Gradually it became a tradition for First Ladies to donate their first inaugural gown to the Smithsonian soon after their debut. Lady Bird Johnson had been around Washington long before her inaugural ball, and knowing the exhibit, she carefully chose materials that would stand the test of time. No beading. No chiffon. No elaborate flower patterns. Just a simple satin yellow dress, designed by John Moore, and a matching satin coat cuffed with sable. Lady Bird, famed for her environmental efforts, also made history by formally announcing the causes she would take up during the term. Since 1965, Graddy says, there’s been a expectation that a President’s wife come into her role with an public agenda in mind.
Belles of the Ball: An Insider’s Look at Inaugural Gowns
As the fashion industry speculates about what Michelle Obama will wear this Monday, we look back at other memorable inauguration gowns through history
Lady Bird Johnson, 1965: Thinking Long Term
Full List
Inaugural Gowns
- Inaugural Gowns Through History: The Way They Wore
- Edith Roosevelt, 1905: A Practical Matter
- Helen Taft, 1909: The Dress That Started It All
- Eleanor Roosevelt, 1933: The Inauguration Veteran
- Mamie Eisenhower, 1953: Pretty in Pink
- Lady Bird Johnson, 1965: Thinking Long Term
- Pat Nixon, 1969: A Bolero for the Ball
- Nancy Reagan, 1981: California Glam
- Rosalynn Carter, 1977: Something Old, Something New
- Barbara Bush, 1989: A Close Call
- Hillary Clinton, 1993: Picking Purple
- Laura Bush, 2001: Scouting Out the Competition
- Michelle Obama, 2009: An Obsession Begins