Michelle Obama Reveals Why She Never Wore Braids in the White House — and the ‘Freedom’ They Bring Now

Michelle Obama, 61, is celebrating authenticity, confidence, and freedom as she prepares to release her new coffee table–style book, The Look, on Nov. 4. Nearly a decade after leaving the White House, the former First Lady says this new chapter in her life is all about self-expression. “This is the first time in my life when every decision I make is for me,” she shares.

In her latest project, Obama reflects on her evolving relationship with style — and particularly her hair — which she has proudly returned to wearing in natural, protective styles. “It’s freedom,” she says of her braids, her go-to look these days. “Braids allow me to get them done, and then that’s one less thing I have to think about. When I’m out of the public eye, I am swimming, I am playing tennis, and braids represent that kind of freedom for me.”

Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Obama recalls how braids once gave her the freedom to move without worry. In The Look, she shares stories and images from her natural hair journey, including a photo of her with cornrows as a college student at Princeton — a symbol of both confidence and individuality.

During her time in the White House, however, Obama says she hesitated to wear braids publicly. “I wasn’t sure whether the country was ready for it,” she explains. At the time, laws like the Crown Act — which protects against race-based hair discrimination — had not yet been passed. “Just like fashion, I didn’t want my hair to become a distraction.”

Years later, when she appeared at the official Obama portrait unveiling in September 2022, she made a deliberate choice. “I understood the significance of wearing braids to our portrait unveiling,” she says. “I wanted to send a message, to add to the discourse of Black women in places of power, saying, ‘This too is an appropriate and beautiful way to wear your hair.’”

Her longtime hairstylist Yene Damtew — one of several creative collaborators featured in The Look — says, “Hair is one of the most important parts of a Black woman’s journey. It reflects who she is, how she feels, and the depth of her self-love in ways words can’t fully capture.”

Fellow stylist Njeri Radway agrees, emphasizing the power and professionalism of natural styles. “I was glad to be the one to help her embrace her natural side and show the world that braids are in fact professional no matter what societal constructs are placed on Black women,” Radway says, noting that certain braided styles can take up to 28 hours to complete. “Mrs. Obama wearing a braided hairstyle is a sense of freedom for both her and myself.”

For Obama, that freedom represents more than just style — it’s a statement of self-acceptance. “This is what we understand about our hair, as women of color — that the way our hair naturally grows out of our head is beautiful,” she says. “And if I want to wear it straight, if I want bangs, if I want braids, if I want them up, if I want to add a little color to it — let that be my business. Nothing is inappropriate.”