5 First Lady Outfits That Unfairly Got Backlash For Showing Too Much Leg

When it comes to White House attire, first ladies have to make sure they follow the bizarre fashion rule of donating their designer freebies. Beyond that, there isn't a lot of official guidance on their apparel. Even so, first ladies have been criticized for their choices, especially with more revealing 'fits. Over two hundred years ago, a woman chastised Dolley Madison, saying, (via White House History), "She loads herself with finery and dresses without any taste." Truth be told, in her official portrait, Madison's neckline still looks pretty low, even by 21st century standards.

Arms have also been a hot topic. In the late 1800s, Frances Cleveland got flak for wearing a sleeveless fit, as did Michelle Obama when she wore a similar cut in 2009. Luckily, in both cases, others saw that the criticism was unfair, and appreciation for Obama's killer biceps gained its own fandom.

As for showing their legs, first ladies have experienced mixed results. Eleanor Roosevelt was photographed in 1940 wearing a swimsuit with a skirted bottom that revealed up to mid-thigh. Unless any criticism was lost to history, people didn't bat an eye. Similarly, in March 2021, Dr. Jill Biden showed more leg than she intended, when a breeze lifted her dress and exposed her thighs. Biden felt compelled to comment on the incident, saying, "Note to self, next time I come to the desert, no skirt" (via Desert Sun). However, no one had harsh words for her. In other instances, however, Biden and her fellow first ladies haven't been as lucky when they showcased their leggier 'fits. 

Back in 2009, Michelle Obama took a lot of heat for typical summer attire: a pair of shorts. While some thought the hemline was too high, these gray shorts actually look pretty unassuming. She even wore a button-down shirt over her tank top. However, despite the fact she was on vacation and not official White House business, some still took issue with Obama showing her gams to the media.

Sadly, the criticism appeared to sting for a long time. "I was lambasted for an apparent lack of dignity when I was photographed getting off Air Force One (in 106-degree heat, I might add) dressed in a pair of shorts," Obama later remarked in her memoir "Becoming." However, she and her shorts had lots of public support right from the start — evidence that the reprimand was unfair. "She's comfortable in her own skin," author Mandi Norwood informed CBS News. "This is a very practical statement by a very practical person."

In April 2021, Dr. Jill Biden was photographed wearing an all-black 'fit. The pleated skirt reached just above her knees, revealing a pair of patterned black tights. The look proved polarizing, and the New York Post was one of the outlets to report on it and share the snapshots on X, formerly Twitter. On social media, some people made ageist remarks, claiming that the then-almost-70-year-old Biden's style was only appropriate for a younger person.

Jill Biden's fishnet stockings are receiving mixed reactions https://t.co/rNxZkhVNNq pic.twitter.com/hFL9zEngsx

— New York Post (@nypost) April 5, 2021

Others appeared to completely to get the details wrong. "Jill Biden dressing in fishnet stockings and mini skirt! Trashy," condemned one user on X. However, the skirt is hardly a mini, and Biden herself clarified what more discerning fashionistas already knew — the tights were not an open-weave design. "And they weren't fishnets. They weren't lace. They were very pretty stockings," Biden informed Vogue.

For all the detractors, the first lady also received supportive comments, proving that Biden's killer legs are her greatest asset.

These days, skinny-fit pants are typically no big deal, and Melania Trump's showed off her legs in skinny pants in multiple hues and materials. However, sometimes color can attract a lot of shade, as Melania discovered in December 2018. Pants that nearly match a wearer's skin tone can cause confusion. Melania was photographed walking hand in hand with Donald Trump, and at first glance, she seems to be revealing a lot of bare leg under her coat — a pretty chilly choice for Washington, D.C. in winter. "Where are your pants? And sunglasses at night? Something isn't right!" deduced one poster on X, formerly Twitter.

With closer study, other people figured out that she was simply wearing tan pants slightly darker than her skin tone. Even so, some were compelled to make jokes, accusing Melania of emulating Donald's worst fake tan fails, but on her legs.

Although Jacqueline Kennedy's coat/pillbox hat combo looms large in our collective memories, Jackie also showed some skin. John F. Kennedy even laid out restrictions regarding media access while she was wearing swimwear. "The only photos of Mrs. Kennedy in a bathing suit, other than long distance lens sometimes, were arranged by myself with the press," former Secret Service agent Clint Hill recalled to Yahoo! However, the above swimsuit pic was reportedly taken with permission. While it wasn't the bikini that JFK absolutely wanted to avoid, this body-hugging, modern-looking suit is cut pretty high up on the thigh. 

Despite the careful orchestrations, Jackie wasn't immune from chastisement. "From the pictures appearing in our daily press, it appears that all decorum, dignity and decency has been thrown overboard by our President and the First Lady," reprimanded Rev. Willis J. Ray in a letter to Congress (via Daily News). According to the Rocky Mountain News, a British journalist quickly defended Jackie, albeit with some superfluous remarks about the varying body types of her first-lady predecessors.

Nancy Reagan was quite the fashionista, and she wore James Galanos' designer clothes decades before she became first lady. During a 1982 trip to Paris, Reagan spotlighted her legs by wearing a pair of shorter leggings made by the designer, or "rhinestone-trimmed black satin knickers" as a UPI article described them at the time, under a skirt.

Nancy Reagan's gay friends had their revenge: they told her she looked good in these satin knickers. pic.twitter.com/OcrrrpM1fr

— Paul Rudnick (@PaulRudnickNY) March 11, 2016

People weren't impressed. Out of approximately 20 'fits that Reagan rocked during her trip, it was the only one that fell flat. Some individuals were apparently up in arms because Reagan sort of wore pants to a major public event. Even though the criticism in the press was nothing like today's scathing social media remarks, this ill-fated ensemble has been continually referenced long after Reagan left the White House. While the choice looks weirdly indecisive, in Reagan's defense it was the style at the time, since similar looks were part of Galanos' runway fashions.