Jill Biden's Dress Stunned Viewers At Biden's Address

Just as Joe Biden marked his first 100 days as president with a Joint Address to Congress, Dr. Jill Biden has made her mark not just as the first working first lady in history, but for her fashion choices (via Town and Country).

First Lady Jill Biden set Twitter on fire, yet again, during the president's Wednesday night speech with her navy hued ensemble. Eagle-eyed CNN White House correspondent, Kate Bennett, shared, "@FLOTUS tonight appears to be wearing a Gabriela Hearst dress, similar in style and similar floral appliqués to the Hearst dress she wore on Inauguration night." 

Bennett's guess appeared to be spot on, as The New York Times' own fashion expert Vanessa Friedman went on social media to confirm that "Kamala Harris in a peach @prabalgurung suit next to Nancy Pelosi in true blue under the flag in the House chamber; Jill Biden in the balcony in @gabrielahearst embroidered with the flowers of 50 states."

Gabriela Hearst, herself, took to Instagram to explain Dr. Jill's fashion choice with a caption that reveals what we didn't know — that the striking dress is also a hallmark of sustainable fashion. "An honor to see our First Lady wearing our dress in the President's First speech to the joint session of Congress. Delivered on the eve of his 100th day in office," the designer said. "The Silk Wool dress (and mask) was made entirely of existing fabrics. Made and embroidered in New York." She continued, "It was originally used to fit the inauguration one. The First Lady requested to salvage for another occasion. Double repurposed. New is not always better."

The original inaugural dress, which was executed in white, featured 50 embroidered flowers to symbolize the 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia. Back in January, Gabriela Hearst confirmed on her official website that the dress was meant to showcase unity — and we can't think it would have taken on a different meaning now. Of the original design, Hearst had said in a separate Instagram post that: "Unity is the main inspiration for the creation of the Ensemble. Unity makes strength and it is needed for the road ahead. The blooming symbol to represent this message are the federal flowers from every state and territory of the United States of America." 

One of the most interesting features of the floral design, is that the peach blossom, which is Delaware's state flower, is, as Hearst put it on social media, "...positioned at the heart level of The First Lady, from there, all the other flowers branch out" (via Instagram).

The blog Irenebrination says designer Gabriela Hearst and Jill Biden first crossed paths in 2017, before Jill became first lady, and when she became involved with Save the Children. Hearst was Jill Biden's designer of choice, and as she actively campaigned for the Biden-Harris ticket, the two became friends. As reported by Today, Hearst confirmed that FLOTUS had kept the design of the Inauguration dress so she could use it at a later date.

The Irenebrination blog also noted that Hearst, who originally emigrated from Uruguay, and who was naturalized not long ago, has been known to work with artisans from her home country to execute her impressive designs. She was named creative director of Chloe in December of 2020 and is famous for her focus on sustainable fashion with a low environmental impact (via Vogue). Interestingly enough, former FLOTUS Melania Trump was also a Hearst fan, although Irenebrination says Trump purchased her clothes from retailers, rather from Hearst's design house.

Voices on Twitter applauded Dr. Biden's choice of outfit, many saying simply that she looked "beautiful" and "classy" (via Twitter). 

One user shared, "We are SO fortunate to have Joe Biden as POTUS. He is knocking it out of the park tonight with his uplifting message to Americans. (And not for nothing, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden looks amazing.)" Another said: "Dr. Jill Biden wore repurposed and upcycled dress at last night's address. Thank you, @FLOTUS" Then there was the Tweet that appeared to cross party lines: "Am I the only conservative that thinks Jill Biden's dress was gorgeous last night? You know...fashion is all that matters in a First Lady."

But as with everything else, there were critics, one of whom compared the first lady to her immediate predecessor, saying, "Is Jill Biden wearing another @Forever21 dress?? Good Grief get her a stylist that can dress her for her age!!"