Michelle Obama says her fashion as first lady had to be as versatile as her daily schedule — from delivering major speeches to digging in the White House garden with children. Now, in her new book “The Look,” written with longtime stylist Meredith Koop, she chronicles how her wardrobe became a tool for connection, communication and empowerment.

Speaking Wednesday at Sixth & I in Washington, Obama reflected on how she balanced public scrutiny with practicality. “I was concerned about, ‘Can I hug somebody in it? Will it get dirty?’” she said. “I was the kind of first lady that there was no telling what I would do.”

Throughout her eight years in the White House, Obama became a global fashion icon while spotlighting emerging designers. Her inaugural gown — a white, one-shoulder chiffon dress by then-unknown Jason Wu — helped launch his career. “We realized everything we did sent a message,” she said. “So that’s what we were trying to do with our choices — to change lives.”

Her style often carried meaning. At the Obama administration’s final state dinner in 2016, she wore a rose-gold chain mail gown by Versace. “That was kind of an ‘I don’t care’ dress,” she said with a smile. “It’s the last one. I put that on and thought, ‘This is sexy.’”

But sometimes, her choices were purely practical — like the maroon pantsuit she wore to President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration, just two weeks after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. “I wanted to be able to move. I wanted to be ready,” she said, noting she had thought about the possibility of danger that day.

Obama also reminisced about the White House’s East Wing, once the hub for her initiatives on military families, girls’ education and healthy living — now demolished by former President Donald Trump to make way for a ballroom. She described it as “a joyful place full of apples, children, puppies and laughter.”

“We never thought of the White House as our house,” she said. “We were caretakers. But every president has the right to do what they want in that house — so that’s why we’ve got to be clear on who we let in.”

“The Look” was published earlier this month and explores Obama’s evolution from the South Side of Chicago to one of the world’s most-watched women — and how her clothing told a story of strength, identity and accessibility.

The AP contributed to this report.