First Ladies’ Style From Jackie Kennedy to Jill Biden: The World Is Watching
However integral image-making is to the success of politicians, most of America’s first ladies would rather not be remembered for their fashion choices. But regardless of party affiliations, fans and foes alike are fascinated by them, given how much time they spend parsing over photos and footage of inaugurations, campaign stops, state dinners, presidential debates, and other key appearances.
So much so that WWD reported in November 1915 that gowns were being made by Mme. C. Tomlinson Dare for the then-incoming President Woodrow Wilson’s wife, Edith Bolling Galt. And even before John F. Kennedy had secured his presidency, the fact that his wife Jacqueline and mother-in-law Rose had spent $30,000 annually for Paris couture and hats “with the election in mind” was front-page news in July 1960. And should the trilingual Kennedy become first lady, “she promises to be the most photogenic, fashion-conscious and chic occupant of the White House since Dolly Madison,” WWD reported.
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With the 2024 presidential election intensifying, WWD highlights some of the fashion hits and misses of first ladies since the 1960s.
Jackie Kennedy, 1961 – November 1963
Unquestionably the most stylish first lady with her often understated but assured selections, Kennedy inspired generations of women to follow her lead. The 31-year-old helped to personify the youthful spirit and hopefulness of her husband’s administration. Having attended Vassar College and the Sorbonne in Paris, she also brought an intercontinental influence to the White House. Kennedy’s understated style prompted thousands to adorn sheath dresses; bold-colored coats; sporty, understated styles, and pillbox hats. One of her debut looks was the elegant ivory-colored ultrachic Ethel Frankau-designed gown paired with a regal cape that she wore for the 1961 Inaugural Ball.
Her fondness for French designers like Balenciaga, Christian Dior and Givenchy had to be quelched in favor of a U.S.-based one. Oleg Cassini won a competition with “the most expert designers in the nation” to become Kennedy’s sole designer. For JFK’s swearing-in ceremony, she donned an A-length beige coat with fur trim at the neckline by Cassini, and a pillbox hat from the-then milliner Halston. Cassini, who designed 300-plus outfits for the first lady, once explained to WWD how comfort was integral to Kennedy. So much so that many of the streamlined designs were meant to feel as effortless as a T-shirt.
Kennedy referred to her formal White House wardrobe as her “state clothes,” but those polished clothes set the bar for how women wanted to dress, Stateside, and globally. Her influence on both the fashion industry and the press had such sway that Kennedy was dubbed “Her Elegance” by WWD. Partial to crewneck, bateau and other simple necklines, she often wore refined classic dresses with gloves and three strands of pearls. For an official visit to France in 1961, Cassini created a pink and white raffia dress and matching stole for the first lady. He also whipped up an apricot-colored sleeveless knee-length dress for a 1962 trip to India. Another showstopper was the two-piece Chez Ninon red ensemble that she chose for a televised tour of the refurbished White House on Valentine’s Day in 1962.
Lady Bird Johnson, 1963 – 1969
A die-hard Texan who had to live in Washington for more than 30 years as the consummate politician’s wife, she devoted her life to promoting her husband Lyndon’s image. She had what some would say was the misfortune of taking over the role of first lady from the widowed Jacqueline Kennedy. In addition to being 17 years older than Kennedy, fashion was not her forte. Johnson’s focus was on conservation, beautification, education, health and welfare and the arts. Although Johnson lacked Kennedy’s signature style, Lady Bird exited the White House as a surer, statelier woman.
She trimmed down to a size 10, learned to use flattering makeup that complemented her brunette updo, and chose bright-colored clothes that made her stand out in a crowd. Johnson also inched up her hem to a more becoming above-the-knee length. Johnson’s top designers were Adele Simpson and Mollie Parnis. Simpson once said of Johnson’s practical style, “She doesn’t travel with a maid so she likes a wardrobe that is easy to care for…she turned down a lot of cocktail dresses saying, ‘I love that dress but I don’t go anywhere…just state dinners and the ranch.’”
As first lady, she always traveled with Carmen curlers to keep her coif just so, but she never managed to keep her stockings from sagging at the ankles. After a day of glad-handing, Johnson told WWD in a 1968 interview, “Yes, I can look fresh in the morning. But it’s now that I can turn into a vegetable,” before she calmly turned off the light and adjusted a small pillow and stretched across two seats for a catnap.
Pat Nixon, 1969 – 1974
Conservatively and appropriately dressed as she often was for official duties, Nixon could also push the norm on occasion. Instead of a more customary cloth coat and hat for her husband Richard’s swearing-in ceremony, she wore a fur-trimmed red coat and fur hat. Nixon also stood out in a Eugene Norquist-designed red coat when she famously deplaned Air Force One in Beijing for her husband’s groundbreaking visit to China. The first lady had chosen the color, knowing that television cameras would film her live for viewers at home.
