I don’ t think Michelle was overpaying. From what I have read, she has paid little or nothing for most of her First Lady wardrobe. In fact, the Obamas are simply not wealthy enough to pay retail for couture clothing.
There has been much speculation about the arrangements made with fashion designers to obtain clothing for Michelle.
But simple is right— she looks best in tailored items with simple lines. Some patterns can also be slenderizing— it all depends.
I’ve heard/read that some designers offer to design clothes for the 1st ladies just to get their stuff seen-but in return, the 1st lady actually does not get to keep the clothes-there was a big fuss over that when Nancy Reagan was 1st lady and wore all those beautiful designer outfits.