--- title: Michelle Obama: See the First Lady's Best State Dinner Style description: As Michelle Obama enjoys her final state dinner as first lady, here's a look back at some of her most memorable state dinner outfits canonical: https://time.com/4535384/michelle-obamas-fashion-state-dinner/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-10-18T19:01:20.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:59:25.084Z article:section: Politics og:title: See a Brief History of Michelle Obama's Flawless State Dinner Fashion og:description: Including the amazing Vera Wang mermaid dress she wore for China’s state dinner in 2015 og:url: https://time.com/4535384/michelle-obamas-fashion-state-dinner/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt25156876ad181d9a/6988aa7d8e0601fc03467e33/michelle-obama-state-dinner-03.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Obama Hosts Chinese President Hu Jintao For State Visit At White House og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: See a Brief History of Michelle Obama's Flawless State Dinner Fashion twitter:description: Including the amazing Vera Wang mermaid dress she wore for China’s state dinner in 2015 twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt25156876ad181d9a/6988aa7d8e0601fc03467e33/michelle-obama-state-dinner-03.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # See a Brief History of Michelle Obama's Flawless State Dinner Style > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=633133b9-5e5c-49cd-8739-0a2f5859d0c3&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Oct 18, 2016 7:01 PM UTC  Barack Obama (R) shakes hands with Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) as Michelle Obama looks on as they pose for the official photo at the Grand Staircase of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan.19, 2011. Barack Obama (R) shakes hands with Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) as Michelle Obama looks on as they pose for the official photo at the Grand Staircase of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan.19, 2011. Alex Wong—Getty Images by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Oct 18, 2016 7:01 PM UTC As Michelle Obama tucks into [velvety pasta pillows and beef tenderloin](http://time.com/4535276/president-obama-white-house-dinner-menu-mario-batali/) with her husband Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and various high-profile guests at Tuesday night’s state dinner, here’s a look back at some of her most memorable [state dinner fashion](http://time.com/6860/michelle-obama-wows-in-carolina-herrera-dress-at-state-dinner/). The first lady has hosted 14 state dinners in total, including India in 2009, Mexico in 2010, Korea in 2011 and the Nordic countries in May this year. Her most notable FLOTUS fashion statements include the amazing [Vera Wang mermaid dress](http://time.com/4051103/michelle-obama-first-lady-vera-wang-gown/) she wore for China’s state dinner in 2015 and the ivory column gown designed by Lady Gaga’s former stylist Brandon Maxwell that she debuted for dinner with Singapore’s Prime Minister earlier this summer.  Barack Obama and Michelle Obama walk out to the North Portico to welcome India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur to the state dinner at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 24, 2009. Susan Walsh—AP  Barack Obama and Michelle Obama welcome Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his wife Margarita Zavala to the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 19, 2010. Gary Fabiano—Getty Images  Barack Obama (R) shakes hands with Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) as Michelle Obama looks on as they pose for the official photo at the Grand Staircase of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan.19, 2011. Alex Wong—Getty Images  Barack Obama (R) and Michelle Obama arrive to greet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband Joachim Sauer (not in picture) at the North Portico of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 7, 2011. Jewel Samad—AFP/Getty Images  Barack Obama, center right, and Michelle Obama, center left, greet Lee Myung-bak, president of South Korea, foreground center right, and Kim Yoon-ok, First Lady of South Korea, foreground center left, at the North Portico of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 13, 2011. Joshua Roberts—Bloomberg/Getty Images  Barack Obama and Michelle Obama await the arrival of British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife, Samantha Cameron, prior to a state dinner as part of an official visit on the North Portico of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 14, 2012. Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images  President Francois Hollande of France are greeted by Michelle Obama and Barack Obama as he arrives at the North Portico for a state dinner at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 11, 2014. Nikki Kahn—The Washington Post/Getty Images  Akie Abe (L) and Michelle Obama walk to a state dinner in the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 28, 2015. Brendan Smialowski—AFP/Getty Images  Barack Obama (R) and Michelle Obama (2nd-L) welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd-R) and his wife Peng Liyuan (L) to the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 25, 2015. Jim Watson—AFP/Getty Images  Michelle Obama (2nd R) and Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau walk to a state dinner at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 10, 2016. Brendan Smialowski—AFP/Getty Images  Michelle Obama touches the chin of Barack Obama as they await the arrival of guests at the state dinner while participating in the U.S.- Nordic Leaders Summit at The White House in Washington, D.C., on May 13, 2016. Chris Kleponis—Picture-Alliance/dpa/AP  Michelle Obama and Barack Obama wait for the arrival of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore and his wife Ho Ching on the North Portico of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 2, 2016. Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images  Barack Obama and Michelle Obama walk outside to greet Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Italian First Lady Agnese Landini prior to the state dinner at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 18, 2016. 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