Michelle Obama covers the this month's issue of American Vogue looking graceful as ever. In the cover story, Andre Leon Talley highlights Mrs. Obama's exceptional character as well as her fashion sense. He also addresses the flack that Mrs. Obama caught for her election night dress.

Some critics made noise about the plain black cardigan the First Lady-to-be wore on November 4 in Grant Park over her Narciso Rodriguez dress. She is unrepentant: "I'm not going to pretend that I don't care about it," Mrs. Obama says of the criticism. "But I also have to be very practical. In the end, someone will always not like what you wear—people just have different tastes. Some will think that a sweater was horrible, [but] I was cold; I needed that sweater!"