First Lady Fashion Moments That Made History for the Right Reasons
Throughout history, the fashion choices of First Lady of the United States have been important. Style is political and it has the power to uplift, to provoke conversation and to mark a moment in time, especially when the person in question lives in the White House.
As far back as in the immediate aftermath of the Revolutionary War, First Lady Martha Washington was reportedly “encouraged to wear ‘homespun’ clothing instead of British fashions.”, according to the Los Angeles Times, as a way to promote the country. Though much of Jackie Kennedy’s wardrobe hewed towards looks popularized by Hubert de Givenchy in Paris, she was nevertheless often outfitted by American designer Oleg Cassini. And throughout her eight-year tenure as the first lady, Michelle Obama, made an art of diplomacy via fashion, synthesizing American and international influences in her looks, supporting emerging designers, and occasionally opting for downmarket brands like J. Crew and White House Black Market.
Here, we look at a few of the most memorable sartorial statements made by first ladies that made history for the right reasons.
Art Rickerby1/7Jackie Kennedy, Dallas 1963
On the day of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, First Lady Jackie Kennedy wore a pink bouclé suit, widely reported to be Chanel (though it turned out to be a close replica of a Chanel), and a pillbox hat.
Despite the fact that her husband had just been killed while sitting in a car next to her, Jackie reportedly kept her blood-stained suit on all night saying, "Let them see what they have done." As the country was in distress over the sudden loss of a president, they looked to Jackie's strength as a way to move forward.
Library of Congress2/7Grace Coolidge, 1922
Throughout the 1920s, as hemlines crept upwards and silhouettes became freer, even the First Lady wasn’t insulated from the sartorial changes afoot. J Grace Coolidge, wife of Calvin Coolidge began wearing flapper-inspired looks for a variety of occasions —making her a relatable figurehead of the administration while remaining within the bounds of what was seen as public-office appropriate.
While Grace’s looks only slightly graced the limits of modest dressing at the time, they demonstrated an awareness of how contemporary women viewed fashion that would only grow stronger with subsequent first ladies.
AFP3/7Michelle Obama, Washington D.C. January 2009
Michelle Obama and her wardrobe advisor Meredith Koop extended the First Lady’s reach with fashion well beyond that of her predecessors. She wore established designers like Alexander McQueen, Thom Browne, and Altuzarra; emerging brands like Zero + Maria Cornejo, Brandon Maxwell, and Jason Wu; and, of course, more accessible mass retailers like J. Crew and White House Black Market. (When she wore a dress by the latter on The View in 2008, it sold out almost immediately.)
Occasionally, Michelle combined the two: For her husband Barack Obama’s first inauguration, she accented a coat and dress by emerging Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo with a pair of sage-green gloves by J. Crew, issuing a subtle statement of international goodwill, acute sartorial insight, and relatability.
Getty Images4/7Rosalynn Carter, Washington D.C.
For President Jimmy Carter's Inaugural Ball First Lady Rosalynn Carter chose to wear a blue dress with gold trim. According to Time she had worn the dress publicly two times prior.
While the party could have been a time for her to pull out all of the stops, the First Lady decided to make a sustainable fashion choice (long before sustainability was en Vogue. And though some people criticized her choice, it fit with her and her husband's modest nature that they maintained throughout his presidency.
David Hume Kennerly5/7Hillary Clinton, Washington D.C. 1998
Until recently, Hillary Clinton’s Twitter bio described her as “pantsuit aficionado.” It’s since been replaced by “hair icon,” which, also valid, but the pantsuit point still stands: While her husband, Bill Clinton, was in office, from 1993 to 2001, and then again throughout her own bid for the White House, Hillary rocked a stunning array of pantsuits and skirtsuits in every color—ivory, deep purple, baby blue, teal, black. She first adopted the look as a young lawyer, before her husband embarked on his bid for the presidency, and it served as an emphatic visual reminder that she was not simply an accessory to Bill’s political career, but rather a successful lawyer in her own right. As first lady, pictured here, as a senator for New York, and then as a presidential candidate herself, she once again opted for suiting—most recently, adopting Ralph Lauren as her de facto designer of choice. Her wardrobe stood in stark contrast to the evident glamor of Nancy Reagan, but Clinton’s sartorial message of independence and power was strong enough that, ahead of Bill’s election, some voters wore buttons reading “elect Hillary’s husband.”
Alex Wong6/7Michelle Obama, Philadelphia 2016
In July 2016, Michelle Obama made an unexpected choice when she emerged onto the stage of the Democratic National Convention, where Hillary Clinton was about to be named the party’s presidential nominee, in a cobalt-blue Christian Siriano dress. Its minimal silhouette—cap sleeves, knee length, a-line skirt—only underscored the political relevance of the look, and not just in its deep blue hue.
Just a few weeks before the Democratic National Convention, after learning actor and comedian Leslie Jones was having trouble finding a designer willing to dress her for the Hollywood premiere of her film Ghostbusters, Siriano designed her a custom scarlet gown that ended up dominating the evening. (Leslie has since become the most delightful presence in the front row at his New York Fashion Week shows.) Though understated, the look carried the resonance of inclusivity as well as awareness of what’s going on in fashion.
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