Usha Vance's Pilgrim Cosplay Next To Pope Leo Was A Fashion Hail Mary That Didn't Land

JD Vance was already being embarrassed by the new pope within minutes of Pope Leo XIV getting the gig when folks on the internet discovered that he had been making his less-than-positive opinion of the VP known on social media. Yet, just about two weeks later, Pope Leo put his feelings aside and met with JD and his wife Usha Vance. It's safe to assume that all parties involved felt a bit awkward about the interaction, and the inevitable nervousness for it is probably why Usha wore an outfit that missed the mark. 

We can understand why having a formal meeting with the new pope who has made it clear on X that he really doesn't like your husband might be an occasion with a very, very unclear dress code. Yet, we still don't understand why she landed on this particular ensemble. For her and JD's meeting with the pope, Usha sported a black dress. In itself, this is a choice we can get behind. Yet, Usha's black dress of choice had strange puffy sleeves that would have been much better suited for the local Renaissance Faire or first Thanksgiving reenactment than the Vatican.

It's hard to look at photos of the Vances' meeting with Pope Leo XIV without your eyes going straight to Second Lady Usha Vance's oversized sleeves. Yet, what she wore on her head was also an interesting choice. The day prior to the meeting, JD Vance and Usha were in attendance at Pope Leo's inaugural Mass. There, Usha seemed to send a subtle MAGA message with one reverent accessory: a chapel veil AKA mantilla, paired with a different black dress.

Unlike her husband who's Catholic, Usha is Hindu. Yet, she chose to wear this accessory for both the inaugural Mass and her meeting with the pope, indicating a particularly heightened level of respect for the figure and his religious beliefs. It's clear that reverence and appropriateness were of the utmost importance to Usha when dressing for these events, as shown by her all-black, covered-up dresses and particularly pious headpiece. It's unclear, though, if Usha's possible attempts to win the pope over with her ensembles made any difference in how he views her and her husband.