While we've taken note of former POTUS Barack Obama's decidedly laid-back aesthetic post-White House tenure—those unbuttoned shirts, the shades, the backwards hats, the, ahem, flip flops—we haven't truly given Former First Lady Michelle Obama her proper vacation style hat tip. Even when Barack was playing Instagram husband, it was more about the photo opp than the actual look on Michelle. But perhaps like so many of us before her, Michelle just needed to get to a proper vaca in Italy to truly shine. And shine she does, in a series of innovative shirting looks that have us wanting to skip summer dresses and go right to separates.

While spending the day in Del Campo square with Barack in Sienna, M'Obama sported distressed white jeans and a Teija one-shoulder striped cotton pink one-shoulder top, paired with simple white sandals, glam sunnies and a cross-body bag. This is vacation dressing at its finest—light, airy, carefree, la dolce vita in action. All that's missing is the gelato cone.

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The next day in Montalcino with friends, Michelle opted for another poplin top done well, this one in white by Club Monaco. She styled it with just one strap on, though the shirt has two. The Former FLOTUS is customizing her look and it's doing wonders for her—especially when worn with wide leg army trousers and round shades that would do Jackie O proud.

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Since leaving the White House the former president and first lady have taken a series of enviable, and very well deserved vacations—though Michelle wasn't too busy to stop and condemn the current administration for rolling back the changes to school lunch programs implemented during her husband's tenure. She, of course, donned some very chic shirting yet again (the white button-down is one of her staples) and a waist-cinching leather corset belt to do so. Having a strong moral stance and killer style are anything but mutually exclusive.

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From: Harper's BAZAAR US