Inauguration Fashion 2025

A fun little post to say "hi again!"

It’s been a while! I am willing to get back into writing but we will see how far my will takes me. :) I am not intending to transform my blog into a fashion commentary blog, but was inspired by my great love of good old patriotic ceremonies to write this rundown of my favorite “inaugural outfits”. I hope you enjoy!

Obviously, all of the really serious articles covering the outfits worn for the Inauguration Ceremony on January 20th have already been written and posted as of… I don’t know… 1 a.m. on January 21st. I am not that fast. I have a 7-month-old, and also, I have to rely on those same articles to tell me where the presidential ladies may have gotten their outfits from. So, in case anyone is still interested five whole days later, here is a little rundown of the noteworthy Inaugural Outfits, in order from my least to most favorite.

Hillary Clinton

This may be the plainest outfit I include, but I did like it. I couldn’t find a good full-length image of her outfit, perhaps because the room was very crowded and Mrs. Clinton is rather short. It is a navy pantsuit, the top having a slightly asymmetrical closure and two buttons. This outfit reminds me of what an elderly ballet teacher I had years ago would wear. It is simple, but elegant. Mrs. Clinton is also wearing a “Dove of Peace” brooch. ¹

Melania Trump

I really enjoyed seeing this outfit, but the light blue coat she wore in 2017 was by far my favorite. This is certainly very elegant, but it’s a little harsh, almost a little too clean. The double-breasted coat closure is certainly very classic… maybe a bit plain given the fashion resources I am sure that Melania has.

The main point of interest of this outfit is the hat, and I do greatly appreciate that she wore a hat, as I am of the opinion that hats are woefully underrepresented in our modern day. But, this hat looks summery to me, as if she should be wearing it on a boat to keep the sun out of her eyes. Now originally the Inauguration Ceremony was supposed to be outside and I think the hat would have looked less out of place in a sunny atmosphere, even if cold. I also don’t like how much it covers her eyes. ²

Laura Bush

I include Mrs. Bush’s outfit not becuase I think it’s particularly stunning but because I think she is a lady and I have admiration for her in that she wore a knee length dress, pantyhose, and heels at the age of 78. She looks beautiful in this outfit, and I think that the rusty color really complements her.

Arabella Kushner

Arabella is Ivanka Trump’s daughter and is about 13 years old, which I found from an Internet search as I had no idea who she was. I think this outfit is really cool though. At first I thought it was a coat/dress with a cape, but Arabella actually has pants on underneath the cape. She looks warmer than most of the other people at the ceremony. (We should definitely bring back capes!) My friend (hi, Helen!) mentioned that she looks like a Star Wars character in this outfit, and that is true, but it’s still pretty cool.

Ivanka Trump

I really like Ivanka Trump’s outfit. Any other Princess of Wales fans certainly agree with me. This is positively royal. It also reminds me of Dior’s New Look of the late 1940s with its wide skirt, cinched waist, and peplum. The monochrome is very clean, but not too antiseptic. I asked my husband if he would be alright with me wearing an outfit like this every Sunday to Mass, and he said that would be fine with him. Catch me at the 9:30 tomorrow. :)

I also love the hat, no surprise. It adds to the royal-ness of the outfit, but in its design is really very simple, with no embellishments, as befits a government ceremony. I also must call some attention to Ivanka’s hairstyle, which I really like and do in my own hair on a regular basis.

Usha Vance

Now we get to my favorite!! I love Usha Vance and even more so after this fun pink ensemble. It is elegant and joyful and interesting without being flashy. She also looks very warm, although not wearing gloves in this photo. Maybe her gloves were in her pockets! Look closely and you can see that her outfit does have pockets. The self-fabric scarf tucked into her belt is a pretty cool note, one I haven’t seen elsewhere in practice but which I think is interesting. In general, I really like these coats that look like dresses: colorful, long, with interesting details. Usha’s pink suede boots are a nice note; I like that she sticks with pink.

Usha did her hair in a French twist (so classy, so presidential) and wore big, flower-like earrings (so fun!!!). I am looking to seeing what other outfits our new second lady presents herself in.

My personal favorite moment of the Inauguration was when JD Vance was being sworn in, and Usha was holding his Bible in one hand and her young daughter with her other arm, the child balanced on her hip. It was just an epic mom moment, and to keep it cool on national television was impressive. Everyone can see how much Usha loves her husband in this frame.

Have a wonderful Saturday! :)

1. Hillary Clinton Wears Symbolic ‘Peace on Earth’ Brooch and Power Suit for Donald Trump’s 2025 Inauguration With Bill Clinton

2. My husband says that Mrs. Trump’s hat makes her look like Cad Bane. This is true, but unflattering. See the creepy blue man below. 😂