Michelle Obama deserves a great big thank you for making politics fashionable again. She’s been a breath of fresh air in the Beltway; transforming the traditional first lady uniform of staid ensembles and gumball-sized pearls to showcasing the latest trends, and highlighting emerging designers. It doesn’t matter where you stand politically, none of us can resist following her fab sense of style. The ease with which she creates these chic and comfortable ensembles is something that’s (thankfully) easy to copy and work into our own closets. The way she can pump up any outfit with an accessory is a great trick we can all use; even if you’re a jeans-and-tee gal. Here, a few of her latest and greatest.

The Power of Pearls

Simple, understated and unabashedly chic, Michelle’s single strand of pearls (worn during the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh) was the finishing touch for this Thakoon dress. The key here is the length of the pearls — the longer the better — which also makes them versatile since they can be doubled up for a shorter, more substantial necklace.

Brooching the Subject

Brooches haven’t been this fashionable since, let’s just say, maybe 40 years ago. Michelle has a knack for accessorizing her outfits with unique pieces (here, wearing Rodarte’s orange lame dress) accompanied with not one, but a trio of brooches.

Loving the Layered Look

Michelle turns the little black dress into a big fashion moment thanks to long layered necklaces. Stones, beads and metal are all fair game. You can recreate this look by throwing together a few necklaces that you probably have in your jewelry box.