Michelle Style: All About the First Lady's Fashion

Michelle Obama has a bachelor's degree from Princeton and a law degree from Harvard and is an accomplished career woman who gave it up to be a mother to her two daughters. There are many reasons to admire and respect our first lady, but, based on the media buzz, her accomplishments at work and at home seem to pale in comparison to one thing -- her clothes.

Barack Obama had barely begun his presidential run when people began to take note of his wife's signature style, and by the end of his successful campaign, Michelle was a full-blown fashion icon. Fashion insiders and regular folks alike obsess over her every wardrobe move, analyzing her infamously bared arms, trendy accessories, color choices and go-to designers. For better or worse, all of this attention has even landed Mrs. Obama the dubious distinction of coming in at No. 93 on Maxim's "Hot 100" list.

It comes as no surprise that writer Mandi Norwood decided to harness all of this fashion-related energy into a book called 'Michelle Style' (Harper Collins), which hits bookshelves May 5. In the book, Norwood thoroughly examines some of Obama's iconic looks (like her white Inauguration gown by Jason Wu or the purple Mario Pinto sheath she wore when her husband accepted the Democratic nomination) and offers a breakdown of "What Mrs. O Knows" about fashion. Hint: Mrs. O knows a lot. And there is a lot that the average woman can learn from her, like how to rock cool accessories, blend bold colors and modernize classic silhouettes.

The College Survival Guide

A Fridge
Regardless of whether you have a wonderful sized meal plan, your fridge may come in handy with leftovers or when you feel like stocking it with bottled drinks.

Computer
The convenience of a computer is essential when sending your kids off to college. Forget the hike to the computer lab across campus students need a computer in the comfort of their room. A printer comes in handy as well. Depending on whether your child plans to carry his laptop around campus, you might opt for a desk top since they're lighter on the pockets.

Snacks
You will surely survive with off of a meal plan but it doesn't hurt to stock up on snacks when you don't feel like leaving your dorm room. Bottled water, pop corn, cereal and Ramen noodles are all low budget snacks to stock up on. Just be weary of the freshman 15.

Things from home
Some college students suffer from homesickness the first year. It's best to surround yourself with things like photos of the family, pillows or even stuffed animals. Anything that reminds your child of home.

MP3 Player
With all the stress that comes from school and exams, sometimes it's nice to block out the chaos in your life and even your roommate with music. It's nearly impossible to find students walking to class who aren't jamming to tunes.

Budget
Students who enter college often come in at the ripening age of 18. A great time for credit cards. Parents beware, your child may end up ruining their credit at a young age

Alarm Clock
When you're in college you don't have the luxury of getting awaken by your parents. It's now your responsibility to get to class on time so alarm clocks are a must. But keep your roommate in mind. You shouldn't wake him up ever morning with a blow horn alarm.

Cleaning supplies
Now you don't necessarily need to bring in the rubber gloves, mop and gas mask but it doesn't hurt to bring along Clorox all purpose wipes for spills or dust. Vacuums and brooms come in handy too depending if you have a carpeted dorm.

Bedding
What most parents aren't aware of is that most college beds are twin sized but extra long and require special sheets. When shopping keep your eye open for sheets that clearly state 'extra long' or else your child may come up short.

Shower shoes
You really don't know what some people do in the shower these days. College showers are known to be creeping with germs so spare yourself the fungus and purchase flip flops for the shower. You'll thank us later!

'Michelle Style' also features original design sketches and quotes from several designers like Carolina Herrera, Obama-fave Isabel Toledo, Nicole Miller and Isaac Mizrahi, who referred to Michelle as "our shining hope for the future." Clearly, that's a lot of pressure to put on one single first lady -- even if it's only clothes we're talking about -- but that's just how exciting she is to those in the fashion world and beyond.

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