“I have to dress up a lot more,” she told NBC News in March. “I enjoyed my last pregnancy – there were a lot of sweatpants. I was working from home and sometimes put a blazer on over what was under.”
Friedman also connected Usha’s public appearances to her husband’s long-standing emphasis on family.
At the 2025 March for Life rally, JD Vance declared, “I want more babies in the United States of America,” a message that Friedman argued was reinforced every time the second lady appeared publicly embracing her pregnancy.
According to the critic, Usha’s role “is also to represent and humanize the vice president,” adding that “By spotlighting her pregnancy, she is doing exactly that.”
“She is wearing a stretchy coral dress that hugs her stomach, making what she is talking about very clear,” Friedman added about Usha’s wardrobe choice in the Father’s Day clip.
Styled by Old Navy
Rather than letting the conversation rev around political symbolism, Usha revealed there was nothing calculated about her fashion choice – a budget-friendly dress from Old Navy.
“Now that we know the political significance of my $8.75 coral maternity dress from Old Navy, can’t wait to hear what the New York Times has to say about my elastic-waistband pants and compression socks!” she wrote in a June 24 post on X, alongside an image of her wearing the dress during “Storytime with the Second Lady.”
She followed that post by sharing the receipt for the dress.
The coral maternity dress originally retailed for $44.99 before being discounted to $12.49. After an additional coupon was applied, the final price came to just $8.75.
The attention appears to have had one unexpected consequence.
The dress is no longer available on Old Navy’s website and has since sold out.
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