Usha Vance's Style Transformation Since JD Took Up Politics

For many, Usha Vance still seems like a mystery. While the new second lady of the United States has appeared by her husband JD Vance's side all throughout the campaign process, there are still a lot of questions about who she is.

Besides being a mom-of-three, Usha also had a career in law before taking time off to support her husband on the campaign trail. Ever since she met her husband while attending Yale, she's influenced a lot of his choices in a big way. In a 2020 appearance on "The Megyn Kelly Show" podcast, JD opened up about Usha's role in his life, saying, "I'm one of those guys who really benefit from having sort of a powerful female voice over his left shoulder saying, 'Don't do that, do that.'" In a 2022 interview with the New York Times, he expanded on his wife's influence on him and the way she's guided him throughout the years: "She instinctively understood the questions I didn't even know to ask, and she always encouraged me to seek opportunities that I didn't know existed."

While it seems that Usha Vance puts a lot of effort into guiding her husband and his decisions on the campaign trail, she's still had the time to put forth a subtly fashion-forward image. From her effervescent peony-pink Oscar de la Renta look at Donald Trump's second inauguration to the casual jeans-and-top looks she wore on the campaign trail, Usha has proved that no matter the situation, this highly educated mom-of-three knows how to look put-together.

Before JD Vance was vice president, he was an Ohio senator, and Usha Vance supported him throughout the process of running for Senate. At an election-night event after JD had won the primary, Usha could be seen helping celebrate in a sleek, solid-colored red dress. Clearly representing her husband's party with her bold color choice, Usha kept her hair, makeup, and accessories simple.

At a 2022 election-watch party, Usha stood on stage with her husband as he delivered a speech, and she rocked a totally attention-stealing outfit. Not only was her dark-gray dress chic, but the ultra-large floral graphics gave it a fresh and modern vibe. Besides the fact that the large graphics have a visual pop, they also help avoid a clothing pattern that can make you look older: ditsy florals. With a simple side-parted hairstyle, Usha put the focus on her dress and created a look that was both trendy and classic. Along with being stylish, this look also shows a transition away from the simple red dress that you would expect the wife of a conservative candidate to wear; it shows that Usha was already finding ways to break the mold through fashion.

Up until now, Usha Vance had been standing by and supporting her husband from the sidelines. While she'd been in the public eye, standing next to JD Vance as he delivered speeches, she hadn't delivered many herself. That all changed at the 2024 RNC, where she spoke about how she and her husband connected despite their cultural differences: "My background is very different from JD's. I grew up in San Diego in a middle-class community with two loving parents, both immigrants from India, and a wonderful sister. That JD and I could meet at all, let alone fall in love and marry, is a testament to this great country," she said in her speech (via PBS News Hour).

She went on to explain how her husband adapted to her and her family, saying, "It is also a testament to JD and it tells you something about who he is. When JD met me, he approached our differences with curiosity and enthusiasm. He wanted to know everything about me, where I came from, what my life had been like. Although he's a meat and potatoes kind of guy, he adapted to my vegetarian diet and learned to cook food from my mother, Indian food. Before I knew it, he'd become an integral part of my family, a person I could not imagine living without."

Not only did Usha deliver a speech that gave insight into her and her husband's relationship, but she also rocked a bold-blue fitted dress with a draped collar and sleeves that added sophistication and an edge to the look. A subtle blush and a glossy lip added just the right amount of polish to her overall aesthetic.

In August of 2024, Usha Vance was even more visible on the campaign trail. Not only had she given a speech, but she was now taking time to clarify some of her husband's remarks. In an interview with Fox News, she took time to explain what she thought JD Vance meant by a comment he'd made in 2021, where he referred to women without children as "childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives (via Inside Edition)." During the interview, she said (via NPR), "I took a moment to look and actually see what he had said and try to understand what the context was. Because what he was really saying is that it can be really hard to be a parent in this country. And sometimes our policies are designed in a way that makes it even harder."

In the interview, she also opened up about what her approach was going to be to raise her children in the public eye. "Giving them a stable, normal, happy life and upbringing is something that is the most important thing to us," she said. "But I think what we're going to do is continue to ... let them have their lives as children, which I think they really deserve, and let them spend lots of time with their father. And if that's sometimes seen by other people, great. And if it's out of their hands, private, great."

Along with having honest conversations about parenthood, Usha was also showing off one of her newest style staples. While out on the campaign trail, she rocked multiple pairs of colorful pants, from bold coral to burnt umber. By pairing both of these colors with neutral tops, this became a go-to look for her and struck a balance that was relaxed, playful, and chic.

In September 2024, Usha Vance kept up the trend of wearing pants on the campaign trail. This time, though, instead of opting for colorful, casual styles, she was rocking a pair of dark-wash jeans. Vance showed that she understood that every denim wash has ideal color pairings and palettes by pairing her dark jeans with a black top. Her high-necked top was tucked into her jeans, creating a look that was just as polished as it was casual and highlighted her ability to follow trends in an understated way. With this look, she kept her accessories to a minimum by wearing small earrings and a silver bracelet. As usual, she wore her hair in her signature side-parted shoulder-length style.

At a campaign event in Michigan that month, she looked simple and elegant by rocking a black-and-white dress. The black skirt of the dress was fitted and cinched in at the waist, while the white top of the dress featured cap sleeves and a small open slit in the center.

While on the campaign trail, many weren't just looking at Usha Vance's outfits but were also taking note of other details surrounding her life. After she was spotted reading books like Tana French's "In the Woods" and Anthony Doerr's "Cloud Cuckoo Land," many became curious about her reading list, too. In a talk with NBC News, she explained the reasons behind one of her more ambitious reads, saying, "That's because our now seven-year-old decided in the spring that he was obsessed with mythology. He picked up a child's version of 'The Odyssey' and then 'The Iliad' and all these other things and became completely obsessed. So to keep up with him, I decided it was time to pick 'The Iliad' up myself."

