Linda McMahon Outfits That Totally Missed The Mark

Having been in the cultural zeitgeist for decades — especially for anyone who grew up watching WWE — Linda McMahon has been a name that's blared into homes from television sets long before President Donald Trump boosted his ego by making her a cabinet pick. As Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, McMahon comes to the table more prepared than some of his other picks. For starters, McMahon served in Trump's first administration as leader of the Small Business Administration. Plus, McMahon boasts an even wilder TV past than Trump himself. However, with all this extended publicity, the odds that McMahon has worn some questionable outfits certainly increase.

Considering that she has been in the public eye since the 1980s and throughout the height of wrestling during the Attitude Era of the 1990s, McMahon's sense of style feels trapped in a specific era. Even while participating in an administration determined to strip body politics from the forefront, navigating the political arena as an older woman still comes with its own set of fashion challenges. McMahon often wants to be seen as competent, business-minded, and strong. However, some of the fabrics she picks or patterns she wears can give her away as appearing anything but. Here's five times McMahon's outfits truly missed the mark.

Stepping out onto the red carpet for the PowerWomen 2013 awards, Linda McMahon chose quite the outfit. Wearing a royal blue dress, the color does wonderfully match her eyes; however, the rest of it leaves something to be desired. The type of fabric is not quite distinguishable, appearing to possibly be lycra, silk, satin, or polyester. This, unfortunately, gives the overall look a less refined appeal. Whereas the slit is quite the fun peek-a-boo, the length of the dress is overly long, hovering an awkward height from the floor. But the biggest culprit is the brooch trying to tie it all together.

It is unclear if the brooch is part of the dress or something McMahon herself attached to it. Either way, its placement is indicative of a waistline that was popularized in the 1980s. Ruching and twisting a garment and tying its waistline to the side was a fairly popular way to wear an oversized shirt in the '80s and '90s. However, when attending an awards ceremony, it can make the whole garment appear confusing and misshapen. To be fair, there is also quite a history of women in politics wearing old-fashioned outfits, with several first ladies being stuck in out-of-date clothing. So it seems McMahon is in good company.

Linda McMahon has found herself embroiled in some scandals, most of which took place before she became the Small Business Administrator for Donald Trump's first presidency, but she didn't necessarily avoid them during her time in the White House either. Luckily for McMahon, most of the mire she found herself in while serving in the first Trump admin was fashion-based. Seen here participating in a small business event in the East Room in 2017, McMahon is once again doing several things well and one major thing wrong with this outfit.

What's really working is the color McMahon chose. This green brings out her eyes and is a solid choice for her complexion, whereas the cut of the dress most likely appears appropriate when she's standing, for a sitting position the hemline appears just a bit too short to be considered business-like (although McMahon certainly has some killer legs to show off). The biggest error would be the blazer McMahon chose to go over her smart green dress. The thin horizontal stripes are disorienting and the pattern itself appears cheap. Plus, the fabric of the blazer is a mysterious cotton-jersey-like blend. Where most blazers are structured and made out of a firmer fabric, this one seems to be erring more on the side of comfort. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it just doesn't provide an air of sophistication or authority to someone who is leading an arena designed around businesses.

When Donald Trump announced Linda McMahon as his nominee for Secretary of Education, many supporters of both Trump and McMahon took to social media to congratulate her. In this celebratory Instagram post from Connecticut-based singer Despina Dee captioned, "Congratulations to the new Secretary of Education!" McMahon poses with friends. From the jump, two things pop out right away when looking at this. For starters, she looks great, which explains why there's so much plastic surgery speculation floating around McMahon. The second thing that stands out is that McMahon has, once again, worn a questionable blazer.

The black pantsuit is smart and nails the crossroads of elegance and comfort. The white jacket on top does not. Whereas we would never begrudge anyone needing a bit more soft fabrics in their life, this type of fabric for a jacket top typically makes the overall look appear just too casual. It also ages the wearer in that it feels like something McMahon got at Chico's or J. Jill — not that there's anything wrong with shopping at these stores, it's just not where the most up-to-date fashion trends reside.

Upon being nominated for Secretary of Education, the warm wishes for Linda McMahon didn't stop at just personal friends. Other politicians got in on congratulating the television mogul, like Senator Jim Banks of Indiana. In his Instagram post, not only does he look eerily like Linda's ex-husband Vince McMahon, but he also opted to choose a photo where Linda is wearing yet another regrettable blazer.

Whereas Banks' caption states that he "enjoyed meeting with [Linda] today," and an assertion that "She will do a great job," her outfit choice might suggest otherwise. The black blazer is finally made out of a structured fabric, however, it is overly structured. Where there's no clear indication of shoulder pads, it almost feels like there should be considering how the rest of the jacket feels trapped in the 1980s. The large gold buttons paired with her choice of chunky gold bangles give the overall feeling that Linda watched "Working Girl" before heading out for the day. Plus, the plain white tee underneath throws Linda's sense of authority and prestige entirely into question. It's at once too intimidating of a blazer and too laid back of an undershirt — quite the mixed messaging. 

To help Linda McMahon power through her confirmation hearings, social media strategist Debbie Saviano seemingly took McMahon out for some classic cocktails. Seen here posing in the middle, McMahon is wearing yet another confused outfit. In her Instagram post, Saviano says Peacock Alley, the high-end restaurant in the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. is "A Place of Legends." She then goes on to boast that, "It's where History meets Luxury and the ideal place to sip cocktails." For such a high-caliber establishment, it is a shame that McMahon opted to wear jeans and sneakers.

The jacket McMahon chose to wear is actually a good option for such a classy place and matches the vibes of the outfits her two friends decided to wear. In fact, everything about the top half of McMahon is really working for an elegant business lunch. It's the overly casual nature of her running shoes and denim that throws it all off. However, McMahon will have plenty of time to continue to raid her closet for better looks. Hopefully, she can find some blazers made for the current century, without having to give up her taste for comfort.