Presidential Style: Past and Present
Kennedy and Obama
By Deirdre Uria
Image Courtesy of: Keystone Press Agency
Do you know which former president had red hair, but hid it under a wig? Do you know which color Nancy Reagan adored to wear? Read more about former (and possibly future) Presidents’ (and their spouses‘) fashion sense.
John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was the youngest man, and only Catholic, to be elected president.
Before his assassination in 1963, Kennedy was known for his dashing good looks; his hair was always combed up and to the side. His official presidential portrait shows him wearing a classic dark suit with a white collared shirt and lighter skinny tie (in comparison to the wider ties that many other politicians wore).
With his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy (Onassis), he raised a cultured family who enjoyed popular music, the arts, and socializing.
Known as the most stylish first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy had a tendency to wear French designers such as Chanel, Givenchy, and Christian Dior. However, she also enjoyed the designs of both Oleg Cassini and Lily Pulitzer. She is known for her chic style, which included pill box hats, shift dresses, and high-heeled pumps.
Barack and Michelle Obama
Barack Obama, Jr., the Junior Democrat Senator from Illinois and 2008 presidential candidate, is the first bi-racial man to ever run for the United States presidency. His style is classic, as he is always seen in suits and white collared shirts. However, on the campaign trail he has delivered speeches sans tie, and with his suit coat unbuttoned.
Michelle Obama, wife of Barack Obama, was recently listed among "10 of the World's Best-Dressed People," by Vanity Fair magazine. She can be seen with her jet black hair either curled around her face or slicked back for a more modern look. She tends to wear the following, on the campaign trail: the colors white and black, turtlenecks, and a strand of pearls.

