The Most Inappropriate Outfits Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Was Caught Wearing

Several eyes are on representative and activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, commonly referred to as "AOC," as she could be gearing up for a presidential bid in 2028, which would mean four more years of power pantsuits, a daring red lip, and outfits with underlying meanings. Since Ocasio-Cortez stepped into the political sphere in 2016, her looks have been the hot topic on everyone's lips. Initially working for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign, AOC eventually found her way into Congress in 2018 at 29 years old. As AOC was being pushed into the public eye, people began taking notice of her calculated style. While her looks typically air on the side of iconic, she's had a few missteps along the way, many of which have been accused of conflicting with her political values.

Political figures have a history of deliberate looks, like Ivanka Trump donning several outfits with special meanings. AOC is no different, and one of her most iconic looks came when she was sworn into Congress in January 2019: an all-white pantsuit, accompanied by her iconic red lip and hoop earrings. If there's one thing a woman in politics loves, it's a pantsuit (though Kamala Harris has looked gorgeous while intentionally ditching her signature pantsuits). She later expressed her outfit reasoning on X, writing, "I wore all-white today to honor the women who paved the path before me, and for all the women yet to come." 

As for the earrings and lipstick that have become staples for AOC, her motivation behind those choices was Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who intentionally wore red nails after being advised not to. "Next time someone tells Bronx girls to take off their hoops, they can just say they're dressing like a Congresswoman," she added in another tweet. But while we applaud this, other outfits AOC has worn have caused a stir.

In November 2018, one of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's work outfits came under fire, and she didn't even know she had been photographed. Since AOC won her seat, she has been under immense scrutiny from — let's face it — men. As mentioned previously, her campaign was centered around the fact that she came from a working-class background and was at a financial disadvantage compared to her counterparts, once declaring that she struggled to pay rent for her D.C. apartment. 

One random afternoon in Capitol Hill, an employee snapped a pic from behind AOC, where she can be seen in a black blazer wearing her hair in a low bun, carrying a tote on one arm and a coat in the other. Washington Examiner employee Eddie Scarry posted the photo in a now-deleted Tweet, writing, "I'll tell you something, that jacket and coat don't look like a girl who struggles." "Inappropriate" claims came from critics like this, who felt that the attire looked too expensive for someone who previously claimed that they couldn't pay their rent.

Still, many jumped to her defense, including journalist Soledad O'Brien. "The photo was AOC, from the back wearing a dark suit, carrying a dark coat, in low heeled pumps. In other words, dressed like a freshman Congressperson," she wrote on X. Another user added their two cents, saying, "Oh h*** nah. First their ovaries, now their business attire?"

When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attended the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2019 to promote her documentary "Knock Down the House," one of her red-carpet looks didn't exactly hit the mark, but she had a good excuse. Her first day at the festival, AOC stepped out onto the red carpet in a white blouse tucked into a brown pencil skirt, later joining Briahna Gray for an on-stage conversation about "identity, the race/class divide, and how these factors are likely to play out in the years ahead," according to the SXSW website.

On her second and final day in Austin, Texas, she graced the red carpet in an orange-brown turtleneck and black skinny pants, wearing her hair pulled back into a low ponytail. It seemed like a questionable choice for a documentary star to decide on a more pedestrian outfit; the turtleneck was far too casual for a red carpet. However, she canceled her final appearance as she wasn't feeling well. Understandably, this angered many fans, leaving them wondering why she showed up on the red carpet earlier in the day only to abandon her obligations. To make matters worse, they were forced to give her a bigger room due to her popularity, and the announcement came merely 30 minutes before the event was to start. While frustrating for fans, AOC feeling ill could explain her lack of effort in her wardrobe that day. 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez first graced the cover of Vanity Fair in October 2020 as the December cover star, but her styling had some folks up in arms. In true editorial style, she was dressed in several intricate designer looks for the photoshoot. Altogether, the price of the looks amounted to around $14,000.

The result of this information coming to light led to backlash: How can she uphold socialism while still benefiting from the benefits of capitalism? Critics failed to consider, however, the fact that a stylist put her in these looks; she did not buy them. But in her opponent's minds, this was how they would take her down. Political commentator and columnist Sunanda Vashisht partook, writing on X, "So happy that AOC is upholding the long established hypocritical tradition of Socialists who believe Socialism is for poor while they enjoy the fruits of Capitalism." Fox News' Laura Ingraham chimed in as well, tweeting, "AOC appears in Vanity Fair in outfits worth $14,000 to curse out Trump."

Many jumped to AOC's defense, but she was able to handle the noise on her own. Responding directly to Ingraham, she wrote, "100% worth it, would do again," later confirming that she did not keep the clothes. She added, "The whole 'she wore clothes in a magazine, let's pretend they're hers' gimmick is the classic Republican strategy of 'let's willfully act stupid, and if the public doesn't take our performative stupidity seriously then we'll claim bias.'" Mic drop.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attended the Met Gala for the first time, and likely the last, in 2021. The theme for the ball that year was "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," and AOC decided on an ensemble that would make a statement. The Congresswoman donned a white gown designed by Brother Vellies that had "Tax the Rich" scrawled in red letters on the back. This statement may align with AOC's political views, but many found the garment quite hypocritical.

What wasn't mentioned was the fact that a ticket to the event runs for tens of thousands of dollars, and while AOC's cost of attendance has been hotly debated, many had their grievances with her attendance. "Instead of using her platform to draw attention to evictions, homelessness & the current economic & health crisis, AOC wears a 'Tax the rich' $12K dress to the #MetGala that costs $30K to attend, showing just how much she cares about the working class," one user wrote on X.

AOC's attendance was met with so much contention that a full-blown investigation into whether or not she violated Congressional rules by attending was launched in March 2023. According to the Office of Congressional Conduct, "If Rep. Ocasio-Cortez accepted impermissible gifts, then she may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law." The gifts in question were her entire ensemble: the dress, shoes, accessories, hair, makeup, etc, as she allegedly hadn't paid for any of it. Per NBC News, AOC ended up paying her debts after the investigation was underway, but it's safe to say she ruffled several feathers in the process.