramirez and minister of national defense Guillermo Botero.
With no fault of her own, but more of Mother Nature, her sleeves flared up in the wind, which created giant circles of fabric, making her look hilarious during the photo op. Needless to say, social media users were not forgiving as they trolled the first daughter after the incident.