An advocate for volunteerism, the “Right to Read” literacy program and getting more women elected to public office, regardless of their party affiliation, Nixon’s “Plastic Pat” nickname was a misnomer. She once explained, “I know a lot, but you have to keep it to yourself when you’re in this position.”
For her 1969 inaugural gown, Nixon wore a pale yellow mimosa silk gown encrusted with crystals and embroidered with gold and silver thread that was designed by Karen Stark for Harvey Berin. Alfred Bosand and Adele Simpson were two other creatives she counted on for clothes. Long-sleeve knee-length dresses and walkable heels were her style signifiers. At the height of the Women’s Movement in 1972, Pat Nixon was featured in a fashion spread wearing pantsuits — a daring editorial choice for such a high-profile personality at that time. Another sign of the times — dresses with short hemlines, as in miniskirt-worthy — were sometimes sported by Nixon.
Betty Ford, 1974 – 1977
A supporter of breast cancer awareness and the Equal Rights Amendment, Betty Ford also spoke publicly about her addiction battles with drugs and alcohol. Ford was also the first first lady to have been divorced. Surprised by her husband Gerald’s selection as vice president in 1973, she was pushed further onto the global stage in the summer of 1974, when President Richard Nixon resigned after the Watergate scandal. Before the Bennington College graduate’s political life took hold, Ford performed with Martha Graham’s dance company and supported herself as a fashion model in New York City.
In her White House years she paired dresses with coats, or sported slim skirts with flouncy jackets, shirtwaist coat dresses, chiffon dresses and other flattering silhouettes. Ford worked closely with the designer Albert Capraro, who described her legs as the sexiest that he had ever seen. Frankie Welch and Louis Esteves were two other favorite designers. In response to inflation of 1972, Ford had vowed to no longer buy expensive designer clothing. She was known to wear Oscar de la Renta, Christian Dior, Geoffrey Beene, Pierre Cardin, and Kasper. Ford once told WWD, “I always try to wear something outstanding and as becoming a dress as I can find. I don’t believe in the dumb dress.”
Rosalynn Carter, 1977 – 1981
More of a roll-up-your-sleeves political wife than a look-at-my-designer-dress one, Rosalynn Carter’s simple style adhered to sustainability before it was defined by that term. Adept at sewing, she also handed down dresses that no longer fit to relatives. Carter had said her sewing machine was the only thing she was intent on bringing to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Acknowledging the all-too-closeness of being in the spotlight in Washington, D.C., Carter once told WWD, “I grew up in Plains, Ga., population 683, where everybody always knew everything I did.”
The Carter administration’s folksy style followed the tumult caused by the Vietnam War and Watergate. A working mother of four, Carter was never a clotheshorse, but she was known to carry a briefcase to the White House — a first for a presidential spouse. She advocated for the Equal Rights Amendment and coordinated with voluntary relief organizations, labor and corporate leaders to help raise tens of millions of dollars for Cambodian refugees. Carter worked to immunize children against preventable diseases and organized a roundtable discussion at the White House about aging.
For the 1977 inaugural balls she wore a Mary Matise for Jimmae gold-trimmed blue chiffon gown with a gold-embroidered sleeveless coat — the same ensemble she had worn for her husband Jimmy’s gubernatorial inaugural years before. Carter purchased it in an Americus, Ga., store — Jimmy’s. Albert Nixon was another designer that she wore as first lady. Carter also enlisted the talents of the interior decorator Carleton Varney to spruce up her new home.
Nancy Reagan, 1981 – 1989
Nancy Reagan really upped the fashion game during her husband Ronald’s two terms in office — so much so that even the press corps spiffed up their attire from the dressed-down Carter years. Adolfo, Bill Blass, James Galanos, Geoffrey Beene and Carolina Herrera were a few of her favorite designers. A bold red was such a staple that many shoppers followed suit in search of “Reagan red.” For her husband’s first inaugural, Reagan wore a one-shoulder silk sheath gown with lace from Galanos. She was back in Galanos four years later in a long-sleeved beaded white gown. The designer said he wanted to make her look “glamorous, elegant and in keeping with the new formality.”
