Lauren Boebert's Biggest Fashion Fails

Lauren Boebert's life has had some tragic details, but she's proud to boast of her triumph over adversity. "Only in this great country can a girl brought up on welfare live out this American dream," the Congresswoman once wrote on Instagram. "From bread lines to sitting with the President of the United States."  

One thing Boebert can't blame on her tough background, however, is her taste in clothing. The controversial Colorado politician does wear professional attire most of the time when she's in D.C.; she favors simple A-line sheath dresses and blazers. But when Boebert opts to step outside her comfort zone, it's ... well ... uncomfortable. From ill-fitting garb to odd wardrobe combos to awkward wearable messaging, she's done it all. And given her stalwart support of Donald Trump — and Trump's habit of boosting his loyalists — we'll be seeing plenty more of Boebert's sartorial hits and misses in the years to come. (You can also be sure we won't see Boebert create an outburst during the president's State of the Union address, as she did during President Biden's 2022 speech.) Here, we've singled out some examples of Boebert's most egregious fashion missteps.

Joe Biden delivered his first State of the Union address in March 2022. Just weeks earlier, Russia had invaded Ukraine in an aggressive move Biden condemned as a "brutal assault ... without provocation, without justification, without necessity," (via The White House). Many members of Congress showed their support for Ukraine and for the president by wearing blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Lauren Boebert, on the other hand, used the occasion to send her own message. She entered the chamber wearing a black shawl emblazoned with the words "DRILL BABY DRILL," a call to increase drilling for gas and oil in the U.S. and reduce dependence on Russian oil imports.

Boebert was absolutely within her rights to express her opinion; in fact, it's common for members of Congress to cheer or sit silently in reaction to the president's State of the Union remarks. But at a time when Ukrainian civilians were suffering, her fashion choice came off as more callous than patriotic.

More than a year after her shawl statement, Boebert appeared on the Congress floor wearing a bright blue dress and a yellow men's tie. Finally, she was ready to send a pro-Ukraine message! Except she wasn't. On this day in October 2023, Boebert was there to cast her vote in support of making Jim Jordan the new Speaker of the House. The representative from Ohio, known for his fashion preferences, had twice failed to get the votes he needed to succeed John Boehner. "I'll keep voting for @Jim_Jordan until he runs out of yellow ties and blue shirts!" Boebert declared on X (formerly Twitter). "It's gonna be a while ..."

Boebert caught plenty of flak from detractors for backing Jordan in the first place, given his reputation for promoting conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. But her outfit was just as questionable as her loyalties. Why pair a tie with a dress, when an Oxford shirt and slacks would have been more appropriate and flattering? Adding a black blazer didn't do the ensemble any justice, either.

When you have a photo op with the President of the United States, you want to look as good as possible. Unfortunately for Lauren Boebert, she missed the boat in this case. She opted for a bright white dress that was so form-fitting that it became unforgiving. Minus any support garments underneath, every bulge and wrinkle showed through, and Boebert's slight slumping pose didn't help. 

The entire effect was one of sloppiness, especially when compared to Donald Trump's more polished appearance (and when a notorious fashion flop like Donald Trump looks more put together than you, you know you're in trouble). The white dress combined with her way-too-dark fake tan made the entire situation worse, and although a bizarrely deep tan has become part of the MAGA uniform, the entire ensemble makes it seem like Boebert just didn't check herself out in bright enough lighting before leaving the house.

In the midst of his third presidential campaign, Donald Trump paid a visit to Lauren Boebert's home state of Colorado. There, he met with the representative and three of her sons. (She has four boys with her ex-husband, Jayson: Tyler, Brody, Kaydon, and Roman.) "Me, my boys and my President!" Boebert cheered on Instagram. Trump posed with his signature thumbs-up gesture, but it's a pretty safe bet he wasn't referring to Boebert's outfit. 

She dressed for the occasion in a bizarre combination of a black long-sleeved minidress, a black cowboy hat, and high-heeled gladiator sandals. It didn't help that the shadow in the photo made her hat seem higher and more pointed. More than one follower compared her to the Wicked Witch of the West (and they weren't talking about the misunderstood Elphaba of the "Wicked" movie). "Where's your broom?" one joked. Another commenter analyzed the president-elect's expression: "I love his forced smile. Even he knows she's ridiculous."

"Check out these faces!" Boebert exclaimed in a 2021 video clip on Instagram, as the camera panned to a line of audience members waiting to enter a Turning Point USA event in Tampa. But it was hard to concentrate on the crowd after seeing the Congresswoman's dress. She wore a blindingly bright shade of hot pink that would have even been too much for Elle Woods. And if that weren't enough, the dress featured long bows on the sleeves, which flapped around distractingly as Boebert gestured. And once again, Boebert's super-bronzed skin outright clashed with the bright, cool tone of the pink.

Opinions online were mixed; fans called her a "patriot in pink" and said she looked "AMAAAAAZING." Critics disagreed, with one using a vomit emoji and groaning, "Fashion alert!" Another noted the predominant appearance of the audience as well: "Wow, diverse. You even dressed for a LuLaRoe party."

In 2023, Boebert visited Colorado Gators, a local reptile rescue facility that had recently suffered a devastating fire. "I was overjoyed to visit, love on the family, and hear their plans to support the park," she wrote on Instagram. Sure enough, her photo slideshow included shots of her hugging the owners' children and touring the park. Boebert wore tight jeans, an aqua top, and a dark blazer for the occasion, but it was her footwear that caught the most attention. The high-heeled, open-toed wedges seemed a questionable choice for entering an enclosure full of alligators. Sure, the reptiles were well-fed, but if one of them had decided to get a little too close, Boebert might not have been able to get to the gate quickly enough (gators and crocs are faster than they look).

"What a Croc ... walking in heels among all those animals! Wow," gasped one online follower. "Careful those gators don't bite those cute toes," warned another. A more supportive fan pointed out that as a proud Second Amendment supporter, the Congresswoman probably had a gun on her that she could have pulled on the animal if it had gone into predator mode.

Boebert's "Drill" shawl wasn't the only time she wore a message outfit — nor was it the first to be a fashion flop. In 2021, she arrived at a Mar-a-Lago event in a bright red drop-waist mermaid-style dress embellished with the phrase "LETS GO BRANDON" — a sarcastic stand-in for "F*** Joe Biden." It appeared to be a dig at a gown Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had recently worn to the Met Gala, which featured the words "Tax the Rich." But the effect was more reminiscent of Melania Trump's controversial "I Really Don't Care, Do U?" jacket from 2018. The statement was purportedly aimed at the media, but the optics of an "uncaring" first lady were poor. 

Though Donald Trump apparently approved of her choice, we respectfully disagree. Apart from looking dated (80s prom wear, anyone?), the cut emphasized her rear in an odd and unflattering way, and the fabric looks a little too easily wrinkled. Plus, choosing an ensemble that required her to angle her butt toward the camera was probably something that deserved a second thought.