What makes an outfit “iconic”? Is it the fashion garment itself, the person wearing it, what happens when they wear it or what happens after they do? If you’ve responded to that question with “I don’t know” or “all of the above,” we get it… it’s a tough thing to define. But, when it comes to the outfits worn by First Ladies over the years, we think we can all agree that the “who” will always be iconic – after all, these women are forever engrained in U.S. history.
And, over the years, as the tenures have come and gone from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, these iconic women have worn looks that changed history, one pair of heels and pillbox hat at a time.
So, in honor of National First Ladies’ Day today, June 2, we’ve walked down memory lane to remember all the FLOTUS’s most history-making looks, from Frances Cleveland’s scandalous shoulder-bearing dresses in the 1880s or the surprisingly controversial sans-sleeves dress Michelle Obama wore to her first-ever presidential portrait.
Check out some of our favorite iconic looks below!
Mary Todd Lincoln
Image Credit: Library Of Congress/Getty Images When Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Abraham Lincoln, moved into the White House, she brought a regal essence that could only be compared to British royalty. Extravagant ballgowns, dramatic silhouettes, and ultra-intricate details!
Frances Cleveland
Image Credit: Fotosearch/Getty Images Frances Cleveland, wife to President Grover Cleveland, was known for being somewhat of a “presidential rebel.” Far beyond her time, Frances would wear dresses that showed her neck, upper chest and shoulder. Despite the scandalous backlash, the FLOTUS continued her true style.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Image Credit: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images When she was FLOTUS, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wife Eleanor Roosevelt completely revolutionized fashion at the time. Among her many favorites, of course, were her extravagant hats which she often paired with flowy, silky dresses.
Jacqueline Kennedy
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive During her time in the White House, Jacqueline Kennedy solidified herself as a fashion powerhouse. This strapless lavender dress with white gloves, for example, is one of our all-time favorites.
Jacqueline Kennedy
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive Speaking of Jacqueline’s fashion, there is one look of hers that is a forever memory to the American people: the pink tweed Chanel suit and matching pillbox hat she was wearing when her husband, President John F Kennedy, was tragically assassinated.
Betty Ford
Image Credit: David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images In this picture, Betty Ford, President Gerald Ford’s wife, made history twice. Not only was it scandalous for her to be dancing and standing on top of the Cabinet Room’s table, but she was also the first FLOTUS to wear a pantsuit.
Barbara Bush
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive Like much of the discourse surrounding what politicians and their spouses wear nowadays, this dress from Barbara Bush, wife to President George Bush, was met with backlash because she was a Republican and her dress, of course, was all-blue.
Hillary Clinton
Image Credit: Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images Did someone say another FLOTUS scandal? First Lady Hillary Clinton, the wife to President Bill Clinton, made waves after she wore this navy gown with shoulder-bearing sleeves to their first state dinner.
Michelle Obama
Image Credit: Michael Kovac/WireImage When the Obamas moved to the White House, they were already making history as the first Black President and First Lady. And, at their inaugural ball, they showed off just how glowing the two were as Michelle wowed in this red halter gown.
Michelle Obama
Image Credit: Joyce N. Boghosian/The White House via Getty Images In another memorable moment from the Obama term, haters were quick to judge Michelle Obama for opting for a sleeveless dress for her first official portrait.
Michelle Obama
Image Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images Although we’d normally apologize for including three pictures of Michelle in this gallery in the interest of fairness, we’ll just let this gold dress at their last state dinner speak for itself. Iconic in every way!
Melania Trump
Image Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images First Lady Melania Trump was traveling to Texas to see the treatment of children taken from their families at the Mexican border when she boarded the plane in this Zara jacket saying “Don’t Care, Do You?” Iconic in all the wrong ways…
Jill Biden
Image Credit: Timothy Norris/FilmMagic First Lady Dr. Jill Biden proved First Ladies can totally blend in with moviestars and popstars as she presented at the 65th GRAMMY Awards in this silver and gold Oscar de la Renta dress.