{"id":568,"date":"2026-06-18T22:38:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T22:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=568"},"modified":"2026-06-18T22:38:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T22:38:35","slug":"the-hottest-item-at-obamas-library-opening-a-tan-suit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=568","title":{"rendered":"The Hottest Item at Obama\u2019s Library Opening? A Tan Suit."},"content":{"rendered":"
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A star-studded crowd featuring (nearly) all living presidents gathered Thursday at the new Barack Obama library towering over Chicago\u2019s South Side to celebrate the 44th president\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Words Don\u2019t Matter\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Oh, and his fashion choice on a single day more than a decade ago.<\/p>\n

Ronald Reagan proclaimed: \u201cTear down this wall.\u201d George W. Bush grinned in front of a \u201cMission Accomplished\u201d banner. And Obama once wore a tan suit.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s ancient political history now, but 12 years ago Obama bounded into the White House briefing room for a press conference about ISIS in Syria. The national security news was overshadowed by the president\u2019s outfit.<\/p>\n

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For a younger generation that grew up after President Donald Trump took office, a tan suit might not even register as a blip on TikTok.<\/p>\n

But at the time, Fox News talked about it for days. Twitter (as it was known back then) erupted. And some of Obama\u2019s colleagues in Washington denounced it.<\/p>\n

Then-Rep. Peter King (R-NY) went as far as to call the fashion faux pas \u201cunpresidential.\u201d \u201cThe Audacity of Taupe,\u201d some proclaimed it. \u201cYes we tan,\u201d others joked.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, a who\u2019s who of A-list entertainers and political insiders attempted to resurrect the tan suit from the annals of forgotten history and reclaim it as a symbol of presidential competence \u2014 if this is still what qualified as scandal, imagine what the world would look like now.<\/p>\n

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Stephen Colbert is wearing a tan suit at the Obama Presidential Center grand opening! \ud83e\udd23\ud83d\udc99 pic.twitter.com\/6UWVkviisP<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jamie Bonkiewicz (@JamieBonkiewicz) June 18, 2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cHow y\u2019all like my tan suit?\u201d the Obama Foundation\u2019s board chair, Martin Nesbitt, beamed as he took the stage to address the crowd suited up in his own tan shade.<\/p>\n

Read more Lawmakers Say Education Department Changes Will Leave Students \u2018Lost\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was inspired by a very good friend of mine who made tan suits famous,\u201d Nesbitt said. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t know about the rest of you all, but I thought he looked pretty good wearing his. So I decided to wear one myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look good,\u201d Obama said later, pointing out Nesbitt\u2019s ensemble. \u201cThat is sharp.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,\u201d Nesbitt clapped back.<\/p>\n

In the audience were several celebrities who donned similar outfits: comedian Stephen Colbert, Rep. Bill Foster (D-Illinois), NBA legend Isiah Thomas, legendary television host David Letterman and even a few local politicians, including Illinois state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford.<\/p>\n

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While some of former first lady Michelle Obama\u2019s iconic outfits are on display in the new presidential center, Obama\u2019s tan suit doesn\u2019t make an appearance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason we don\u2019t have the tan suit is President Obama gave it away when he was cleaning out his closet,\u201d former White House adviser Valerie Jarrett told NPR<\/u><\/span> this week.<\/p>\n

NPR host Tamara Keith responded: \u201cThat means there may be a tall, skinny guy somewhere out there with an infamous tan suit in his closet who doesn\u2019t even realize it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Vance to Israel: Stop Criticizing Your \u2018Only Powerful Ally\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As supporters celebrate the two-term president, an infamous fashion choice springs back to life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-news"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Hottest Item at Obama\u2019s Library Opening? A Tan Suit. - Modern Home Journals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=568\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Hottest Item at Obama\u2019s Library Opening? 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