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19 times first ladies’ outfits included symbols and hidden meanings

Michelle Obama, Melania Trump, and Dr. Jill Biden have all worn outfits with subtle — or not so subtle — meanings.Emmanuel Dunand/Getty Images; Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Many first ladies have sent messages through hidden meanings and details in their clothes. Betty Ford and Hillary Clinton made statements about gender equality with their pantsuits. Michelle Obama used colors, accessories, and certain designers to make a point. After her husband was assassinated in 1963, first lady Jackie Kennedy wore a blood-stained suit to “let them see what they’ve done.”President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jackie Kennedy are greeted in Texas on November 22, 1963, hours before JFK was assassinated.Bettmann/Getty ImagesFrom her Chanel skirt suits and pillbox hats to her mod-influenced outfits and strands of pearls, former first lady Jackie Kennedy was a fashion icon and her style heavily influenced the masses.One of Kennedy’s most iconic looks is unfortunately symbolic because of the dark events tied to it. On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas, while riding in the presidential motorcade alongside his wife, who was seen covered in her husband’s blood. After being advised to clean up after the tragic event, Kennedy said, “Let them see what they’ve done,” according to The New York Times.The first lady knew the image of blood smeared on her pink Chanel suit was powerful and jarring: The stained suit symbolized the end of an era.Betty Ford’s green chrysanthemum dress, which is on display at the Smithsonian, represented loyalty and honor.First lady Betty Ford looks at a mannequin dressed in her green chrysanthemum embellished dress she donated to the Smithsonian Institute on June 24, 1976.Harvey Georges/AP PhotosPresident Gerald Ford was sworn into office after President Gerald Nixon resigned in 1974, so there was not a grand, traditional inauguration ceremony. In place of an inaugural outfit to display at the Smithsonian’s First Lady Collection, Betty Ford chose a green dress embroidered in a chrysanthemum flower pattern that she’d worn on several occasions, including state dinners in 1975 and 1976.Chrysanthemums hold many meanings, including respect and honor, specifically in America, as well as loyalty, happiness, and longevity, which may be representative of the first lady’s values and obligation to the American people. The Smithsonian collected and displayed every first ladies’ inaugural dress, so it’s meaningful that Ford chose this gown over others from her catalog of outfits.On her last day in the White House in 1977, Ford — famously an advocate for women’s rights — danced on the Cabinet Room table while wearing pants.First lady Betty Ford dances on the Cabinet Room table at the White House on January 19, 1977.David Hume Kennerly/Getty ImagesWhile in the White House, Betty Ford supported the women’s liberation movement and was an outspoken advocate for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.Pictured on January 19, 1977 — the last day of President Ford’s presidency — the first lady is seen standing barefoot on top of a table in the Cabinet Room of the White House in an all-black pantsuit. While the photo is striking because of where she is pictured dancing, the fact that she is wearing pants was also significant: At the time, women were not yet allowed to wear pants in the Capitol, and wearing pants in public was still considered unacceptable for first ladies, according to the National First Ladies’ Library.Photographer David Hume Kennerly, who captured this shot, thought Ford got up and danced because, “Very few women have had a seat at that table […] and knowing her support for the Equal Rights Amendment, she was tap-dancing in the middle of this male bastion. She was storming the walls of the gray suits and gray-haired eminences,” according to Smithsonian Magazine.”Reagan Red” may have informed the Republican Party’s symbolic color, but Nancy Reagan had her own reasons for wearing it.First lady Nancy Reagan wears her signature red shade at the White House.Dirck Halstead/Getty ImagesFrom bold skirt suits to blouses and evening gowns, Nancy Reagan wore punchy red outfits so frequently that the shade became referred to as “Reagan Red.”While her choice of color seems fitting since her husband, President Ronald Reagan, was a Republican, red was not yet linked to the party, according to The New York Times. Rather, it is believed she was the spark that made the two synonymous.”If you think of red as a power color, you track that back to Nancy Reagan,” Glamour editor in