*This* Is How to Make an Hervé Léger Bandage Dress Look 2026 (not 2008), According to Michelle Obama

“Throwback within a throwback” is how Michelle Obama‘s longtime stylist, Meredith Koop, captioned an image of the former first lady’s most recent outfit. Translation: The look has not one but two different reference points. First, it included the same brooch Obama donned at the Democratic National Convention in August 2008, three months before her husband was elected president. Second, as Koop also revealed in her caption, the color of her teal Hervé Léger bandage dress paid homage to Kailua Blue, the ocean-hued china dinnerware used for Obama-era White House state dinners. Michelle Obama personally chose the color and named it after a town in the president’s home state of Hawaii.

Now that we’ve covered the fascinating backstory, let’s get to the key styling choice that ensured Obama’s outfit looked thoroughly modern. Hervé Léger bandage dresses peaked circa 2008, but adding the long-sleeve sheer layer under the dress made it look cool and contemporary. Don’t you agree? Scroll down to see what Michelle Obama wore for an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and compare it to her DNC look from 17 years ago.