They are not just presidential wives and women in the shadows engaged in humanitarian work. The task of the first ladies is to be ambassadors of their country and to break the stereotypes about untouchable and stiff state leaders. Some have succeeded in this throughout history, some have been more famous than their husbands, but none until this year have fashion stylists overlooked as was the case with Melania Trump ahead of the inauguration ceremony.
When U.S. President Zachary Taylor named his wife the first lady in 1849, he had no idea how that unofficial title would change and what political and social influence it would have. About a hundred years later, one of the more notable ladies was the wife of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline, who stated that the main task of the first lady is to take care of the president so that he can serve his people better.
A Difficult Task
But Jackie was much more than a caring wife and a lady with refined fashion taste for the American public; she believed that her role significantly contributed to Kennedy’s term in the White House. She tried to influence the society of the sixties by participating in her husband’s decisions. She is particularly known for fighting to preserve American heritage and encouraging women with families to educate themselves and develop professionally because marriage and motherhood do not have to be their only life roles. They are remembered as successful ambassadors of their country, but also as fashion icons with whom every designer eagerly awaited to collaborate.
The Wife’s Sacrifice
Until January of this year, when the 45th U.S. President Donald Trump and his first lady were met with hostility by fashion houses, publicly showing in a long list of names that no designer worth their salt would dress Melania for the inauguration ceremony. Such a move from the world of an industry that has no political connotation is certainly a confirmation of the general national disappointment due to the politics and worldview of the president taking power. On the other hand, in Europe, around the same time, there was a debate about French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, 25 years older, Brigitte.
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The public was not only preoccupied with the political program of the new president but also heavily criticized that he was married to his former professor, a peer of his parents. However, this educated and smart well-preserved lady gradually silenced the nasty comments with her appearance, and she particularly delighted fashion critics with her styling. A woman whose choice of flowing youthful combinations was on thin ice, risking ridicule from the entire nation, but with wise fashion choices, she shifted the narrative about age to the background, making skirts, jeans, and casual blazers her trademark, earning praise from the public and media with every public appearance.
Kate Middleton and Princess Diana
From the eighties until the mid-nineties, the most beloved first lady came from the British court. Princess Diana was much closer and dearer to the global public than Queen Elizabeth and her stiff son, Prince Charles. She won the world over with her naturalness, sincerity, and became the greatest fashion icon for the female population. All world designers sewed for her.
