How much significance can an off-the-rack coral maternity dress hold? Turns out a lot, if it's at the center of a style controversy.
In a Father's Day special episode of "Storytime with the Second Lady," released June 21, Usha Vance donned a fitted coral maternity dress with a cowl neckline that highlighted her bump. The second lady is expecting her fourth child, a boy due in July, with Vice President JD Vance.
The dress would have largely gone unnoticed had it not been for a New York Times article titled "The Politics and Power of the Pregnancy Image," in which chief fashion critic Vanessa Friedman wrote that the pregnant bellies of MAGA women, including Vance, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller's wife, Katie Miller, have taken center stage.
"Indeed, ever since Vance, Leavitt and Miller revealed their pregnancies, their public appearances have showcased their growing stomachs," Friendman wrote. "Together, the women have created a notably consistent, and somewhat paradigm-shifting, picture of the White House’s family and fertility platform."
Vance fired back, writing she did not realize her $8.75 coral maternity dress held so much "political significance."
