Former US President Barack Obama scored himself a subscriber cover of InStyle just in time for the release of his memoir A Promised Land. In the magazine feature, he shares an excerpt from his book and speaks about the most influential women in his life (of course that includes Michelle, Malia, and Sasha). But the navy Lululemon bomber jacket he put on to pose for photographer Shaniqwa Jarvis? Well, that’s a story in and of itself.
You might remember when Obama joined Joe Biden‘s campaign trail in late October and a video of him picking up a basketball and casually sinking a three-pointer went viral. It happened in the Northwestern High School gym in Flint, Michigan, and the whole scene, which Obama promptly posted on Twitter, even caught the attention of LeBron James.
When InStyle editor in chief Laura Brown invited Obama to take his portrait, she requested he put on his Lululemon best. “He was surprised by the ask: ‘I’ve got better jackets.’ When [interviewer Sandra Sobieraj Westfall] pointed out it was ‘that’ jacket, he grinned and said, ‘I showed some swag in that one.'” Brown shared the story with her followers upon revealing the cover, and just like that, this navy bomber jacket became a real treasure – although, in the case of the Obama family, it sort of already was.
According to Lululemon, the jacket was gifted to Michelle Obama when she visited Vancouver in 2018, but Barack has been wearing it ever since! While it’s no longer available – it’s from a limited-edition collaboration with Roden Gray – there’s always the chance it’ll be brought back now that we’re sure it won’t be the last time someone summons Obama’s presence in the swag coat.
Ahead, watch Obama sink his shot all over again, and see his now-iconic jacket in all its glory.
