- Ron DeSantis was sworn in as Florida's governor for a second term on Tuesday.
- His wife, Casey DeSantis, wore a mint-green dress similar to one Jackie Kennedy wore in 1986.
Casey DeSantis appeared to channel Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Melania Trump at her husband Ron DeSantis' second inauguration as Florida's governor on Tuesday. Her outfit may have signaled her aspirations for her husband's political future as buzz about his presidential prospects continues to grow.
Casey attended the swearing-in ceremony, held on the steps of the Historic Capitol in Tallahassee, wearing a mint-green Alex Perry cape dress that retails for $2,600 with white gloves and silver earrings. Afterwards, she held a "A Toast to One Million Mamas" at the Governor's Mansion in recognition of the 1.1 million women she mobilized in support of her husband, Insider's Kimberly Leonard reported.
Her outfit appeared similar to the ensemble that Kennedy Onassis wore to her daughter Caroline's wedding in 1986. The former first lady wore a mint-green long-sleeved dress with white gloves, silver jewelry, and a cream clutch.
Lauren Rothman, a corporate and political fashion stylist, image expert, and author of "Style Bible: What to Wear to Work," told Insider that Casey's cape dress was also reminiscent of Melania Trump, who often wore the same silhouette.
For example, Melania wore a black Givenchy tuxedo cape dress for a dinner at Mount Vernon with French leader Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, in April 2018, attended a state dinner at Winfield House in London in a red Givenchy cape dress in June 2019, and wore a yellow Valentino caped coat to meet with then-Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, at Buckingham Palace in December 2019.
"I think there's no doubt that between the color with Jackie Kennedy and the styles that we often saw Melania in, seeing such an almost identical look to both of them is fascinating and certainly aspirational," Rothman said.
It's not the first time Casey has appeared to take inspiration from first ladies' style. For her husband's first inauguration in 2019, she wore a light-blue Ted Baker coat with a draped collar similar to the Ralph Lauren look that Melania wore to former President Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017.
Ron and Casey wed in 2009 and have three children: Madison, Mason and Mamie. Casey, a former newscaster, has been instrumental in the Florida governor's rise to fame as he remains a favorite to run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024.
Rothman said that Casey's fashion choices at both inaugurations indicate that she is dressing for the part of a future presidential wife.
"I think that she is using non-verbal communication to say, 'This is just the beginning. Watch out world, here I come. I can play that role. I can dress in that role. I can wear a color that's evocative of someone who's been in this role,'" Rothman said.