Stylists have weighed in on Katie Zacharia’s fashion choices during her brief stint as White House press secretary.
The 41-year-old was asked to resign on Friday after a shaky first press briefing and revelations that she had not passed the bar exam, despite describing herself as an attorney.
Although her time in the role was short, Zacharia offered the public a glimpse of her approach to political dressing.
For the awkward briefing, the mother of four wore a white ascot-tie V-neck blouse beneath a $795 navy double-breasted Veronica Beard blazer, teamed with a matching pencil skirt.
She completed the outfit with loose blonde curls and pointed-toe heels.
Audrey Charlyes Jacquet, a luxury fashion expert and founder of Maison Charlyes Jacquet, called the ensemble “classic armor.”
“It borrows from military dress and tries to say ‘lawyer’ before she opens her mouth,” Jacquet told the Daily Mail. “The problem is that the suit made a promise the briefing didn’t keep.”
“Fourteen minutes and three questions is a lot of gold buttons for very little command,” the stylist added.
Stylists have weighed in on Katie Zacharia’s fashion choices during her brief stint as White House press secretary
Her short time in the role offered the public a glimpse of her political wardrobe
The look, however, appeared to attract little praise from fashion professionals.
Fashion stylist Phyllis Leibowitz said Zacharia’s outfit immediately drew her attention—for all the wrong reasons.
She identified the white blouse as the main problem, saying: “It was VERY confusing. As soon as I saw her at the podium, I had a visceral, guttural reaction.”
“I’ve been a fashion stylist for a long time, and I’ve never seen anything like it. In fact, I’m not even sure I know how to describe it properly.”
Leibowitz said the blouse’s “cheap-looking” fabric competed with Zacharia’s remarks, explaining: “Because it was bright white, it distracted from her face.”
“She has a fab figure, and I thought her navy suit fit really well in full-length photos, but up close, the complicated neckline was too distracting alongside the blazer’s large gold buttons.”
“When she stood at the podium, there was simply too much going on. I style women very differently when they are only going to be seen from the waist up—you want the focus to remain on her face and what she has to say.”
On other occasions, Zacharia was photographed leaving Air Force One in a black, long-sleeved turtleneck maxi dress featuring a side slit and ruched detailing. She was also seen on television wearing a vivid red top beneath a black blazer.
Zacharia was photographed leaving Air Force One in a black, long-sleeved turtleneck maxi dress with a side slit and ruched detailing
Style experts have told the Daily Mail how Zacharia’s political wardrobe compares with that of her predecessor, Karoline Leavitt
But how did her style compare to that of her predecessor, 29-year-old Karoline Leavitt?
Leavitt, who officially retired from her post as spokesperson back in August, regularly flaunted her accessible fashion choices with Zara being one of the go-to brands for the mom-of-one.
Earlier this week, she continued to turn up her influencer charm by welcoming questions from her 3.1 million Instagram followers.
Asked about her style, she admitted shopping is her ‘weakness’ before reeling off a list of her favorite brands that included a broad range from Ralph Lauren to TJ Maxx.
Jacquet told the Daily Mail: ‘Karoline Leavitt dressed like the campaign never ended: bright, fitted sheath dresses, the cross necklace, polished but accessible.
‘Her wardrobe sat mostly in the contemporary tier, labels like Self-Portrait, where a dress costs a few hundred dollars, not a few thousand. It read as young, on-message and camera-ready.’
She added: ‘Katie Zacharia dressed for a different job, or at least a different picture of the job.’
Leavitt, who officially retired from her post as spokesperson back in August, regularly flaunted her accessible fashion choices with Zara being a go-to brand for the mom-of-one
Asked about her sense of style, she admitted shopping is her ‘weakness’ before reeling off a list of her favorite brands that included a broad range from Ralph Lauren to TJ Maxx
New York City-based fashion stylist Liz Teich told the Daily Mail that Leavitt’s wardrobe ‘felt a bit more polished and professional than what we saw during Katie Zacharia’s short stint.’
She continued of Zacharia’s few appearances: ‘She seemed to aim to fit the mold of a typical woman in Trump’s orbit with her wardrobe, hair and makeup, which often appeared overdone.
‘Her outfits also didn’t quite read as professional and something you’d expect within the White House, but rather more what one thinks would be professional, but just a bit too tight and low cut.’
Teich concluded: ‘Trump clearly has a type, and hopefully we’ll see someone with the skills, credentials and professional style to fill the role next.’
Wardrobe consultant Amanda Sanders agreed, saying that there was a ‘noticeable difference’ between the pair.
She explained that while Leavitt ‘favoured a more conservative, classic approach to dressing,’ Zacharia’s ‘felt more overtly glamorous.’
‘Neither woman needs to dress like the other. But there is a difference between looking fashionable and looking appropriately styled for the role you hold.
‘In politics, your wardrobe should support your credibility, not distract from it… The strongest political wardrobes are consistent, appropriate and memorable for the right reasons.’
Sanders finished by stating: ‘I would not tell [Zacharia] to abandon glamour or femininity. I would tell her to edit, refine and elevate…
‘As a stylist, my job is never simply to put someone in a beautiful outfit. It is to make sure the entire look communicates who they are, what they represent and how they want to be perceived.’