The role of First Lady is surprisingly complex in United States politics. These women often take on major national responsibilities, like Melania Trump’s “Be Best” campaign and Michelle Obama’s attempts to make American youths healthier. However, it’s also an open secret that a presidential spouse is there to look pretty and sometimes provide a pleasant distraction from whatever scandals her husband is currently dealing with.
This is most clear on inauguration day, when presidents are sworn in and officially begin the most important job in the country. The entire world is watching during these events, which is why most First Ladies dress to impress…most of the time, at least. As it turns out, some of the most famous First Ladies in American history attended the inauguration while wearing outfits that ranged from boring to absolutely bonkers.
Who are the worst offenders, and what kinds of fashion faux pas did they make? Keep reading to learn the answers!
Green wasn’t money for Michelle Obama
For the most part, Michelle Obama was a very fashionable FLOTUS. Sure, she caught static for outfits that bared her arms (or, on vacation, her legs), but that’s just nitpicking. After all, you don’t have to dress formally to look fabulous! Unfortunately, her keen fashion sensibilities seemed to fly right out the window when she wore a greenish dress to Barack Obama’s first presidential inauguration (we’re assuming it was in the closet next to his controversial tan suit).
The problem wasn’t with the design of the dress…look closely and you can see all the fine details that, on paper, might seem like a solid inauguration ‘fit. However, the color was a weird shade of yellowish green that looked (sorry, it had to be said) a bit like an infant had diarrhea. It was unflattering to the extreme, and Michelle topped things off with accessories that didn’t really match her overall aesthetic.
Mismatched accessories and a terrible dress color? Come on, Michelle, we all know you can do better than this!
RELATED: Michelle Obama’s Secrets Revealed By Her Former Secret Service
Eleanor Roosevelt goes full frumpy
There’s a fair argument that Eleanor Roosevelt was the first celebrity FLOTUS. Her husband, iconic president Franklin D. Roosevelt, served a whopping four terms, which means they spent 16 years in the public eye. Eleanor was used to having the eyes of the world on her, but that didn’t mean she always dressed to impress. This was abundantly clear at her husband’s inauguration in 1933, where she became possibly the frumpiest woman in the country!
To celebrate this big event, Eleanor wore a droopy blouse that looked like it was practically dragging the floor. If that wasn’t bad enough, she wore an unflattering hat and an outfit that made her look much bigger than she actually was. While she had a reputation for not caring too much about appearances, this really took things to the next level…honestly, Eleanor looked like she just threw on the first things she found in the closet and decided to call it a day!
Hillary Clinton learns that plaid is bad
Hillary Clinton is an interesting example of a FLOTUS who was really ahead of her time when it came to fashion. She more or less made the pantsuit an American icon through sheer force of will, and it didn’t take long before that particular outfit became synonymous with strong, independent women. Weirdly enough, however, Hillary didn’t wear one of her legendary suits to either of her husband’s inaugurations. And what she wore to his first one is a fashion blunder so weirdly off-putting that we wonder if she happened to see herself in a mirror before stepping outside.
Specifically, she wore a pink and plaid suit that was hideously unflattering…like, it almost seems that she ripped the covering of a picnic table off and decided to make it work as a dress. Even weirder, she chose to wear a big, blue hat as her only accessory, one that clashed with the dress and hid her beautiful hair. The overall effect was surreal…Hillary looked less like a glamorous First Lady and more like she was on her way to a costume party!
RELATED: 6 Biggest Scandals Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton Want to Keep Hidden
Melania Trump dressed like a Batman villain
Melania Trump is one of the most stylish First Ladies in American history, and for good reason. After all, she was a model appearing in magazines around the world long before she moved into the White House. Given that, it would actually be a little weird if she didn’t have a highly-evolved sense of fashion!
However, Melania’s major fashion downfall is that she takes big swings with her style, and they don’t always connect. For example, for Donald Trump’s second inauguration, she wore a boring, navy-blue suit with a wide-brimmed hat that completely hid her expression. It’s a truly insane choice, one that made her look a bit like a Batman villain. Specifically, she looked like Jack Nicholson before he became the Joker, which is a downright strange look for one of the most beautiful women in the world.