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Nancy Reagan (1921–2016)
Born New York City
Nancy Reagan's second inaugural gown
From the beginning of her eight-year tenure as first lady, Nancy Reagan was criticized for her lavish designer wardrobe. Reagan's opulence during a period of "trickle-down economics" earned her the derisive nickname of "Queen Nancy." Detractors found her actions inappropriate when the nation was facing record homelessness and the AIDS epidemic was claiming the lives of so many.
James Galanos was Reagan's favorite designer. Although he made this gown for the second inauguration, Reagan also wore it to host the state banquet in honor of their Royal Highnesses Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Great Britain, when they visited the U.S. in 1985.
James Galanos (1924–2016)
Chiffon with Austrian and Czechoslovakian glass beads, 1985
Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute |