I really appreciated Ed’s post a few days back about the double standard women leaders face on the wardrobe issue.

It’s true that Michelle Obama’s clothes garnered a disproportionate amount of attention during this recent Europe trip.

And let’s be honest:  she looked fantastic.  Her clothes were gorgeous, and so is she.  It makes me proud that our nation’s First Family is so stunningly attractive.

And I don’t have a problem with the press being interested in this — or any other — First Lady’s style.

My problem is when the coverage focuses on style at the expense of substance.

Because Michelle Obama is a fabulous role model for girls and women around the world — from little girls growing up on the South Side of Chicago and wondering what their futures will hold… to young women who’ve made it to Ivy League schools and worry about how to combine a high-powered career with marriage and a family… to the hundreds of millions of girls and women around the world whose societies and cultures tell them every day that their lives are worth less than those of boys and men.

Where is the coverage of what she said in Europe, instead of simply how she looked?  Why do we know more about her designers than about anything she actually did while overseas?

Here’s part of the speech the First Lady gave at the all-girls Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Language School in London:

You are the women who will build the world as it should be. You’re going to write the next chapter in history not just for yourselves, but for your generation and generations to come.

And that’s why getting a good education is so important. That’s why all of this that you’re going through — the ups and the downs, the teachers that you love and the teachers that you don’t — why it’s so important, because communities and countries and ultimately the world are only as strong as the health of their women. And it’s important to keep in mind a part of that health includes an outstanding education.

The difference between a struggling family and a healthy one is often the presence of an empowered woman or women at the center of that family.

The difference between a broken community and a thriving one is often the healthy respect between men and women who appreciate the contributions each other makes to society.

The difference between a languishing nation and one that will flourish is the recognition that we need equal access to education for both boys and girls.

And this school — named after the U.K.’s first female doctor, and the surrounding buildings named for Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, Mary Seacole, the Jamaican nurse known as the black Florence Nightingale, and the English author Emily Bronte — honor women who fought sexism, racism and ignorance to pursue their passions to feed their own souls. They allowed for no obstacles; as the sign said back there, “without limitations.” And they pushed through without limitations to achieve their goals. They knew no other way to live than to follow their dreams. And having done so, these women moved many obstacles and they opened many new doors for millions of female doctors, and nurses, and artists and authors, all of whom have followed them.

And by getting a good education, you too can control your own destiny. Please remember that. If you want to know the reason why I’m standing here, it’s because of education. I never cut class. Sorry, I don’t know if anybody has cut in class. (Laughter.) I never did it. I loved getting A’s. I liked being smart. I liked being on time. I liked getting my work done. I thought being smart was cooler than anything in the world.

And you too, with these same values, can control your own destiny. You too can pave the way. You too can realize your dreams — and then your job is to reach back and to help someone just like you do the same thing.

History proves that it doesn’t matter whether you come from a council estate or a country estate. Your success will be determined by your own fortitude, your own confidence, your own individual hard work. That is true. That is the reality of the world that we live in. You now have control over your own destiny. And it won’t be easy, that’s for sure. But you have everything you need. Everything you need to succeed, you already have right here.

My husband works in this big office. They call it the Oval Office. In the White House, there’s the desk that he sits at. It’s called the Resolute desk. It was built by the timber of Her Majesty’s Ship Resolute, and given by Queen Victoria to the President at the time, who was Rutherford. And many American Presidents have worked from this desk — included Kennedy. And it’s an enduring symbol of the friendship between our two nations. And its name, Resolute, is a reminder of the strength of character that’s required not only to lead a country, but to live a life of purpose, as well.

And I hope in pursuing your dreams, you all remain resolute, that you go forward without limits, and that you use your talents — because there are many, we’ve seen them, it’s there — that you use them to create the world as it should be — because we are counting on you. We are counting on every single one of you to be the very best that you can be, because the world is big, and it’s full of challenges, and we need strong, smart, confident young women to stand up and take the reins. We know you can do it. We love you. Thank you so much.

Wow.  That’s an inspiring and powerful statement from an extraordinary role model.  And yes, she looks like a model too.  But it’s her leadership that should be the story, not her looks.