In January 2026, social media posts claimed former first lady Michelle Obama urged shoppers to avoid "white-owned" or "white" brands. Some users framed the alleged remark as an "anti-white boycott."
For example, one Facebook post (archived) claimed that "Michelle Obama says she is mindful to try to avoid white-owned brands and others also should be," while another (archived) stated she was "criticized for comments about avoiding 'white brands.'"
In a similar tone, one Threads post (archived) claimed, "Michelle Obama tells people to boycott white designers while wearing a skirt made by a white designer that costs more than most people's rent."
(Threads user @cali.maga.barbie)
Versions of the claim circulated on multiple social media platforms, including X, Reddit, Facebook and Instagram, often paired with a short clip of Obama discussing shopping and fashion designers.
In short, Obama said she tries to be intentional about supporting designers who are people of color and encouraged viewers to think about the "balance" of who they support through what they buy and wear. But social media posts created the claim that she told people to avoid or boycott "white brands" — wording that does not appear in the clip of Obama's discussion about clothing. In the video, Obama talks about being mindful and supporting designers of color, not boycotting "white brands." For that reason, we rate the claim false.
What Michelle Obama actually said
Michelle Obama's remarks came from a Jan. 19, 2026, Storehouse & Friends conversation titled "Michelle Obama on Style, Identity, and the Power of Self-Definition," tied to Obama's fashion book "The Look."
In the excerpt being shared, Obama says that if she learns a designer she likes is a person of color, she tries to "make it a point," and she encourages people to consider "who's in" their closet and who they're supporting:
If I hear of someone whose fashion I like and I know that they're a person of color, I try to make it a point. But the clothes have to be available. […] You know, I think we can all do some more to think about that balance in our wardrobes, you know? What does our closet look like and who's in it? Who are we supporting in it? You know, and I think if you have the money to buy Chanel, then you have the money to buy everybody. And so let us be mindful, I think would be my advice.
The clip does not include Obama telling people to "avoid" or "boycott" white brands, and that framing appears solely in commentary added by social media users.
Broader context of the remarks
The longer segment the clip comes from (starting at 39:26) is titled "Supporting designers of color: what everyday women can do." It begis with the question: "What can everyday women be doing to support designers of color?" Obama responds (emphasis):
Oh, you know, the fashion industry, it's tough. It's a hard, hard business. You know, it really is. I mean, to develop and put out a line of clothes, I mean […] it is a tough business. And so, you know, I think we can be mindful, you know, and be knowledgeable about who is out there, who's doing good work, you know, and I think conversations like this what you're doing. I think it's, you know, if I hear of someone whose fashion that I like and I know that they're a person of color, I try to make it a point. But the clothes have to be available. Designers have to be able to keep their businesses in line long enough to have their stuff on the shelves.
She then added that budgets are a constraint for many shoppers, saying: "You know, so everybody's on a budget. We are struggling in this economy right now. Designers of color are the first people to get hit. Women, smaller businesses, people who have not been established, who can't weather the storm."
Below is the broader context for a second portion of the quote that circulated online (emphasis ours):
You know, that we have a balance in who we wear, what we do. And I still try to do that. Look, I've worn Chanel. You know, I've worn Sergio Hudson. And I've worn J.Crew, and Target. And I think even as we are thinking about our strategies and our looks. You know, I think we can all do some more to think about that balance in our wardrobes, you know? What does our closet look like and who's in it? Who are we supporting in it? You know, and I think if you have the money to buy Chanel, then you have the money to buy everybody. And so let us be mindful, I think would be my advice.
In other words, Obama was talking about being intentional about who you support — not urging people to avoid or boycott "white-owned" brands.
Additionally, some social media users said Obama's outfit undercut her point, claiming the skirt in the clip was a $1,185 design by Emilia Wickstead, who is white. We couldn't independently verify the exact item, though the skirt she wore appears similar to Wickstead's "Lorelei" green-check skirt listed on the brand's website for $1,185. However, Obama's comments in the clip focused on being more intentional about supporting designers of color rather than calling for a boycott of white designers.