Nikki Haley's Most Inappropriate Outfits Yet

Nikki Haley has had a long and successful career, including her term as South Carolina's first female governor, her time serving as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and her high-profile (if ultimately unsuccessful) run for president during the 2024 election cycle. As such, she's no stranger to public scrutiny, and Haley's learned to hold her own in interviews, debates, hearings, and press conferences, all while maintaining a dress code commensurate with her position — or that's at least the idea. Unfortunately, Haley's political achievements haven't made her immune to occasional style disasters.

As with several of her peers — like Lauren Boebert, who had one of the most inappropriate outfits at Donald Trump's inauguration this year, or Kimberly Guilfoyle, who's had many head-turning fashion mishaps — Haley has been subject to some sartorial skepticism. From a bevy of overly casual jackets to knitwear that sent mixed messages, Haley has worn a few decidedly inappropriate looks.

Nikki Haley's failed presidential campaign came with a number of sartorial missteps — often involving a puzzlingly casual top. For instance, Haley decided to show her stuff at a February 2024 campaign event wearing an orange-and-white Clemson University fleece. Fair enough, the campaign stop was actually in Clemson, South Carolina, and the university there is Haley's alma mater. But a fleece? Haley wasn't running for Homecoming queen; she was running for POTUS. There are chicer ways to pay homage to team colors that would have balanced Haley's school spirit with leader-worthy style, like a white suit accented with orange pumps and earrings.

Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley may have underwhelmed in her Clemson fleece, but at least it was relevant. What was the thinking behind the equally underdressed athletics top she donned not once but twice: first at an Iowa campaign stop in December 2023 and then at another event in February 2024? We're all for elevating athleisure looks with the right styling and accessories, but there's such a thing as being too comfortable on stage, and that top was it. Rather than dressing as if she was about to go power-walking through a mall somewhere, Haley should have stuck with business-casual looks to bridge the divide between her working-class appeal and her political gravitas.

Despite Nikki Haley's conservative leanings, she chose a colorful and surprisingly bohemian sweater for a May 2023 rally in her home state of South Carolina. The soft, peplum style was cute, but the mix of hues and patterns wasn't what we'd call elegant for a serious political contender. This aesthetic felt more in line with an art teacher, farmer's market shopper, or pottery enthusiast — comfy and cozy enough for a Sunday at home, perhaps, but not what we'd choose for a major public appearance. We can only assume that this was meant to make her seem down to earth, but it just didn't work in our opinion.

A January 2024 campaign rally saw then-presidential candidate Nikki Haley spoil her style with a set that could have come straight off the clearance rack at J. Jill. We'll admit that the salmon shade was well-suited to Haley's skin tone — and later that month, she wore a more successful cable-knit sweater in the same hue — but the boxy cut of the jacket, worn over a painfully matchy-matchy turtleneck, looked dated and out of touch. Altogether, the sleeves were too short, the silhouette too shapeless, and the vibes too twee. Rather than a powerful politician, Haley looked like a country-club retiree. But maybe that's the constituency she was courting?

A lack of formality wasn't the only issue that plagued Nikki Haley's sweater collection on the presidential campaign trail — one bit of knitwear, worn in an October 2023 news interview and again at a January 2024 rally, accidentally affiliated Haley with a cause she didn't support. On its face, the Temperley London Dare Knit Jumper, with its slogan of "She who dares wins," might seem like a natural fit for a female candidate. But designer Alice Temperley is an outspoken supporter of Palestine, putting her at odds with Haley's stance, which is so pro-Israel that Haley wrote "Finish them" on an Israeli artillery shell during a May 2024 trip to Israel's northern border. Even without getting into the conflict itself, this dissonance made Haley's sweater choice decidedly inappropriate for her platform and campaign efforts.

Nikki Haley's bid for president may have ended, but her strange taste in tops persists. For instance, we must talk about the garish, color-blocked blazer she wore to visit SiriusXM Studios in October 2024. Like something from a museum gift shop, the blazer was a riot of modernist color and poorly aligned linework. While technically in line with the occasion's dress code, we'd argue that this blazer isn't appropriate anywhere — except maybe a mid-'90s gallery opening. The one silver lining? SiriusXM is radio, not television, so anyone who tuned into the show didn't have to witness Haley's fashion crime.

As much as we've dissected Nikki Haley's recent wardrobe, we'll give her this: Her fashion was mostly adequate during her stint as South Carolina's governor. Mostly. If there's one throwback 'fit that deserves a little shade, though, it's Haley's shiny, hot-pink skirt suit from 2010. She debuted the look at a party celebrating her win of the Republicans' gubernatorial nomination. The cut and fit of the suit were fine, if a little bit matronly, but that pink, silky fabric screamed "off-the-rack prom dress."