First ladies from Martha Washington to Jill Biden have gotten outsized attention for their clothing instead of their views
- Written by Nichola D. Gutgold, Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, Penn State
First lady Jill Biden presents her Inauguration Day clothing at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in January 2023. Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesFirst ladies’ fashion choices tend to attract a lot of attention and often, quite literally, go down in history.
Now, with their new home at the Smithsonian Museum’s popular...




