First Lady of China Peng Liyuan Style
Even Kate Middleton Could Take a Few Style Tips From China's First Lady
Image Source: Getty / WPA Pool
You've probably seen China's first lady, Peng Liyuan, before. Standing alongside Kate Middleton, Michelle Obama, and now Melania Trump at state affairs, she's hard to miss. In fact, Peng Liyuan's wardrobe is essentially a rainbow — she's a bold power dresser with a coat in every color. Oh, and the tricks she can pull off with a skinny belt? Let's just say she's been working Olivia Palermo-level styling tricks for quite some time.
While the 55-year-old politician (and contemporary folk singer!) doesn't routinely release details on her outfits, it's safe to say she's a woman with a smart sense of fashion, sticking to her sophisticated uniform of blazers, brooches, and dainty clutches — all of which she coordinates with gorgeous silk gowns.
Liyuan is one of Vanity Fair's best dressed, and she was also recognized as one of Porter magazine's 100 Incredible Women for spotlighting Chinese designers at perfectly appropriate events. With each appearance she makes, Peng Liyuan soars higher on our list of style icons. Read on for 50 solid reasons.
1 Peng Liyuan Plays up the Color of Her Separates With Accessories
Image Source: Getty / ED JONES
2 She Knows How to Pull Off a Busy Print
Image Source: Getty / MARK RALSTON
3 And Coordinates With Her Husband, President Xi Jinping, on the Regular
Image Source: Getty / AFP
4 She Looks Absolutely Lovely in Periwinkle
Image Source: Getty / AFP
5 But Pulling Off a Chartreuse Coatigan Is Just as Easy
Image Source: Getty / AFP
6 Ms. Liyuan Had a Handle on Peplum in 2013
Image Source: Getty / OMAR TORRES
7 And She Totes the Most Functional Bags When She's on the Go
Image Source: Getty / ALFREDO ESTRELLA
8 She's Got a Laid-Back, Casual Look Too
Image Source: Getty / ELIZABETH RUIZ
9 She Knows a Touch of Brown and a Smartly Knotted Belt Will Ground a Flouncy Peach Skirt
Image Source: Getty / Lintao Zhang
10 She Pulls Together Her Luxe Ensembles With Brooches
Image Source: Getty / SONNY TUMBELAKA
11 She Knows How to Break Up Her Over-the-Top Statement Coats
Image Source: Getty / AFP
12 The First Lady Got Her Hands on a Floral Jacquard Suit
Image Source: Getty / Pool
13 She Showed Off the Most Sophisticated Take on the Bomber Jacket We've Ever Seen
Image Source: Getty / Chung Sung-Jun
14 She Looks Elegant in Classic Chinese Styles, Like the Cheongsam
Image Source: Getty / ROLEX DELA PENA
15 Peng Liyuan Belts Her Scarves
Image Source: Getty / LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI
16 She Polishes Off Her Blouses With Eye-Catching Jewels
Image Source: Getty / STRDEL
17 And She Always Considers the Color Scheme of the Evening
Image Source: Getty / GREG BAKER
18 There Was That Time She Flashed a Metallic Pencil Skirt
Image Source: Getty / PETER PARKS
19 She Accents Her Embroidery With a Clutch
Image Source: Getty / MARK GRAHAM
20 Her Pieces Always Look Crisp and Clean
Image Source: Getty / WILLIAM WEST
21 Peng Was Wearing Oxford Heels and Tights Way Before Taylor Swift
Image Source: Getty / Feng Li
22 She Balances Her Grays With Touches of Teal
Image Source: Getty / Michel Porro
23 A Polka-Dotted Skinny Scarf? You Bet She Can Work It
Image Source: Getty / JEFF PACHOUD
24 At the End of the Day, the First Lady Knows the Power of an All-Black Look
Image Source: Getty / Sean Gallup
25 But She's Got Unexpected Tones in Her Closet, Too
Image Source: Getty / BENOIT DOPPAGNE
26 A Buttoned Blazer and Dress Is Never Enough
Image Source: Getty / THIERRY ROGE
27 Ms. Liyuan's Eveningwear Always Makes Her Glow
Image Source: Getty / BENOIT DOPPAGNE
28 And This Is Her Polished Take on the Denim Jacket
Image Source: Getty / NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
29 In a Sea of Dark Looks, Peng Is the Confident Style Stunner
Image Source: Getty / Feng Li
30 She Works Asymmetrical Cuts With Slitted Maxis
Image Source: Getty / MARK RALSTON
31 And Bedazzled Coats With Contrast Collars
Image Source: Getty / Hagen Hopkins
32 Peng's Summer Style Involves Her Light Separates and a Touch of Lime
Image Source: Getty / BAY ISMOYO
33 She Knows How to Play With Texture
Image Source: Getty / ALEXANDER NEMENOV
34 And How to Draw Eyes to Her Own Pretty Prints
Image Source: Getty / WANG ZHAO
35 The First Lady Loves a Good Cape
Image Source: Getty / Michel Porro
36 She Shows Us All the Best Way to Work Midnight Blue
Image Source: Getty / Chesnot
37 She Takes Style Risks by Mixing Unexpected Colors
Image Source: Getty / Jean Catuffe
38 And Makes the Case For Investing in a Two-Toned Coat
Image Source: Getty / WANG ZHAO
39 Peng Liyuan Knows the Regal Appeal of a Silk Robe
Image Source: Getty / Lintao Zhang
40 She Knows That Feminine Fabrics Are Best Balanced With Structured Tops
Image Source: Getty / MARK RALSTON
41 She Looked Extremely Sophisticated in Baby Pink Next to Michelle Obama
Image Source: Getty / Win McNamee
42 And Revealed the Most Gorgeous Billowy Blouse For a Walk
Image Source: Getty / MOLLY RILEY
43 All Eyes Were on Peng's Teal Gown at the 2015 State Dinner
Image Source: Getty / Pool
44 Even on the Plane, Peng Makes Style Statements
Image Source: Getty / TOBY MELVILLE
45 Her White Suit Is a Step Above the Rest With Its Subtle Bell Sleeves
Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby/Indigo
46 Peng Pulled an Olivia Palermo-Like Belt Trick When She Met the Queen of England
Image Source: Getty / WPA Pool
47 Her Outfits Aren't Complete Without a Little Something Extra
Image Source: Getty / FRANK AUGSTEIN
48 She Knows a Solid Fancy Outfit Never Has Too Much Shimmer
Image Source: Getty / Ben Pruchnie
49 And That Fringe Helps You Pull Off an Effortless Street Style Look
Image Source: Getty / PHIL NOBLE
50 The First Lady's Style Is Flawless — Especially When It's Tied Up With a Bow
Image Source: Getty / OLI SCARFF
