Second lady Usha Vance responded to a New York Times fashion analysis that tied her pregnancy outfits to political messaging, posting that her $8.75 Old Navy dress held no such intent.
When Usha Vance stepped into a spotlight on June 21, it was in a coral maternity dress designed to fit closely around her growing belly. The setting was light—“Storytime with the Second Lady,” a Father’s Day special—yet the outfit quickly became the center of a dispute far beyond style.
Vance, who is expecting her fourth child, wore the fitted maternity look with a cowl neckline in the episode. She is expecting a boy due in July with Vice President JD Vance. But a New York Times article the same week cast her pregnancy presentation as something more deliberate than clothing. arguing that the public image of MAGA women—Vance included—has taken on political weight.
In the New York Times piece titled “The Politics and Power of the Pregnancy Image. ” chief fashion critic Vanessa Friedman wrote that the pregnant bellies of women tied to the Trump administration. including Vance. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’s wife. Katie Miller. have consistently been placed at the forefront of public appearances. Friedman added that. since the women revealed their pregnancies. their time in view has emphasized their growing stomachs. creating what she described as a “notably consistent” and “somewhat paradigm-shifting” picture of the White House’s family and fertility platform.
Friedman also framed Vance’s role as second lady as one meant to “represent and humanize the vice president,” saying that by highlighting her pregnancy, she is “doing exactly that.”
Vance’s response was immediate and personal—rooted in the price tag.
On June 24. Vance posted on X that she “did not realize” her “$8.75 coral maternity dress” from Old Navy carried political significance. “Now that we know the political significance of my $8.75 coral maternity dress from Old Navy. ” she wrote. “can’t wait to hear what the New York Times has to say about my elastic-waistband pants and compression socks!” She added: “In the meantime. enjoy my pregnancy fashion (or lack thereof) and a good story with your kids on Storytime with the Second Lady.”.
She followed up by sharing the receipt for the dress. The item originally retailed for $44.99, then was marked down to $12.49, with an additional coupon bringing the final price to $8.75. The dress is no longer available on Old Navy’s website, and it appears to have been sold out.
A New York Times spokesperson later responded in an email on June 25. Charlie Stadtlander said the paper was “glad the Second Lady had a chance to read The Times’s reporting on fashion and pregnancy. ” and described the analysis as presenting a “fair and illuminating” view of women in the Trump administration and their “ownership of motherhood and image.”.
The exchange also lands against a backdrop of how Vance says she’s approached her pregnancies. In an interview with NBC’s Kate Snow on “Today. ” Vance said that compared to her last pregnancy. she has had to “dress up a lot more” this time around. She recalled that during her previous pregnancy, “there were a lot of sweatpants.”.
The couple’s growing family is also drawing public attention for another reason: their fourth child will be the first born to a sitting vice president in modern American history. Vance and JD Vance already have three children—Ewan, 9; Vivek, 6; and Mirabel, 4.
JD Vance has said they have not settled on a name for the baby yet. In an interview with USA TODAY earlier this month. the vice president. 41. said: “We have not decided on the name yet.” He explained that he and his wife “chose the names of all three children ‘very late. ’” and did not settle on names for two of the three until the children were born. “Usha and I have very different perspectives on what to name kids. ” he said. adding that they debate while heading into the delivery room and then decide once they see the baby. He said they know the child is a boy and that he expects to name him by the time they have to put a name on a birth certificate.
For now, the debate over pregnancy images continues—this time with Vance pushing back by returning the argument to something she clearly wants to keep ordinary. A dress, a receipt, and a clear insistence that the meaning others attach to her appearance wasn’t part of the original purchase.
Usha Vance JD Vance pregnancy fashion debate New York Times Vanessa Friedman Old Navy Old Navy maternity dress Karoline Leavitt Stephen Miller Katie Miller Storytime with the Second Lady X post Charlie Stadtlander