Obama goes shopping at Gap for Michelle, kids

Obama goes shopping at Gap for Michelle, kids

President Barack Obama took on a daunting task on Tuesday: shopping for clothes for his wife and daughters during a brief stop at a Gap store in New York before attending two Democratic Party fundraisers in the city.

At the store, he sorted carefully through sweaters in search of a purchase for one of his two daughters, Sasha and Malia, before holding up a pink one.

"I'm worried the V-neck is going to slip," the president said before opting for a regular-cut neck.

The president wound up buying two button-down, long-sleeve sweaters: one in light pink and the other a bright coral, both smalls. The cotton-blend items were made in China and cost $44.95 each.

Moving to the adult women's section, Obama declared wife Michelle difficult to shop for: "Maybe I should buy some socks."

Part-time salesclerk Susan Panariello recommended a hoodie for the First Lady, but the president said she doesn't like them.

He instead chose a slate-blue, medium athletic zip-up track jacket for Michelle, who has made no bones about her love for Gap's styles, once wearing a $10 t-shirt to a lunch with former First Lady Nancy Reagan.

The polyester-blend jacket, made in Vietnam, put him back $64.95. "It never hurts to bring something back when you've been on a road trip. You get points when you go home," Obama quipped after buying a warm-up jacket for wife Michelle and two long-sleeve sweaters for daughters Malia, 15, and Sasha, 12.

"I think the ladies will be impressed by my style sense."

He joked while sifting through the garments among roughly 20 shocked customers.

Carlene Whitney, a hotel housekeeper from Queens, described herself as simply "amazed" after bumping into him.

"He said 'today is a beautiful day to be in New York.' He shook my hand. I was amazed. He's more handsome in person. Very sexy," she gushed.

After picking a pair of sweaters and a blue workout jacket, Obama moved to the cash register, as reporters, photographers, aides, and Secret Service agents looked on.

The President paid $154.85 for his purchase, which included a light blue workout jacket for Michelle — size medium — and two button-down sweaters for his daughters, one coral and the other light pink.

Using a credit card to pay, Obama pretended that he did not know that he could sign his name on the credit card machine.

"Oh wow. So, you can sign the machine?" he said.

As reporters took note, Obama said he was teasing: "They had these around the last time I shopped."

Obama had dropped by a Midtown Manhattan branch of the clothing chain to thank Gap Inc for its decision to raise the minimum wage to $9 an hour this year and $10 an hour in 2015. He has been campaigning to persuade businesses and Congress to raise wages for workers at the bottom of the scale.

Obama then thanked Gap for raising the minimum wage for its employees and urged other companies to do the same.

"It's not only good for them and their families, it's also good for the entire economy," he said.