Head of states might be calling the shots when it comes to politics, however, it’s the first ladies who win the world over with grace and style. As China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan’s impeccable looks stole the spotlight at the much anticipated Xi-Trump summit this week, we take a look at some of the most stylish stateswomen of our times.

Diana developed a “very glamorous regal style” for overseas trips, for example, that paid homage to the host nation. She wore a dress emblazoned with gold falcons, an emblem of Saudi Arabia, during a trip to that country. This fashion diplomacy clearly reverberates in the legacies of Kate Middleton and Michelle Obama, for example, who often wear clothing that salutes to their guests' home countries.

Mrs. Obama’s dress choices were often labeled “sartorial diplomacy” and “democratic,” and they were that; she made something of an art out of pairing designers with countries during state dinners or trips, wearing, for example, Mr. Khan, an Indian-American designer, to the India state dinner, and Mr. Ford, an American designer then based in London, when she dined with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

As the Obamas get ready to leave the White House on January 20th, their legacy has become a topic of interest nationally and internationally. Michelle Obama, the United States’ first black First Lady, has spearheaded and organized numerous successful initiatives in the past eight years [...] While the First Lady’s initiatives domestically should not be understated, it is her most recent program that has, and will continue to have, the largest global impact.

When Michelle Obama entered the White House, she had to contend with two onerous legacies. The first was a stale clutter of expectations and prohibitions about the proper role of The First Lady. The second was a cluster of stereotypes deeming black women unfit for any such role. [...] People were busily projecting negative stereotypes onto Michelle Obama from the moment her husband began campaigning. ​

First Lady Michelle Obama has been meeting with key stakeholders -- accompanied by daughters Sasha and Malia -- to promote her Let Girls Learninitiative and address the institutional and cultural barriers preventing 62 million girls worldwide from receiving an education on an overseas trip including Liberia, Morocco, and next, Spain. The most star-studded event on her trip took place Tuesday, when the Obama girls spoke to a group of local adolescents in a panel discussion featuring Meryl Streep and Frieda Pinto in Morocco. 

Michelle Obama plans to promote her year-old global girls' education initiative during upcoming stops in Liberia, Morocco and Spain on what could be her final solo overseas excursion as first lady. The White House announced Wednesday that the three-country trip is booked for June 27-July 1. Her travelling companions are daughters Malia and Sasha, and her mother, Marian Robinson.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are looking forward to having an April 22 birthday lunch with Queen Elizabeth and a dinner with Prince William and Duchess Kate. [...]  “This is certainly is an important part of public diplomacy, but I think it will be one of the more pleasant aspects of the trip that the president is certainly forward to.”