During her time as the First Daughter, Ivanka Trump’s wardrobe has shown that she’s well-aware that what she wears matters. And much like her actions since she’s become First Daughter, her wardrobe has given the public plenty to discuss.
Taking a page from her father’s “Buy American, Hire American” proposal, the adviser to President Donald Trump often chooses to wear American fashion designers that skew toward the mainstream and that have also been favored by First Ladies in the past: Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, and Oscar de la Renta, the latter of which made Ivanka’s white inauguration ceremony jumpsuit.
That’s not to say that wearing American completely ensures sartorial smooth sailing, however; it’s worth noting that although Ivanka sported Herrera’s metallic silver gown for a night out during the first months of her father’s presidencey, her timing to wear it while her father instituted an executive order banning immigrants and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries garnered immense backlash online for being insensitive during what many considered a humanitarian crisis.
Ivanka’s personal brand, however, is most overtly on display with her day-to-day clothes: conservatively cut A-line silhouettes and dressy sheath dresses in pastel hues and floral prints, often from her eponymous womenswear line, a business she started before entering the political arena. In this way, it’s possible to view Ivanka’s wardrobe as the visual narrative she’s crafted for herself — one of a proudly feminine, self-professed entrepreneur who says she advocates for the economic empowerment of women.
It’s an overt message that’s driven home cogently through the parade of dresses she sports from her own line aimed at working women, mirroring her father’s own endorsement of his brands in the past. That’s not where the similarities end, however — much like her father’s own clothing line, Ivanka’s merchandise has also come under fire for outsourcing and poor working conditions, two decidedly unstylish issues.
With that in mind, here are 17 times that Ivanka Trump’s fashion choices as one of the most visible members of the Trump administration have started a conversation.
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Write to Cady Lang at cady.lang@timemagazine.com