chief Cindi Leive told the Times.For her part, in a 2007 interview with W Magazine, Reagan said she saw red as “a picker-upper.” When she chose to wear the color — notably at President Reagan’s candidacy announcement and presidential oath — she aimed to show strength and energy through a “bold, unapologetic, glamorous but strong color that couldn’t be missed,” Mic reported.Hillary Clinton, another outspoken advocate for women’s rights, set a precedent as the first first lady to wear a suit in their White House portrait.President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton unveil their official White House portraits on June 14, 2004.Tim Sloan/Getty ImagesHillary Clinton chose to wear a black pantsuit for her official first lady portrait, which was unveiled in 2004, three years after the Clintons left the White House. It was the first time a first lady had ever worn pants in an official portrait. While pantsuits are now linked to the former first lady, she did not regularly wear them during her time in the White House. Clinton’s look reflected her experience, ambition, and desire to level the playing field, while also cementing her power and purpose entering her husband President Bill Clinton’s presidency. Later, in her 2017 biography, “What Happened,” she explained why she wore pantsuits so often.”I also thought it would be good to do what male politicians do and wear more or less the same thing every day,” Clinton wrote.She added, “A uniform was also an anti-distraction technique: since there wasn’t much to say or report on what I wore, maybe people would focus on what I was saying instead.”First lady Laura Bush wore red to bring awareness to the leading killer of American women: heart disease.First lady Laura Bush speaking at the fourth annual Red Dress Awards in 2007 in her own red ensemble to raise awareness for heart disease.Keith Bedford/ReutersLaura Bush understood that her outfit choices held great power. In a 2021 interview with People, Bush’s former chief of staff Anita McBride said that Bush was keen on “connecting the fashion to the policy.”During her time as first lady between 2001 and 2009, Bush was an honorary ambassador of the Red Dress Project, which made red dresses the symbol of heart disease, according to The White House archives. During annual Red Dress Project conferences, awards, and fashion shows, Bush would wear bright red outfits to coordinate with other attendees. McBride spoke of Bush’s beliefs to People, saying, “She felt that nothing attracts attention like a red dress and it was the perfect symbol: Even a little red dress can save lives.”Michelle Obama wore “pearls you have to deal with” on the campaign trail in 2008.Then president-elect Barack Obama and Michelle Obama attend a Chicago campaign on June 3, 2008.Emmanuel Dunand/Getty ImagesAnything former first lady Michelle Obama wore during her time on the campaign trail and two terms in office drew many analyses. On June 3, 2008, at a Chicago campaign event with then-presidential candidate Barack Obama, Michelle Obama accessorized with a large string of faux pearls.”Those are not little Breakfast at Tiffany’s pearls. Those are large pearls. Those are pearls you have to deal with,” Essence editor-at-large Mikki Taylor told The New York Times.The size of Obama’s pearls made a statement, as Taylor suggested, and showed she wasn’t afraid to be bold and also that she wasn’t ashamed to go faux, suggesting a humble nature and accessibility.In 2016, days after making a powerful speech reflecting on Donald Trump’s derogatory comments about women, Obama wore an armor-like gown in a nod to female empowerment.President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama smile at each other at their final state dinner in office.Leigh Vogel/Getty ImagesOn October 18, 2016, Michelle Obama wore a stunning Atelier Versace gown in Italy to her final state dinner as the first lady. Shining from head to toe, Obama’s glittering chain-mail gown was thought to reference female empowerment, The New York Times reported. The chain mail, while fluid and molded into a feminine silhouette, was unapologetically warrior-like.The look came within two weeks of Donald Trump’s “Access Hollywood” leaked recording scandal and of her vulnerable speech in New Hampshire, in which she reflected on Trump’s hurtful words about women.Designer Donatella Versace described Obama’s one-of-a-kind look, as well as Versace’s related Women’s Spring Summer 2017 collection, as “all about a woman’s freedom: freedom of movement, freedom of activity, freedom to fight for their ideas, freedom to be whomever you want to be,” according to the Times.She wore a unifying purple for a White House transition meeting with first