The Most Daring Outfits First Ladies Have Worn
From left to right: First ladies Michelle Obama, Melania Trump, and Jill Biden in bold outfit choices.Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images ; Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images ; Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Frances Cleveland wore dresses that showed her shoulders, a daring look in the 1880s.
Michelle Obama wore a showstopping rose-gold gown made of chain mail to her last state dinner.
Melania Trump's bold fashion choices included a Zara jacket that said, "I really don't care do U?"
Frances Cleveland often wore dresses that showed her shoulders, a bold fashion choice in the 1880s.
Portrait of Frances Cleveland, circa 1880s.Fotosearch/Getty Images
Grover and Frances Cleveland became the first and only president and first lady to wed in the White House when they married in 1886. She was also the youngest first lady in history at 21 years old, making her an instant celebrity and fashion icon.
The Women's Christian Temperance Union petitioned Frances Cleveland to stop wearing dresses that they deemed too revealing for showing her shoulders, but she never stopped or responded to their protests.
Betty Ford was photographed in pants only one time ... While dancing atop the Cabinet Room table on her last day as first lady in 1977.
US first lady Betty Ford dances on the Cabinet Room table at the White House 1977 in Washington, DC.David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images
Betty Ford was an ardent supporter of the women's liberation movement of the 1970s, but wearing pants in public was still considered unacceptable for first ladies, according to the National First Ladies' Library.
Jacqueline Kennedy wore pink pants in 1960. The New York Times called them "shocking."
President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy stroll along the pier at a yacht club in 1960.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images
Martha Weinman of The New York Times called Kennedy's vibrant outfit — an orange cowl-neck sweater with pink slacks — "something of possibly vast political consequence" in 1960, suggesting a new type of first lady was emerging.
"This fall the question of style for a President's wife may be a Great Issue. Can too much chic — or too little — mean votes?" she wrote.
Nancy Reagan's choice of a one-shoulder inaugural gown was considered a daring look in 1981.
Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan at the 1981 inauguration.Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Nancy Reagan's beaded inaugural gown, made of lace over silk satin, was designed by James Galanos, according to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
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"It was surprisingly bare for a first lady and it was decidedly glamorous," wrote The Washington Post's senior critic-at-large Robin Givhan in 2016.
Michelle Obama's red Jason Wu inaugural ball gown in 2013 featured a halter neckline and open back.
Michelle Obama attends the Commander-in-Chief's Ball in 2013.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images
The red chiffon gown included velvet detailing.
Wu also designed Obama's white inauguration gown in 2009.
Obama made waves when she wore a sleeveless black dress for her official White House portrait.
Michelle Obama's official White House portrait.Joyce N. Boghosian/The White House via Getty Images
"I wore a sleeveless aubergine dress to Barack's address to the joint session of Congress and a sleeveless black sheath dress for my official White House photo, and suddenly my arms were making headlines," Obama wrote in her 2018 memoir, "Becoming."
At her final state dinner in 2016, Obama wore a showstopping rose-gold dress made of chain mail.
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama stand with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Italian first lady Agnese Landini at the White House in 2016.Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Obama chose the look by Italian designer Atelier Versace while welcoming Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his wife, Agnese Landini, to the White House.
Melania Trump wore a $51,500 Dolce & Gabbana jacket with colorful floral appliques at the Group of Seven summit in Italy in 2017.
Melania Trump arrives at Chierici Palace, part of a visit of the G7 first ladies in Catania, Italy, in 2017.Domenico Stinellis, File via AP
She paired the dress with a pale-pink dress and her signature sunglasses.
The full cost of the jacket is more than most Americans make in a year, which proved a controversial choice.
For a 2017 speech at the UN, Trump chose a hot-pink Delpozo dress with voluminous sleeves.
Melania Trump addresses other spouses of world leaders at a United Nations luncheon in 2017.DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images
Insider's Kate Taylor wrote that Trump's fashion choice indicated her lack of public-speaking experience since the dress looked polished on its own but oversized behind a podium.
Trump's most notorious fashion moment was a Zara jacket that said "I really don't care do U?" worn en route to visit immigrant children at a government facility in 2018.
Melania Trump arrives in Maryland after visiting McAllen, Texas, in 2018.Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla
Trump initially denied that the jacket's message was significant in any way in an interview with ABC News.
A few months later in another ABC News interview, she said the message was meant for "the left-wing media who are criticizing me" over a number of scandals, which she said may make her the "most bullied person in the world."
Trump's wide-brimmed Hervé Pierre hat stole the show while she welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to the White House in 2018.
French President Emmanuel Macron kisses Melania Trump's hand during a State Arrival Ceremony at the White House in 2018.Joshua Roberts/Reuters
The white statement hat matched the first lady's white belted suit by Michael Kors, Insider's Kate Taylor reported.
Pierre also crafted Trump's inauguration gown.
Jill Biden's choice of black patterned tights in 2021 became known as "Fishnetgate."
Jill Biden deplanes upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in 2021.MANDEL NGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Biden previously wore the tights as second lady to the 75th Anniversary USO Show at Joint Base Andrews in May 2016. As first lady, the outfit came under more scrutiny for seeming too risqué.
