11 of the Most Memorable Fashion Moments in American Political History Inline
Photo: Getty Images1/11Who: Jackie Kennedy
Where/When: White House dinner, 1962
The Look: As First Lady, Kennedy used the power of her personal style to make subtle political statements: She wore a Guy Douvier for Christian Dior to receive the French minister of culture, André Malraux, at a state dinner. Captured on color film, the bubblegum-pink silk shantung gown is emblematic of her girlish elegance.
Photo: Getty Images2/11Who: Shirley Chisholm
Where/When: Announcing Her Presidential Campaign, 1972
The Look: Chisholm was not just the first black woman elected to Congress in 1968, but also the first black female candidate to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. She announced her bid in bold, stylish fashion, wearing a modish jacket with a graphic optic print, simple gold jewelry, and cool frames.
Photo: Getty Images3/11Who: Nancy Reagan
Where/When: Ronald Reagan’s First Inauguration, 1981
The Look: In her first appearance as First Lady, Reagan wore an Adolfo dress and coat in her signature hue, “Reagan red,” which arguably helped solidify red as the GOP color. Like Kennedy, Reagan shared a love of color, sharp lines, and, overall, cinematic dressing. She was also known as a close friend and supporter of designers such as Bill Blass, Valentino, and Geoffrey Beene.
Photo: AP Images4/11Who: Ann Richards
Where/When: Democratic National Convention, 1988
The Look: To give the keynote address at the 1988 DNC, then–Texas State Treasurer Ann Richards, who went on to became governor of the Lone Star State, chose a telegenic turquoise suit with ’80s-style exaggerated shoulders and classic pearl jewelry. But her speech, in which she famously quipped that Republican nominee George H. W. Bush was “born with a silver foot in his mouth,” proved that the most stylish thing is biting wit.
Photo: Getty Images5/11Who: Margaret Chase Smith
Where/When: At the Women’s National Press Club announcing her candidacy for President, 1964
The Look: Smith was the queen of firsts: the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress, representing her state of Maine; the first woman to be a candidate for the presidency at a major party convention; and the longest-serving female Senator in history until 2011. When the moderate Republican announced her candidacy—a thoroughly bold move, then and now—she wore a simple black suit, adorned with her trademark single-rose pin. She was way ahead of fashion’s current obsession with this floral motif, campaigning to make the rose the official U.S. flower, which was eventually instated in 1987. Furthermore, her speech at the 1964 RNC very much resonates today: She declared, “When people keep telling you you can t do a thing, you kind of like to try.”
