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Michelle Obama Recreates Her Iconic ’80s Preppy Princeton Outfit And Talks About Having ‘Control’ In Her Marriage With Barack Obama

January 22, 2026 by Abigail Connolly

 
Splash News

Michelle Obama is on a roll with her trendy outfits as of late, and for a recent viral podcast appearance, she recreated a look from her past.

The former first lady made headlines this week after being a guest on the famous podcast, Call Her Daddy, where she not only answered some of the internet’s burning questions about her life and marriage, but also sported an outfit that was a nod to her days at Princeton University. One of the most notable parts of the episode, which didn’t take long to go viral on social media, was when she spoke about having “control” in a marriage and the ability to grow in a relationship. Read more about her look and episode below.

Michelle Obama Recreates An Outfit From Her Princeton Days For An Episode Of 'Call Her Daddy'

The mom-of-two has been extra busy these days, releasing a new book, The Look, based on her fashion journey and evolution, just before the start of the year. Since then, she's been stepping out for interviews, talk show appearances, and photoshoots while flaunting her elevated post-White House style.

This week, she made an appearance on Alex Cooper's infamous podcast, Call Her Daddy, a highly requested and anticipated episode. While talking to the host about a variety of topics, she sat in the chair across from her while wearing a subtle recreation of an outfit that she wore during her days as a college student at Princeton University. Michelle wore a pair of high-wasted denim jeans with a unique zipper down the front instead of buttons, and she paired them with a preppy white and striped button-down shirt. She had her sleeves rolled up and complemented the look with a red sweater vest.

During her interview, she acknowledged that the outfit was an updated nod to a photo of her as a student on campus during her book's press tour, calling it her "campus look 2.0." You can see the snap of her at Princeton here!

Michelle Acknowledges Having 'Control' In Her Marriage To Barack Obama

These days, it seems nearly impossible to talk to the Becoming author without asking her for an update or a glimpse into her personal life with former President Barack Obama, who has been enjoying his time out of the White House while taking on some philanthropic projects.

At one point, she talked about the ups and downs of married life, whether you're married to someone running for president or not, and how, at some point, you have to accept that you can't 'control' someone, even if you think you can.

"The only thing you can really control is you in the world," she said. "And even in my marriage now, you know, you go through the period of, 'I want him to be different.' I've grown to know I don't have control over him, just like he knows he doesn't have control over me."

Now that her book has been out for a little while, we'll be curious to see what else the iconic first lady has in store for the new year, and whether or not she'll be stepping out more with her famous husband at her side.

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