First lady Helen Taft gladly supported the establishment of the Smithsonian's First Ladies Collection in 1912. The first to donate her inaugural ball gown, Taft began the tradition of having these dresses archived and put on display.
However, due to the Great Depression and World Wars I and II, it wasn't until 1949 that another inaugural ball was held. Bess Truman wore a black velvet dress, and it was reported that music played until 2 in the morning.
Source: The New York Times
Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first president to celebrate his election with not one, but two inaugural balls. In 1953, first lady Mamie Eisenhower's inaugural ball gown was a light pink peau de soie gown with more than 2,000 rhinestones sewn into it. A week before the event, Mamie released photographs and descriptions of the dress to the press.
First lady Jacqueline Kennedy was highly aware of how influence and status are part of fashion. For the 1961 inaugural ball, she helped design her own outfit with designer Ethel Frankau of Bergdorf Custom Salon. The outfit included an exterior cape.
Beneath that was a silk chiffon sleeveless top over an off-white strapless satin-weave fabric, which was embroidered with silver thread.
Lady Bird Johnson wore a long yellow gown and coat with fur lining by American designer John Moore to the 1965 inaugural ball. The New York Times reported that the Johnsons danced to the song "The Way You Look Tonight."
Source: The New York Times
Pat Nixon also chose the color yellow for her dress for the 1969 inaugural ball. Designed by Karen Stark for the line Harvey Berin, the dress was worn to the Smithsonian Institution — which hosted one of the balls — and was later donated to their collection.
Instead of a black-tie ball, President Carter hosted the "people's inaugural parties," creating a less formal atmosphere with a more affordable ticket price of $25. In light of that theme, first lady Rosalynn Carter wore a six-year-old dress that she had previously worn to her husband's inauguration ceremony as governor of Georgia.
Source: The New York Times
The 1981 inaugural celebrations for President Ronald Reagan were called the "most lavish" in American history by The New York Times. Nancy Reagan wore a one-shouldered gown designed by James Galanos, whose garments were made for high-profile clients.
Source: The New York Times
First lady Barbara Bush wore a dress designed by Arnold Scaasi for the 1989 inaugural ball. Scaasi, who had been designing clothing worn by first ladies since Mamie Eisenhower, called this two-tone gown "Barbara blue."
Source: The LA Times
For the 1993 inaugural ball, first lady Hillary Clinton wore a dress designed by the little-known, Manhattan-based designer Sarah Phillips. A fan of her work, Clinton asked Phillips to begin creating sketches for the dress before President Bill Clinton had even won the election.
Source: The New York Times
In 1997, a record number of 14 inaugural balls were held for President Clinton. This time around, Hillary Clinton went with a gown designed by well-known designer Oscar de la Renta.
For the 2001 inaugural ball, first lady Laura Bush represented her home state with a gown made by Dallas-based designer Michael Faircloth.
First lady Michelle Obama kept her dress choice a secret from both the press and the gown's designer, Jason Wu, until the evening of the inaugural ball in 2009. Wu had designed the white silk chiffon dress with the idea that it symbolized hope. Fashion journalist Kate Betts compared the gown to a wedding dress, its white color representing a new beginning.
In 2013, Michelle Obama chose another Jason Wu design, which Wu told The New York Times was "an honor."
Source: The New York Times
