Michelle Obama is revealing one of her fashion secrets: She wears Spanx.
The first lady, who launched her anti-childhood obesity campaign “Let’s Move!” in 2010, made the shapewear admission Wednesday while speaking to students at a fashion education event at the White House.
{mosads}Noting the difficulty of starting a business, Obama mentioned the professional trials and tribulations of Spanx founder Sara Blakely. It wasn’t long before Obama declared her own love for the undergarments, meant to slim and trim bodies.
“We all wear them,” Obama said. She paused and exclaimed to laughs, “with pride!”
On its website, Spanx says it offers “an array of problem-solving products for every body type,” with a mission “to help women feel great about themselves and their potential.”
Obama’s slenderizing secret was disclosed in front of a crowd of high school and college students, as well as a high-profile pack of fashionistas and style gurus, including Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and designers Diane Von Furstenberg, Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, and Tracy Reese.
Ahead of Obama’s remarks, the students participated in a series of workshops to learn about the fashion industry.
Obama, wearing a navy sleeveless dress designed by a Fashion Institute of Technology student, told the young audience, “Fashion is about so much more than just a pretty pair of pumps or the perfect hemline. For so many people across the country, it’s a calling, it’s a career, and it’s the way they feed their families.”
Wintour, who introduced Obama, heaped heavy praise on the White House resident, saying, “The word that comes to mind when I think of the first lady is ‘nurture.’ ”