Biden addressed the criticism in a 2021 interview with Vogue.
"It's amazing how much people pay attention to every little detail," she said. "And they weren't fishnets. They weren't lace. They were very pretty stockings."
While presenting at the 2023 Grammys, Biden wore a glittering custom Oscar de la Renta gown that showed her shoulders.
Jill Biden speaks onstage during the 2023 Grammy Awards.Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Biden wore a navy version of the same dress to a state dinner with Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron of France in December, The New York Times reported. It retails for $16,000.
At the 2023 Grammys, Biden presented the award for best song for social change to Iranian singer and songwriter Shervin Hajipour for her protest anthem "Baraye." Biden also presented the award for best song, which went to Bonnie Raitt's "Just Like That."
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Fashion Captures Life's Big Moments: Longtime Curator Retires From LSU Museum
Some might look at devoting one's life's work to clothing as frivolous.
That person likely wouldn't understand that textiles and fashion are the artifacts of the human experience closest to our bodies from birth to death.
"When you think about all the moments of life — christenings, sweet sixteens, graduations, weddings — all of those experiences can be documented through the clothing someone chose to wear on that special day — and the days in between," said Michael Mamp, the incoming director of the LSU Textile and Costume Museum. "Clothes are the closest physical record of those experiences."
Since 1983, Pam Rabalais Vinci has been working to document those experiences in Louisiana. She was a grad student back then, assigned to work with the historical textile collections at the university. She hadn't been sure what her area of focus would be, but she figured out that she loved clothes and the history they held. She focused her research work on developing a way to date 19th century clothing — a method that is still used today.
"That cemented my interest in what the museum could be," said Rabalais Vinci, who is retiring from her position as curator and director of the LSU Textile and Costume Museum on May 31.
Volunteers, board members and others associated with the museum took time Wednesday, May 17, at the Governor's Mansion to reflect on the many ways curator Rabalais Vinci has contributed to preserving the history of Louisiana through her efforts in building the museum's textile and clothing collection.
Selections from an upcoming collection featuring clothing designed by Louisiana native, Geoffrey Beene, on display at the Louisiana Governor's Mansion, May 17, 2023.
BY JAN RISHERFeatures editorAt the Governor's Mansion, the museum displayed two small collections — one of Louisianan Geoffrey Beene's designs and another of various first ladies' gowns. First lady Donna Edwards, said she recognizes the importance of preserving the artifacts.
"It's important to hold on to our historical pieces and showcase them," Edwards said.
Beth Phillips, who has been involved in the Textile and Costume Museum almost as long as Rabalais Vinci has, said the longtime director's determination and historical knowledge created a legacy "in her quiet, quiet way."
"She had the historical knowledge at her fingertips," Phillips said of Rabalais Vinci. "She was the full picture — the very knowledgeable teacher who wanted everyone to learn as much as they could."
Additionally, Phillips credits Rabalais Vinci's foresight and diligence into the power of grants and other fundraising efforts in helping fund and create the museum.
"LSU does not fund us at all," Phillips said. "We raise all of our own money. She keeps us on track. When we figured out the Friends' Closet — that was when we started making money."
For the uninitiated, the Friends Closet was a high-end clothing sale that museum volunteers coordinated on LSU's campus.
First lady Donna Edwards speaks with the LSU Textile and Costume Museum's retiring curator Pam Rabalais Vinci and new director, Michael Mamp, Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at the Governor's Mansion in front of a small exhibit of Geoffrey Beene clothing.
BY JAN RISHERFeatures editor"We had donations from throughout the community — weeks of accepting them, categorizing them and putting price tickets on them. It was an unbelievable amount of work," Phillips said. "It started off small and it grew and grew and grew — and we got older and older."
New director Mamp says another Friends Closet may be on the horizon, but there's no date yet.
Mamp, who came on board last year, said he is grateful his tenure overlapped with his predecessor's.
"In an age of artificiality, Miss Pam is the genuine. She is the most sincere and kindest person you could meet," he said. "She has impeccable style and incredible grace — it has been the blessing of my career to work with Miss Pam."
Regarding her dedication to the cause, Mamp said that in years past, Rabalais Vinci would decide what kind of car she would buy depending on how many mannequins she could fit in it.
Pam Rabalais Vinci looks on as Michael Mamp, the new director of LSU's Textile and Costume Museum speaks Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at the Governor's Mansion.
BY JAN RISHERFeatures editor"'Til Trends Do Us Part: A Retrospective of Changing Fashion in Bridal Wear," is the final collection Rabalais Vinci will curate. It is on display at the museum through Aug. 31.
"She (Rabalais Vinci) tells us she won't totally leave. We need her historical knowledge," Phillips said. "One of the things that impressed me with Pam is that she did so much research to the connection between politics, pop culture and clothing. I love the combination of that. Fashion is definitely a reflection of everything that is going on."
The museum has a new exhibition set for the fall featuring clothes from its new Geoffrey Beene collection. The exhibit is called: "Coming Home: Geoffrey Beene." Beene (1924-2004), originally from Haynesville, Louisiana, was an eight-time Coty Award winner and two-time Council of American Fashion Designers award winner.
The museum is on LSU's campus in the Human Ecology Building.