lady-to-be Melania Trump in November 2016.Then-first lady Michelle Obama wore a purple dress and hosted first lady-to-be Melania Trump.Chuck Kennedy/White HouseOn November 10, 2016, days after Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential race and two months before his inauguration, the Obamas hosted a meeting at the White House with Trump and first lady-to-be Melania Trump. Michelle Obama wore a deep purple cocktail dress with a bright orange stripe.The color purple can symbolize bipartisanship and unity. Politicians have worn the color over the years as a symbol of bipartisanship, as well as women’s suffrage, because it’s seen as a middle point between Republican red and Democrats’ blue. So it’s apt that, in a meeting where Obama was welcoming her replacement from an opposing political party, she would wear a purple dress with bright detailing that alluded to hope.In addition to the colors, the designer of the dress, Narciso Rodriguez, also spoke volumes for this occasion. Rodriguez is an LGBTQ+ Cuban-American designer and a child of immigrants. Obama frequently wore his designs, including to other high-profile events like President Obama’s 2008 election victory.In 2018, Michelle Obama acknowledged wearing designs by immigrants, as well as those by young women and Black designers, saying, “You can change their lives.”In one of her final public appearances as first lady, Michelle Obama appeared to quietly support the Italian people by wearing a Versace dress.Then-President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama in December 2016 at the Kennedy Center Honors.CHRIS KLEPONIS/AFP via Getty ImagesMichelle Obama often wore carefully curated pieces by host countries’ fashion designers when she visited or attended official events abroad. But in a unique spin, on December 4, 2016, at the Obamas’ final Kennedy Center Honors appearance, Obama wore a floral brocade Gucci gown, a rarity since it was the first time she hadn’t worn an American designer to the ceremony, according to The New York Times’ Vanessa Friedman.Friedman theorized that Obama’s choice to wear a Gucci gown could have been her way of showing support for the people of Italy. Just a day prior, Italians had voted against then-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s referendum plans, and consequently, he announced his resignation.This moment and styling choice yet again demonstrated Obama’s consciousness about her every last decision and of her power and reach.Viewers speculated on the meaning of Melania Trump’s pussy-bow collar, which she wore after her husband’s “Access Hollywood” remarks were leaked.Melania Trump arrives before the second presidential debate between presidential nominees Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton at Washington University in St. Louis on October 9, 2016.Patrick Semansky/AP PhotoOn the night of October 9, 2016, at then-presidential candidate Donald Trump’s second debate against Hillary Clinton, first lady Melania Trump stood by her husband in a bright fuchsia Gucci blouse with a large collar.One popularly theorized message behind the style was that it was tied to Donald Trump’s recent “Access Hollywood” scandal. In the leaked recorded conversation with Billy Bush, Trump is heard boasting about his power over women, saying he could “grab em’ by the p—y.”Some viewers believed Melania Trump was showing her support for her husband by wearing the shirt, especially combined with its cheery color and her overall happy appearance. However, in politics, the pussy-bow has symbolized protest and female empowerment, so it also could have also suggested Trump was protesting her husband’s past words.However, a spokesperson for Donald Trump told CBS News reporter Sopan Deb there was no meaning behind the shirt.”Campaign spokeswoman says this was not intentional,” he tweeted.Melania Trump wore a classic American designer to President Donald Trump’s Inauguration, apparently in a nod to his “Buy American” message.First lady Melania Trump leaves the President’s Room of the Senate on President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day.Pool/Getty ImagesOn January 20, 2017, for Donald Trump’s inauguration, Melania Trump stepped out in a delicate powder-blue ensemble. The cashmere dress, cross-body shawl, and gloves were created by American designer Ralph Lauren, seemingly in a nod to Donald Trump’s “Buy American” slogan. In her book “Free, Melania: The Unauthorized Biography,” writer Kate Bennett said Trump was very involved in the creation of her inauguration look, according to Business Insider.While many designers publicly refused to dress the first lady (both before and after her husband took office) because of the many controversies surrounding the Trumps, Ralph Lauren stepped up for this occasion. Lauren has dressed many first ladies, both Republican and Democratic. