First ladies have gotten outsized attention for their clothing
First ladies' fashion choices tend to attract a lot of attention and often, quite literally, go down in history.
Now, with their new home at the Smithsonian Museum's popular gallery showcasing first ladies' fashion, the inauguration outfits of Jill Biden will attract attention for years to come.
Biden wore two outfits by young female designers to mark President Joe Biden's January 2021 inauguration.
She unveiled the new addition to the exhibit in Washington in January, marking a rare occasion when the first lady has publicly spoken about her clothing's importance.
First ladies' fashion choices over the years have often been laced with multiple meanings — representing both their husbands' administrations and politics, and what was happening in the country at the time. The colorful flourishes on Jill Biden's white inaugural outfit, for example, paid homage to the United States with embroidered flowers, representing all of the country's states and territories.
But Jill Biden's office, as a policy, even before she became first lady, generally has not addressed her clothing, except for particular moments — like when she wore boots that said “Vote” ahead of the November 2020 elections, or when she had a sunflower — the national flower of Ukraine — sewn on her dress to show support for the country shortly after the Russian army invaded Ukraine in 2022.
“It's kind of surprising, I think, how much commentary is made about what I wear or if I put my hair in a scrunchie,” Jill Biden told Vogue in August 2021.
As a researcher of women in politics, from political candidates to first ladies, it's time to better understand the meaning of first ladies' fashion — and the potential missteps of focusing too much on their style choices.
First lady Helen Taft was the first to give her clothing to the Smithsonian Museum, helping establish the first ladies' fashion collection in the early 1900s.
Taft donated the white, silk chiffon gown she wore to President William Howard Taft's 1909 inauguration.
Helen Taft's choice set a precedent for future first ladies, who have continued to donate their inaugural clothing to the museum. Seeing first ladies' clothing throughout history offers a window into their time in the White House and helps museum visitors better understand past fashion influences.
But first ladies tend to also receive outsized attention for their fashion choices — dating back to the early days of Martha Washington, who was known as a woman of high fashion. She insisted on purchasing English laces, silks, jewelry, footwear, bonnets and dozens of kid gloves and silk stockings, specifying repeatedly that they be of the “best” and “fine” variety.
First ladies' clothing is carefully curated and, at times, comes with subtle messages of diplomacy or can be used to make other political statements.
First ladies' clothing is carefully curated and, at times, comes with subtle messages of diplomacy or can be used to make other political statements.
For example, first lady
Jackie Kennedy's iconic, sleek 1960s era look continues to inspire women around the globe — although she drew criticism for her preference of French designers during her time in the White House. When her husband John F. Kennedy was assassinated, she refused to change out of her bloodstained pink suit to show what the assassin had done to her husband.
Rosalyn Carter also re