Photos Show Inaugural Gowns First Ladies Have Worn Over The Last 100 Years

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Grace Coolidge was all smiles in a gray dress and top hat to match President Calvin Coolidge's during his second inauguration.

Grace Coolidge was an immensely popular first lady whose friendliness balanced Calvin Coolidge's reserved nature, according to the White House.

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Lou Henry Hoover wore a velvet dress with a zig-zag pattern to Herbert Hoover's inauguration.

In May 1929, she became the first first lady to appear in Vogue, Katherine A.S. Sibley wrote in "A Companion to First Ladies."

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The shade of Eleanor Roosevelt's inaugural gown became known as "Eleanor Blue" at President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first inauguration.

Eleanor Roosevelt's dress and matching wrap were made of velvet, The New York Times reported. Her gowns were designed and made entirely in the US.

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Eleanor Roosevelt chose a white Sally Milgrim design for her husband's second inauguration.

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She wore another ivory dress for Franklin D. Roosevelt's third inauguration in 1941.

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Eleanor Roosevelt wore a pink lace gown to her husband's historic fourth inauguration.

In 1951, the 22nd Amendment was ratified, placing limits on the number of terms a president could serve.

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No inaugural ball was held when President Harry S. Truman was sworn in shortly after Roosevelt's death in 1945. Bess Truman wore a matching skirt suit set with a ruffled blouse when her husband took the oath of office.

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In 1949, Bess Truman wore a fur coat to her husband's second inauguration. Later, for the inaugural balls, she wore a gray satin dress with a silver feather pattern.

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Mamie Eisenhower wore a pale-pink de soie inaugural gown which was embroidered with over 2,000 rhinestones.

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Mamie Eisenhower's 1957 inaugural gown, designed by Nettie Rosenstein, was embroidered with pearls, crystals, and topaz.

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Jacqueline Kennedy attended the inaugural balls wearing a sleeveless off-white silk chiffon gown with a matching cape that she helped design in collaboration with Ethel Frankau of Bergdorf Custom Salon.

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After President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, his vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, took the oath of office in a haphazard ceremony aboard Air Force One. Lady Bird Johnson wore a simple dress with a pearl necklace.

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When Lyndon B. Johnson was reelected in 1965, Lady Bird Johnson wore a bright-yellow gown ordered from Neiman Marcus.

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Pat Nixon also wore a yellow inaugural ball gown. Hers was made of silk satin and featured Swarovski crystals.

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Pat Nixon wore a turquoise gown designed by Adele Simpson for President Richard Nixon's second inauguration.

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There were no formal inaugural festivities after Richard Nixon resigned and President Gerald Ford became president in 1974. Betty Ford wore a blue skirt suit for his swearing-in ceremony.

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Rosalynn Carter's blue chiffon inaugural gown, designed by Mary Matise for Jimmae, was the same dress that she wore to Jimmy Carter's inauguration as governor of Georgia.

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Nancy Reagan wore a one-shouldered lace gown over silk satin to the 1981 inaugural balls. The dress and gloves were designed by James Galanos. Her beaded shoes were from David Evins.

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Nancy Reagan wore another James Galanos gown for her husband's second inauguration. The white chiffon gown was embroidered with glass beads that reportedly took more than 300 hours to apply by hand.

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Barbara Bush wore a royal-blue gown with a velvet bodice to the inaugural balls. The dress' designer, Arnold Scaasi, called her "the most glamorous grandmother in the United States," according to the Smithsonian.

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Hillary Clinton wore a violet beaded lace sheath gown with a blue velvet silk overskirt to the 1993 inaugural balls. The dress was designed by Sarah Phillips and made by New York theatrical costume designer Barbara Matera Ltd.

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For Bill Clinton's second inauguration, Hillary Clinton wore an ivory gown with metallic embellishments by Oscar de la Renta.

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Laura Bush attended inaugural balls in a red gown by Texas designer Michael Faircloth. The dress was made of Chantilly lace embroidered with crystals over silk georgette.

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Laura Bush chose a silver Oscar de la Renta gown for the 2005 inaugural balls.

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Michelle Obama wore a custom white inaugural gown by Jason Wu. The dress was made of white silk chiffon and sparkled with organza flower embellishments containing Swarovski crystal centers.

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She wore Jason Wu again in 2013, this time choosing a red cross-halter strap gown.

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Melania Trump wore an off-the-shoulder white gown with a slit accompanied by a thin burgundy ribbon to the inaugural balls. The dress was designed by Hervé Pierre in collaboration with Melania Trump.

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There were no inaugural balls in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Jill Biden did change into a white dress and matching cashmere coat by Gabriela Hearst for the small evening celebrations. The coat was embroidered with flowers representing every US state and territory.