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the Ralph Lauren Corp. released a statement about the collaboration and outfit, saying, “It was important to us to uphold and celebrate the tradition of creating iconic American style for this moment.”With Jackie Kennedy-style likeness, Trump’s blue outfit was nostalgic, classic, and indeed very “American.”During the State of the Union address in 2018, Trump stood out in a sea of #MeToo-tribute black outfits in a bright white ensemble, perhaps in a nod to the victims.First lady Melania Trump walks down the steps at Capitol Hill for a State of the Union address on January 30, 2018.J. Scott Applewhite/AP PhotosOn January 30, 2018, at the State of the Union address, Melania Trump stood out from the crowd. While most Democrats in attendance wore black in solidarity with the #MeToo movement’s victims, Trump stepped out in an elegant off-white pantsuit by Christian Dior and off-white blouse by Dolce & Gabbana.Trump could have been protesting against the #MeToo movement or against the Democratic congresspeople — wishing to stand out in their sea of black — or she could have been standing in solidarity with victims: White was also tied to the movement, as well as famously to women’s suffrage, and many viewers speculated that she was indicating her support. The white ensemble could have been Trump’s own nod and support for the movement and the victims.”Though it was unclear at the time whether Mrs. Trump really understood the implications of [the pussy-bow] blouse choice, wearing a white suit to the State of the Union indicates that, indeed, she did,” The New York Times’ Vanessa Friedman wrote at the time.She wore a large gold belt and jewelry in what was considered a diplomatic statement while meeting with Saudi Arabian leaders in 2017.First lady Melania Trump sits in company with Saudi Arabian leader Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.Johnathan Ernst/ReutersMuch like how Michelle Obama wore fashionable nods to honor and unify the countries she visited and world leaders she met with, Melania Trump is believed to have done the same in a visit with Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. At the visit on May 20, 2017, Trump accessorized with an oversized gold embossed belt and necklace that looked like staggered gold bars.Kate Bennett analyzed this look in her book, “Free, Melania: The Unofficial Biography,” saying the gold accessories communicated, “‘Hey, Saudi Arabia, friend. We like gold, you like gold, we get you. Everything is cool.'”The symbol of the commodity through Trump’s accessories could have had the hidden meaning of unity and respect.The Saint Laurent belt quickly sold out on luxury retailer Net-a-Porter.com.During a visit with child immigrants, Melania Trump stirred the pot in a jacket emblazoned with the words “I really don’t care, do u?”First lady Melania Trump departs Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland June 21, 2018 wearing a jacket emblazoned with the words “I really don’t care, do u?” following her visit with child immigrants on the US-Mexico border.Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty ImagesOn June 21, 2018, while on her way to and from the border to meet immigrant children who had been separated from their families, Melania Trump was photographed sporting a green jacket with a spray paint decal reading, “I really don’t care, do u?”At the time, many believed the question referenced President Donald Trump’s policies surrounding immigration, including how children were separated from their families. Trump received backlash even before she arrived at the government facility.However, the striking message splayed across her back had a very different meaning according to the first lady herself. In an interview with ABC News that October, Trump said the message was directed towards “the left-wing media” who criticized her, saying, “You could criticize whatever you want to say, but it will not stop me to do what I feel is right.”Trump added, “It’s obvious I didn’t wear the jacket for the children.”While submitting her ballot in the primary elections in 2020, Jill Biden sent an obvious message to the American people, if you caught her at the right angle.After submitting her ballot in the primary elections in Delaware on September 14, 2020, Biden showed off her “Vote” Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee boots.Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images; Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesOn September 14, 2020, before she was first lady, Dr. Jill Biden cast her ballot in the primary election in Delaware. And while her purple dress alone could have been a nod to bipartisanship, her black Stuart Weitzman boots with a silver “VOTE” message on the sides of the calves definitely made the message clear.The designer “5050 Vote Boot” boot was made in collaboration with the I am a voter nonpartisan movement, with proceeds of the boots going towards the organization. According to its website, I am a voter has a mission and belief that “our democracy works best when we all participate.” So hidden within the obvious call for people to vote, Biden wore a shoe that supported a cause specifically aiming to encourage all Americans, despite their political preference, to vote.Biden caused a spike in the limited-edition boot sales and they quickly sold out. Former first lady Michelle Obama wore a purple look in a transition from a “red” administration to a “blue” one.Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama walk down the steps at President Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony.Rob Carr/Getty ImagesIn a popular style choice by several female politicians and first ladies attending Joe Biden’s 2021 Presidential Inauguration, former first lady Michelle Obama wore a striking monochromatic purple set. This eggplant-hued look consisting of a turtle neck, high-waisted trousers, and floor-length coat was a major fashion moment for Obama.Outside of the all-around beautiful ensemble, the hidden meaning behind Obama wearing purple did not go over peoples’ heads. The color, usually symbolic of bipartisanship, made sense for the transition from Donald Trump’s Republican presidency to Joe Biden’s Democratic presidency.Dr. Jill Biden’s blue inauguration dress evoked “trust, confidence, and stability,” according to its designer.President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden on the East Front of the Capitol Building on January 20, 2021.J. Scott Applewhite/APDr. Jill Biden attended her husband’s inauguration in a serene, cool blue dress and coat. The tweed-wool ensemble encrusted with Swarovski crystals helped present the first lady as elegant at the side of her husband.Alexandra O’Neill, founder and designer of Markarian, the New York-based label that designed Biden’s custom-made dress, told Insider’s Darcy Schild that the dress and color were meant to represent “trust, confidence, and stability.”The designer added, “I love that her focus has been on emerging designers so far. I think she recognizes the power and impact that her clothing choices have on emerging talent.”Biden took a leap in choosing O’Neill, an emerging American designer at the time, and stepping away from traditional and iconic inauguration dress designers. Biden’s choice, in that sense, was a contradiction to former first lady Melania Trump’s inauguration dress by Ralph Lauren, seemingly saying out with the old and in with the new (talent).Jill Biden’s “Celebrating America” ensemble in January 2021 was full of meaning, from the embroidered flowers to a hidden quote.Dr. Jill Biden wears a Gabriela Hearst ensemble to President Joe Biden’s “Celebrating America” event on January 20, 2021.Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Joshua Roberts/AP PhotosWhile the Presidential Inaugural Ball was out of the question due to COVID-19 restrictions and precautions, a “Celebrating America” concert special was thrown instead. For this occasion, Jill Biden changed into a white tea-length dress, coat, and face mask by Gabriela Hearst embellished with crystal flower designs.The most notable detail was that the ensemble was covered in flowers representative of every US state and territory. On Hearst’s website, a statement about the dress reads that the “message of Unity is the main inspiration for the creation.”A detail even more hidden was that the Delaware state flower was intentionally placed near the first lady’s heart, according to the designer. This choice was clearly because Delaware is the first lady’s home state, where she was educated, and where she taught. Another detail that was actually hidden from the public was a quote by Benjamin Franklin that was embroidered on the inside of the coat, reading, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” This represented Biden’s role as an educator.Finally, like Biden’s first inauguration dress that spoke to her support of emerging American talent, this dress was made from sustainable stock fabric, showing her and her husband’s dedication to enforcing policies to halt climate change and global warming. Read the original article on Insider
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Written by: vmontalti@insider.com (Victoria Montalti)