From a European standpoint, Reagan’s closet included looks from Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Louis and Valentino. Referring to the repeat outfit she was wearing at the 1980 Republican National Convention — a peach-colored silk dress — she told the crowd, “I do hold on.” But her fondness for fashion caused some consternation. In 1982, Reagan had revealed that she had accepted thousands of dollars worth of designer merchandise. To try to quell the controversy, she sent a dozen of those outfits to Parsons School of Design to distribute them to museums nationwide. Reagan surprised reporters by spoofing the situation, singing and dancing to “Second Hand Clothes” at the Gridiron Club’s dinner that same year.
Barbara Bush, 1989 – 1993
Nicknamed “The First Grandmother” when her husband George H.W. Bush was first elected, Barbara Bush was not one to get hung up about appearances. Her very ’80s Arnold Scaasi puff-sleeved two-tone velvet gown for the 1989 inaugural balls was as formal as she got. And Bush reportedly finished off the look with fake pearls and $29 shoes. Scaasi once said, “Clothes are not by any means her main priority, but I think she likes getting dressed up.”
Tasteful skirt suits and pearl necklaces were more the norm. But that down-to-earth style was also very relatable. For a Washington, D.C., appearance with Princess Diana, she wore a royal blue dress with a coordinating sweater casually tied around her shoulders.
Scaasi was so loyal that he was said to have not sought out work for Hillary Clinton out of respect for Barbara Bush. When he died, Bush described him as “a dear friend and a brilliant fashion designer who could make any woman feel like a princess. His dresses brought me great joy — whether they were for a state dinner or just a simple suit I could wear anywhere. We sometimes would fight a little about colors and styles, and he, of course, was always right.” The white-haired Bush relayed some vigor with bold hues including red, cobalt, pink, purple and green.
Hillary Clinton, 1993 – 2001
Initially as first lady, Hillary Clinton took a similar route to her predecessor Barbara Bush, often turning out for photo-ops in gold-buttoned skirt suits, coiffed hair and newscaster-worthy jewelry. For the 1993 inaugural balls, she decided on a violet beaded lace gown that was designed by Sarah Phillips and made by the theatrical costume maker Barbara Matera Ltd. Yet, after suffering negative responses to the Phillips ensemble, Clinton turned to Oscar de la Renta for the 1997 inauguration.
The First Couple became fast friends with the designer and were known to vacation with him on occasion. Clinton, who served as the first female senator from New York and later as the U.S. Secretary of State during President Barack Obama’s administration, helped to make pantsuits a fashion staple in diplomatic circles. Clinton reportedly explained that that preferred style stemmed from unflattering photos that were published of her wearing a skirt on an official visit to Brazil in 2011. During Clinton’s 2016 presidential run, designer friends like Diane von Furstenberg supported her publicly and with campaign merchandise.
Laura Bush, 2001 – 2009
Red, the color of choice for the Republican Party, was a favorite of Laura Bush’s in her White House years. But for her husband George W. Bush’s first swearing-in ceremony, she wore a peacock blue suit by the Dallas-based designer Michael Faircloth and a red crystal-embellished Chantilly lace gown by him for the inaugural balls. Four years later she went with a twofer from another U.S.-based creative — a white dress and coat by Oscar de la Renta and a silver and blue tulle gown from him for the inaugural balls. More interested in supporting American libraries and encouraging reading than fashion, Bush told WWD in 2004 that she has never been much of a clothes shopper, preferring to browse, not actually buy, antiques and furniture. But she has acknowledged publicly that she understands how people are fascinated with the clothes of first ladies.
Conservative in her attire during her White House years, Bush favored such New York-based designers as de la Renta, Scaasi, Herrera and Bill Blass. She periodically stopped by their showrooms for fittings and described working with American designers as “fun.” Bush was also known to pay for her clothes. (One of her twin daughters, Barbara, worked for the designer Lela Rose in New York at one point.)
For an appearance at 7th on Sixth, the precursor to New York Fashion Week, Bush spoke in support of a heart disease awareness initiative wearing a red velvet jacket and red skirt. She also loaned a ruby red suit from one of her favorite designers, Oscar de la Renta, to a traveling exhibition. Aside from Escada, Bush seldom wore European labels as first lady.
For her husband’s second inaugural, Bush wore a Peggy Jennings’ wool bouclé coat and dress in the daytime and a gown from the designer that evening. She also opted for a silk taffeta Herrera gown for the Texas State Society’s “Black Tie and Boots” Ball.
