When it comes to unwelcome political spouse makeovers, Usha Vance recently pulled off one that caught everyone off guard. Over the weekend, the Second Lady of the United States, who has become more well-known for her poker face and PTA-core fashion than pageantry, made headlines with a visit to Disneyland that was openly millennial.
The shapeless sheaths and floral mid-calf skirts were gone for good. In lieu of them? A baseball cap, baggy mom jeans, a tucked-in tee, and the most shocking accessory for somebody over 35: a fanny pack. Yes, you read that right!
Once referred to by Twitter fashion experts as the “trad wife in taupe,” Usha Vance is now giving TikTok-core authenticity.
VP Vance gets a warm welcome at Disneyland on Saturday.
He will make a fine POTUS one day.
Very likable. Very wise. pic.twitter.com/n76TRFsOWL
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) July 13, 2025
Usha abandoned her “mom of three” look and threw herself into her Gen Y reset, complete with white flats and a cap, somewhere between a soccer match and a churro stand. Boomers wonder, “What happened to Talbots?” while millennials whisper, “Is this her Selena Gomez era?” due to the subtle nod to 1990s normcore.
But honestly, Usha Vance has always played the long game.
Usha Vance’s Quiet but Radical Reinvention
Usha’s style whiplash is an outcome of an even more vast evolution that she has been piecing together for years.
Usha Vance, who was once a corporate litigator at the forward-thinking Munger, Tolles & Olson and was said to be “appalled by Trump,” has since turned into a wife and mother who supports MAGA, the ideal match for JD Vance‘s political return.
Usha Vance’s disapproval of Donald Trump was once apparent, said her friends who talked to The Washington Post in 2024. According to reports, she even wanted to vote for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race.
But when the focus shifts to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, she is on stage announcing her husband as Trump’s choice for vice president. The profound shift is due to a Netflix docuseries of its own.
JD Vance’s full RNC speech…America is not just an idea, it’s our homeland.
Just before the 20 minute mark he introduces his mum 😢😭
if only his memaw, who raised him, could see him now. pic.twitter.com/gjD8edvhYp— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) July 18, 2024
As it happens, the attire is only a sign.
Usha Vance’s views, food, and way of life have all considerably changed. From giving cinnamon rolls to her kiddos at an eatery to sporting designer Oscar de la Renta gowns at inaugural balls, she has gone from a Yale Law feminist to a “soft rebrand trad wife” with an uncanny capacity to reinvent herself both politically and fashionably.
Was Usha Trolling the Tradwife Narrative at Disneyland?
Was Usha’s Disneyland style really just a logical mom-fit for accompanying young ones through Fantasyland? Or was it her brilliant effort to make fun of the ideal version or image of what a vice president’s wife would need to look like?
Honestly, Usha Vance was never looking to make people happy with the way she dresses. She keeps us guessing with everything from chunky sneakers to strapless gowns. According to The Free Press, she is also glad to be “a normal person” as opposed to a walking Pinterest board. That’s precisely what makes her Saturday fit “not from a particularly wealthy background.”
Usha Vance cannot win over fashion columnists or stylists in D.C., but she is sending a message that she still owns her story, even if it means disagreeing with Instagram and Capitol Hill.
While JD Vance has been preoccupied with trying to gain favor over those who support Trump through legislation, Usha Vance is quietly emerging as the fashion disruptor that no one asked for, but maybe that we all ought to get. The only thing left to wonder is if she will one day substitute the fanny pack with an elegant Balenciaga crossbody.
