Sarah Huckabee Sanders Outfits That Completely Missed The Mark

In an ideal world, women should be able to work without style impacting their success or public perception. But the truth is, when women develop a high profile in the political arena, their fashion choices matter. Whether it's Michelle Obama getting called out for her inappropriate outfits or Melania Trump causing a stir with her outrageous aesthetic choices, the critical eye aimed toward women's fashion doesn't discriminate according to ideology. 

Former Trump administration press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made more headlines for her attitude in the press briefing room than she did for her sense of style, but the current Governor of Arkansas has a lot of unfortunate misses in her catalog. Whether it's an issue with poorly-fitting clothing (as seen in the red dress above), badly performing undergarments, ugly prints, or unflattering silhouettes, Huckabee Sanders has sported a lot of flops at her public appearances. It's not as if Huckabee Sanders can't afford a solid wardrobe either, so the bad tailoring and flimsy fabric can't be blamed on budget constraints. These are Sarah Huckabee Sanders' most questionable fashion choices. 

A shirtdress that draws inspo from classic men's officewear would actually be a fun and event-appropriate style for a White House press briefing, but this frock clearly takes a good idea and executes it badly. The crisscross strips of fabric across the bust are presumably intended to make the garment unique, but there's a reason that no other dresses tack on a bit of extra material in this exact spot. 

Without that extra detailing, this dress would be a passable if unmemorable outfit, but the barely visible pearls and watch that peek out from behind the cloth make this already iffy aesthetic look even more poorly styled. 

The shape of this dress is reminiscent of a burlap sack, and to be honest, burlap may have been a more visually pleasing fabric than whatever this is. Amorphous blob aesthetics are a bit of a running theme when it comes to Sarah Huckabee Sanders' worst styles, but the extra length and the somehow simultaneously loud and pallid print make a bad situation worse.

To be fair, this outfit could partially be the victim of bad lighting, but it's hard to imagine a scenario where this wouldn't give off vintage upholstery vibes. Add that to the fact that it appears to be little more than two fabric rectangles sewn together, and it really looks like questionably repurposed home decor.

This kind of rich, cobalt blue is well-suited to someone with Sarah Huckabee Sanders' complexion, but that's about the only positive with this dress. Clearly, the most noticeable component of the ensemble are the super-wide bell sleeves, as there's so much fabric for them that they're extremely bunchy at the seams. 

But, the fabric in itself is a bit of a problem, as it looks cheap and flimsy, and based on the unevenness of the hemline and obvious wrinkles, it doesn't look like it's very easy to work with. Plus, while the color itself is pretty, it has a kind of ashy overtone, and the flatness of the hue combined with the sack-like form of the dress itself makes the actual shape of the garment borderline indiscernible.

With the right cut, this gunmetal sequin fabric could look stunning, but because of the shift silhouette, it feels bizarrely flat for something so shimmery. It's hard to rock an outfit that you don't feel comfortable in, and considering how many boxy shift dresses Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been spotted in, it seems safe to assume that this is one of her go-to looks. But the absolute shapelessness of this dress is what really kills it.

It's entirely possible to find loose-fitting attire that still has some form to it and looks flattering, but this has the appearance of a super-embellished tee shirt. The only parts of Huckabee Sanders' body that are highlighted are her back and her bust, and unfortunately, those highlights are only a reminder of how much the right or wrong undergarments can affect an outfit.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders was a repeat offender with this look, as she donned the frilly dress at multiple public events. We love sustainable fashion trends, so wearing the same garment many times over is totally in style. The problem here is that the dress is dated and unflattering, so there's no reason why it needed to take center stage more than once.

Oh dear.... 😳 I'm by no means a fashion maven, but seriously? Sarah Huckabee-Sanders woke up and got ready to give a press conference as Governor-elect of Arkansas, and this is the outfit she chose for the occasion? Really? Even the gentleman seated is looking at her like wtf pic.twitter.com/n9Z3uoanNH

— M😷ndriany🦠ne 🌻🇺🇦💙💛🇬🇪 (@mondrianyone) January 3, 2023

At one event, Huckabee Sanders wore some standard heels and (unfortunately) let the dress speak for itself. The superfluous frills add volume and make the dress feel more childlike, but when paired with some knee-high boots, the entire look comes together and seems like an homage to 19th century cowgirls. 

Sarah Huckabee Sanders made an appearance in this dress during a 2020 event stumping for Donald Trump, and she was on-brand for the Miami locale in all the wrong ways. This city on Florida's southeastern coast is such a hotbed of style that it's even home to its own fashion week, and most people associate the metropolis with vibrant, beachy resort wear. 

Huckabee Sanders at least hit the mark with a light color and slightly flowy-but-fitted tailoring, but the print on the fabric is incredibly reminiscent of the skin of a trout. Except many varieties of trout have more appealing colors and luminescence to them than the drab, flat material of this dress. Taking inspiration from nature and aquatic life seems like a can't-miss choice in Miami, so it's almost impressive that a 'fit like this still doesn't fit in.

Fundamentally, there's actually nothing wrong with this Eliza J dress that Sarah Huckabee Sanders wore to a White House press briefing. The deep cranberry color is flattering with her hair and skin tone, and most crucially, the garment looks well-fitted and tailored. It's a slightly looser silhouette, a style that Huckabee Sanders obviously favors, but it looks roomy enough to be comfortable without completely losing any sense of shape whatsoever. So, what puts this on her worst dress list? She wasn't the only one wearing it.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders made light of the fact that she and journalist Kristen Welker were rocking the same frock at the same press briefing, calling on Welker for the first question because of their twinning outfits. Considering the other fashion faux pas that Huckabee Sanders has committed, accidentally matching someone else at an event is pretty low on the totem pole, so hopefully, the next time she sports this nice-looking dress, no one else in her vicinity makes the same sartorial choice.