Michelle Obama, 2009 – 2017
Michelle Obama made her debut at the Democratic National Convention in 2008 with a wink to her home city of Chicago by wearing an emerald-colored dress by then little-known local designer Maria Pinto. As it turned out, supporting American designers, including several independent ones, became a calling card, during her White House years. For Barack Obama’s first inauguration in 2009, she made two unexpected choices — a pale green Isabel Toledo ensemble for his swearing-in and a white one-shoulder chiffon gown from Jason Wu for the official balls that evening. The 26-year-old was at home in his New York City apartment eating pizza when his three-month secret project became worldwide news. For the 2013 inaugural festivities, the former FLOTUS chose another Wu gown — a red halter style. (Thom Browne designed her swearing-in attire that year.) For her first official portrait, Obama opted for a sleeveless Michael Kors dress. She also wore another well-known label — J. Crew — for a late-night talk show appearance with Jay Leno in 2012.
For various state dinners at the White House, Obama sported an ivory-colored strapless gown from Brandon Maxwell, a rose gold chain-mail gown by Atelier Versace and a custom black silk crepe mermaid gown from Vera Wang. As first lady, she would sometimes select garments from designers whose heritage aligned with the guests of honor, including Herrera, Alexander McQueen, Tadashi Shoji, Doo-Ri Chung, Marchesa and Naeem Khan. There were some missteps, however, like the $540 Lanvin sneakers Obama wore to visit a Washington, D.C., food bank and a cardigan to meet Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2009. Seven years after de la Renta criticized her for the earlier choice, Obama turned up at a Windsor Castle lunch hosted by the Queen and Prince Philip wearing a purple lace dress from the designer. Fittingly, Obama donned a black lace Wu dress for her husband’s farewell address at the DNC in 2017. More recently, she turned up the wattage for Monse’s cofounders Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, by wearing a sleeveless navy criss cross jacket with tuxedo cuff trousers from their label to give her speech Tuesday night at this year’s DNC.
Melania Trump, 2017 – 2021
For Donald Trump’s 2017 swearing-in ceremony, Melania Trump went with a custom powder blue ensemble by Ralph Lauren that had a faint ’60s vibe and generated comparisons to Jackie Kennedy. She polished up the look with coordinating gloves and Manolo Blahnik stilettos — her footwear of choice. Trump surprised the public with her choice for the inaugural balls — an off-the-shoulder cap-sleeved gown designed by Herve Pierre, a veteran of Carolina Herrera. Pierre, who continues to work with Trump as a stylist, often shopped in stores in search of designer choices. Some American designers publicly vowed they would not dress Trump prior to the inauguration. The former model often turned up in European luxury labels.
As first lady, the Slovenian-born Trump wore belted looks and dresses from Michael Kors, Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Valentino, Delpozio, Gilles Mendel and numerous others. Her choice of a Gucci hot pink pussy-bow blouse for a 2016 presidential debate sparked much debate on social media, as did the pith helmet she wore for a safari in Kenya in 2018. Some observers said the headgear choice failed to recognize that it was a symbol of when the nation was under brutal British colonial rule. During a visit to a Texas detention center for migrants, Trump’s decision to wear an army green Zara jacket imprinted on the back with “I really don’t care, do u?” caused a firestorm online. (Pierre had said he had never seen that $39 jacket.)
Trump has also been known to shop in her closet, so to speak. At last month’s Republican National Convention, she played it safe in a red modern version of the Christian Dior “Bar” suit that she has owned for seven years. A few weeks prior, she also donned a repeat look — a red fitted Valentino dress for a GOP fundraiser in New York.
Jill Biden, 2021 – 2024
Jill Biden has played up American designers throughout her husband’s administration, as evidenced by her choice of Markarian and Gabriela Hearst for Joe Biden’s 2021 inaugural activities. More recently, she was photographed for Vogue’s August cover wearing an ivory-colored Ralph Lauren Collection ensemble. The first lady deplaned in Paris late last month wearing a white Team USA Ralph Lauren bomber jacket over her purple suit. And an aide carried a “FLOTUS” embossed garment bag and a Ralph Lauren tote bag, among other luggage. FLOTUS also joined Jessica Chastain and Joe Jonas at Ralph Lauren’s Paris Olympics celebration at his flagship there. Ralph Lauren was also her wardrobe pick to accompany Joe Biden for his departure from the White House en route to the DNC in Chicago.
In addition to Lauren, her support of American brands has included wearing Sergio Hudson, de la Renta, St. John and Reem Acra for key photo-ops. But there have also been some misses based on online critics, such as the black bow fascinator that she used as an accessory at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. Other pundits took issue with a floral Dolce & Gabbana dress that Biden wore for a 2021 event related to the Pulse nightclub shooting victims. Like Carter, Trump and other first ladies, Biden has no qualms about repeating a look on occasion. The shimmery pale blue body-hugging frock that she wore Monday night at the DNC, for example, was worn by Biden in 2022 for a White House event honoring Sir Elton John.
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