State dinners come rarely—only eight so far in the Obama administration’s six years—and there’s always heady anticipation for what modern fashion icon Michelle Obama will wear for the grand evenings. On Tuesday night, FLOTUS stepped out for the White House State Dinner honoring Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a flowing, flowery, deep purple Tadashi Shoji gown. The dress, estimated price tag $800, was a customized version of a look from Shoji’s fall 2015 show deemed a “safe sartorial choice” by Los Angeles Times fashion critic Booth Moore.

Clearly, there’s much obsession around the question of how Obama comes up with these much-photographed looks. We managed to learn a bit about how it works: The process for becoming the selected designer usually begins after Fashion Week, when Michelle Obama, and her long-time stylist, Meredith Koop, are on the lookout for outfits that might be suitable for events on her calendar. Potential designers are often contacted by Koop and asked to sketch looks or send dresses and, as the choice nears, they’re often given specifications as to how a certain dress should be modified to be more appropriate for the first lady. Designers are rarely, if ever, notified beforehand as to whether Mrs. Obama will actually wear one of their gowns—she is known for making her own fashion decisions, based on how she feels she looks in a particular dress—so they often receive the news when the rest of us see the reveal. As for payment, some of the dresses are gifted to the first lady, and accepted on behalf of the U.S. government, according to the first lady’s press secretary Joanna Rosholm. Those gowns are stored by the National Archives and often go on display at a future date; as any museum-goer in the city knows, the Smithsonian’s display of first lady dresses is one of its most popular stops. Other dresses, though, are paid for privately. The White House has no comment on which dresses were gifted and which required payment—so unless we see Michelle Obama sporting some of these same dresses as a private citizen come January 2017, we may never know.

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As the Obama presidency heads into its final stretch, here’s a quick look back at the first lady’s state dinner hits—and misses.

The Dress: Indian-American designer Naeem Khan was the lucky designer who dressed FLOTUS for her very first state dinner, for India. The metallic strapless column dress featured sterling silver appliqués.

Price tag: In an interview after the event, Khan called the dress “priceless,” although most of his gowns retail between $8,000 and $15,000.

Review: The dress signaled what was to come from Obama, in terms of her sartorial sense. It showed she could be classy and fashion-forward, and that she wasn’t afraid of showing skin.

The Dress: An electric blue, one-shoulder gown with rhinestone belt by Peter Soronen was the look of choice for the Mexico State Dinner.

Price tag: Soronen’s gowns retail in the $400-$700 range.

Review: The shimmery fabric combined with the bold rhinestone belt made the whole thing skew a tad Vegas, but the one-shoulder design kept it from going over to fashion’s dark side.

geometric draping, a bright orange-red palette and a bold floral pattern.

Price tag: McQueen gowns typically start at around $3,000, but with the jacquard fabric, draping and detail, this one would likely hover in the neighborhood of $7,000 to $8,000.

Review: While the dress was stunning, with the color and unique shape adding even more style points, Obama received more flack for wearing this McQueen than she has for anything else during her husband’s presidency. She was publicly criticized for wearing a non-American design house (McQueen is British) to the China State Dinner by several U.S. designers, including Oscar de la Renta and Diane von Furstenberg. FLOTUS responded to the negativity by saying: “Look, women, wear what you love. That’s all I can say. That’s my motto. I wear what I like.” Nipped the whole Dressgate thing in the bud.

The Dress: FLOTUS returned to one of her favorite designers, Naeem Khan, for the dress she wore to the German State Dinner. With a v-neck and a straight column shape, the silhouette was simple, but the elaborate silver beading on the cream fabric made it stand out.

Price Tag: With all of the hand-beading, we’d estimate this to be one of Khan’s pricier gowns, likely $15,000.

Review: A safe choice is always cream, and the cut ensured Mrs. Obama’s favorite feature, her arms, were front and center.

The Dress: For South Korea’s state dinner, FLOTUS returned to her old favorite, one-shoulder look, this time from Korean-American designer Doo-Ri Chung. The magenta dress came with a crystal belt.

Price Tag: The gown was customized for Obama, which typically jacks up the price, but Chung’s gowns still don’t often break the $5,000 mark. “Doo. Ri,” the designer’s signature line, makes a knockoff of the dress in green or white for $2,100.

Review: The flattering jewel tone served Mrs. Obama well, but the repeat one-shoulder-with-belt look made it a little snoozy.

The Dress: FLOTUS again went for a jewel tone, only this time from American fashion house Marchesa, whose lead designer, Georgina Chapman, is British, and therefore a perfect fit for the England State Dinner. The teal, off-the-shoulder gown was pleated on the top, with shoulder detail.

Price Tag: Marchesa gowns aren’t cheap—most start at around $6,000 and can go all the way up to $20,000.

Review: Obama again stuck close to her jewel-tone comfort zone, but it was refreshing to see a different silhouette for once. The fitted bodice was especially flattering. However, it was the layers of blue, gray and silver pearl necklaces by Tom Binns, and the diamond and geode earrings by Kimberly McDonald, that truly made the outfit the modern marvel it was.

The Dress: FLOTUS opted for a bold and glam Carolina Herrera ballgown at the state dinner for France’s François Hollande. Big, blue taffeta skirt on the bottom, with giant pleats, and a lacy, darker blue top with three-quarter sleeves—she looked elegant, mature and refined.

Price Tag: The cost of the dress was $12,000, but it is one of the state dinner gowns that has been acknowledged as a donation.

Review: The dress wasn’t exactly what we have come to identify as Obama’s usual traditional-with-a-modern-twist style; it was just traditional, without the twist. Still, for fans of the drama that a ballgown with a train can bring, the Herrera wins points.

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