16 of the most controversial outfits first ladies have worn

Grover and Frances Cleveland became the first and only president and first lady to wed in the White House when they married in 1886. She was also the youngest first lady in history at 21 years old, making her an instant celebrity and fashion icon.

The Women's Christian Temperance Union petitioned Frances to stop wearing dresses that they deemed too revealing for showing her shoulders, but she never stopped or responded to their protests.

Martha Weinman of The New York Times called Kennedy's vibrant outfit "something of possibly vast political consequence" in 1960, suggesting a new type of first lady was emerging.

"This fall the question of style for a President's wife may be a Great Issue. Can too much chic — or too little — mean votes?" she wrote.

Betty Ford was an ardent supporter of the women's liberation movement of the 1970s, but wearing pants in public was still considered unacceptable for first ladies, according to the National First Ladies' Library.

She was photographed in pants only one time, while dancing atop the Cabinet Room table on her last day as first lady in 1977.

Carter's blue chiffon gown with gold trim and matching gold embroidered coat were designed by Mary Matise for Jimmae. Critics thought the first lady had a responsibility to the fashion industry and should have worn something more current instead of repeating an older look, according to the National Museum of American History.

"It was surprisingly bare for a first lady and it was decidedly glamorous," wrote Washington Post's senior critic-at-large Robin Givhan in 2016.

While Clinton later became known for her trademark pantsuits when she ran for president in 2016, she didn't start wearing them regularly until her last year as first lady as they remained controversial, according to the National First Ladies' Library.

Painted by artist Simmie Knox, the first Black portraitist to paint an official presidential portrait, Clinton wearing pants in a first lady portrait was a historic first.

"Most of the complaints centered on the dress conveying a sense of informality on a serious occasion," Chicago Tribune style reporter Wendy Donahue told ABC News in 2009.

"I wore a sleeveless aubergine dress to Barack's address to the joint session of Congress and a sleeveless black sheath dress for my official White House photo, and suddenly my arms were making headlines," Obama wrote in her 2018 memoir "Becoming."

When reporters asked her representatives about the expensive sneakers, they said, "They're shoes."

In a 2013 interview on BET's "106 & Park," Obama called the shorts her biggest fashion regret because they "created a huge stink."

Obama also wrote about the incident in "Becoming."

"Late in the summer of 2009, we went on a family trip in the Grand Canyon, and 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," she wrote. "It seemed that my clothes mattered more to people than anything I had to say."

Many wondered if the pussy-bow blouse was related to audio of Donald Trump remarking that he could "grab" women "by the p---y" because "when you're a star they let you do it" that had leaked a few days earlier.

A campaign spokeswoman said that the similarity was not intentional, according to a tweet by Sopan Deb, then of CBS News.

Melania Trump wore a $51,500 Dolce & Gabbana jacket to meet with spouses of world leaders at the G-7 summit in Italy.

Purchasing the floral multicolored jacket requires a $25,750 deposit. The full cost of the jacket is more than most Americans make in a year, which proved a controversial choice.

Trump wore the Manolo Blahnik pumps, which retail for $625 at Neiman Marcus, to board Marine One on her way to visit sites affected by Hurricane Harvey.

By the time she disembarked in Texas, she had changed into sneakers.

Trump initially denied that the jacket's message was significant in any way in an interview with ABC News.

A few months later in another interview, she said the message was meant for "the left-wing media who are criticizing me" over a number of scandals, which she said may make her the "most bullied person in the world."

Trump wore the helmet while visiting Nairobi National Park in Kenya. Many people pointed out on social media that the pith helmet is heavily symbolic of colonial rule, frequently worn by European travelers and military personnel from colonial armies.

Biden previously wore the tights as second lady to the 75th Anniversary USO Show at Joint Base Andrews in May 2016. As first lady, the outfit came under more scrutiny for seeming too risqué.

Biden addressed the criticism in an interview with Vogue.

"It's amazing how much people pay attention to every little detail," she said. "And they weren't fishnets. They weren't lace. They were very pretty stockings."