In the interview, she also opened up about her potential future role as a second lady. "You know, this is such an intense and busy experience that I have not given a ton of thought to my own roles and responsibilities," she said. "It's just something that I've never really — it's not something I'm terribly familiar with." To that, she added, "And so I thought, what would I do? See what happens on Nov. 5, and collect some information myself and take it from there. There are certainly things I'm interested in, but I don't really know how that all fits into this role."

Along with trying to navigate what her future role might be, Vance was also showing up in sophisticated looks at big events. That month, at the vice-presidential debates, Vance wore a burgundy jumpsuit with a pussybow neckline. She wore her hair sleek and straight and matched her burgundy lip to her dress.

In November 2024, Usha Vance was showing off her fashion range. While casting her ballot for the election, she wore a casual, laid-back look comprised of a neutral top and some light-wash mom jeans. Here, she wore her hair in a half-up, half-down style and accessorized with some small earrings, a watch, and a brown belt.

The next day, Vance was rocking a more formal look on election night. Here, she wore an off-the-shoulder black dress, which she accessorized with a bold chain necklace and some stud earrings. Again, she wore her hair in a pinned-back half-up, half-down style. Not only did this look have some understated edge, but also showed she understood the color psychology of black clothing and why we love wearing it so much.

After Donald Trump won the presidential race, Usha Vance became the first second lady of Indian descent, as well as the first Hindu second lady. Some were also taking note of the fact that at 39, she would also be the youngest second lady in the White House since the Truman Administration.

The inauguration and the inaugural ball were some more instances of Usha Vance truly showing off her style capabilities. On the day of Donald Trump's second inauguration, Vance displayed a new side to her style, especially when it came to her hair. Instead of opting for her usual free-flowing styles, this time, she wore her hair up in a sleek, side-parted French twist. The rest of her look was super feminine and polished as well; her baby-pink coat with a matching pink scarf truly stood out and highlighted how baby pink is making the Barbiecore trend more quiet luxury. Adding some trendy interest, she paired the Oscar de la Renta outfit with tall, slouchy muted boots. Her matching floral earrings also added to the overall playful but put-together vibe of her look. 

At the ball, Vance was showing off yet another element to her style development and truly taking her glam to the next level. Here, she wore her hair down in a sleek style, pulled away from her face. She donned a navy-blue gown with vertical sequin detailing that added a lot of interest to the dress, especially at the neckline. Some simple stud earrings and a burgundy lip added some polished glamour to the outfit without detracting from her eye-catching dress.

For her first foreign trip as second lady, Usha Vance went with her husband to France to attend an important summit about AI. Here, she almost seemed to coordinate her outfit colors with that of Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and his wife Brigitte Macron. Vance kept her hair sleek and side-parted and rocked a slate-blue satin dress. Her full-length dress was long-sleeved and featured a V-neckline and a draped, wrap-style bodice. To pull the whole look together, she wore some simple silver earrings and a burgundy lip, along with some low, black heels.

After the summit in France, Vance traveled to Germany with her husband, where she could be seen wearing a long gray wool coat with black cuffs made by the brand Favorite Daughter, which she paired with black boots. Later, Vance was spotted with her husband in Germany for the Munich Security Conference wearing an army-green double-breasted peacoat with a large, eye-catching collar, keeping up a theme of wearing long wool coats in subdued colors.

In March, Usha Vance was proving that she knew the best ways to style a chic blazer. While attending Donald Trump's address to Congress, Vance wore an oversized, cream-colored blazer. Not only was the oversized cut on trend, but opting for cream was a perfect way to bring some freshness to a blazer style. She paired it with a white T-shirt underneath, mixing light neutrals to create some subtle interest. Minimal jewelry and makeup helped bring the whole look together.

Vance also made some of her first posts on her newly created Instagram this month. On March 10, she shared a photo of herself in sunglasses, a rust-orange coat, and a black shirt attending the Special Olympics. In the post, she expressed her feelings about the event, saying, "I am honored to have attended the Special Olympics Winter Games this weekend and to have led the Presidential delegation. Hearing from these inspirational athletes about their journeys and dedication to their events was uplifting. Thank you, @specialolympics, for fostering a community of leaders and for such a warm welcome. Go Team USA!"

Around mid-March, Usha Vance was getting into a festive spirit and rocking a bold shade of shamrock green. In a meeting with the Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin and his wife, Mary O'Shea, Vance wore a bold but sophisticated look made up of teal pants, a dark-blue blazer with gold buttons, a black turtleneck, and some silver necklaces. If you've ever wondered how to incorporate bold shades of green into your wardrobe or worried about how to wear purple and green together without looking like Barney, Vance's outfit is a great example of working stand-out colors into your wardrobe in a way that isn't over the top.

Vance was feeling the Saint Patrick's Day spirit in other ways, too. In an Instagram post not long after, she shared some of her children's holiday crafts featuring pipe-cleaner rainbows to which she added the caption, "Happy Saint Patrick's Day from our leprechaun home to yours!"

Celebrating Saint Patrick's Day wasn't the only thing going on for Vance, though. Not long after the holiday, she shared a video on her Instagram announcing her plans to visit Greenland. In the video, where she wore a cream blazer along with a tan shirt, she expressed excitement about the upcoming trip, saying, "I've been reading all about it with my children, and I'm amazed by the incredible skill and teamwork that it takes to participate in this [dog-sledding] race. I'm also coming to celebrate the long history of mutual respect and cooperation between our nations and to express hope that our relationship will only grow stronger in the coming years."