Consciously clothed: Michelle Obama used fashion as her mouth piece

In politics, the focus and discussion shifts between topics - from policies to the economy and other affairs. Another topic, usually reserved for female political personalities, is personal style.

While we cannot deny that the sartorial scrutiny of women in politics is riddled with underlying sexism (hands up if you remember the colour of the tie Trump wore on the night of the elections), Michelle Obama has consciously chosen to use her style to make powerful statements.

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The December issue of Vogue sees the US first lady gracing the magazine's cover for the third time. When asked in the interview about her fashion choices and the designers she loves, she responded: "There are definitely designers that I love, people I love to work with. And who they are as people matters. Are they good people? Do they treat their staff well? Do they treat my staff well? Are they young? Can I give them a boost?"

During her eight years in the White House, Obama has been one of the few first ladies who was not only seen - but heard - creating a public persona that won many people's hearts.

Throughout her career and mostly towards the end of her husband's term, it seems that the lawyer, who championed many causes, wore the kind of clothes that spoke very loudly to her own beliefs and values.

This was made clear during her endorsement speech of Hilary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention. With a speech focused on the importance of inclusivity, she chose a simple yet striking cobalt blue dress by Christian Siriano, a gay rights activist who designs dresses for women of various shapes and sizes in an industry that usually leaves them out. This dress helped Obama make a clear statement against Donald Trump's ideals.

Then last week, while pictures of the Obamas welcoming the Trumps to the White House made the rounds, the purple Narciso Rodriguez dress she wore to welcome Melania spoke volumes. On the one hand, the choice of colour showed solidarity with Clinton, who wore purple Ralph Lauren during her concession speech.

But she also chose to wear a dress from a designer of Cuban heritage, the descendant of immigrants. This sent a clear message of Obama's rejection of Trump's hateful rhetoric against immigrants.

For her final White House State Dinner, Obama made one of her biggest style statements yet in a show-stopping rose-gold Atelier Versace gown (pictured above).

Versace's new collection is described as being "all about a woman's freedom: freedom of movement, freedom of activity, freedom to fight for their ideas, freedom to be whomever you want to be."

In light of Trump's history of misogyny and sexism, the dress - reminiscent of a coat of armour - can be seen as a reminder of our need to continue the fight for our personal and universal freedoms.