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| Rosalynn Carter, White House Trendsetter | Rosalynn Carter, White House Trendsetter |
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| Rosalynn Carter, who died on Sunday at age 96, was rarely included on any list of best-dressed first ladies. She was not generally called “stylish” or “trendsetting.” She did not play the White House dress-up game, at least as designed by predecessors such as Dolley Madison and Jackie Kennedy. Most of the time, she seemed to actively reject it. | Rosalynn Carter, who died on Sunday at age 96, was rarely included on any list of best-dressed first ladies. She was not generally called “stylish” or “trendsetting.” She did not play the White House dress-up game, at least as designed by predecessors such as Dolley Madison and Jackie Kennedy. Most of the time, she seemed to actively reject it. |
| But that does not mean Mrs. Carter did not fully understand the power and political use of clothes, or how to strategically deploy them during her time in Washington. In fact, it is possible to see her time as first lady as a blueprint for an alternative approach to image-making that is still being used today. | But that does not mean Mrs. Carter did not fully understand the power and political use of clothes, or how to strategically deploy them during her time in Washington. In fact, it is possible to see her time as first lady as a blueprint for an alternative approach to image-making that is still being used today. |
| Starting with Mrs. Carter’s declaration, after Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976, that the one item she would be taking with her to the White House from Georgia was her sewing machine. As a symbol, it was a succinct message to anyone listening that this was, indeed, a recession-era administration that would prioritize economy and accessibility. It was also a nod to her own folksy roots as the daughter of a dressmaker. And it set the tone for what came next — which was the greatest dressing scandal of the administration. | Starting with Mrs. Carter’s declaration, after Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976, that the one item she would be taking with her to the White House from Georgia was her sewing machine. As a symbol, it was a succinct message to anyone listening that this was, indeed, a recession-era administration that would prioritize economy and accessibility. It was also a nod to her own folksy roots as the daughter of a dressmaker. And it set the tone for what came next — which was the greatest dressing scandal of the administration. |
| That took place during the 1977 inauguration, after the Carters had made history by becoming the first first couple to walk rather than ride during the inaugural parade. (Mrs. Carter’s stroll-appropriate high-neck teal cloth coat by Dominic Rompollo, a New York designer, knee-high leather boots and leather gloves all look notably modern.) | That took place during the 1977 inauguration, after the Carters had made history by becoming the first first couple to walk rather than ride during the inaugural parade. (Mrs. Carter’s stroll-appropriate high-neck teal cloth coat by Dominic Rompollo, a New York designer, knee-high leather boots and leather gloves all look notably modern.) |