Nancy Mace's Most Inappropriate Outfits Yet

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace has a long history of ruffling feathers, whether it be via releasing video footage of her getting into a heated exchange with another Ulta customer, repeating a slur into a college student's face (via X), or telling Representative Jasmine Crockett that she wanted to "take their conversation outside" (via NBC News). Whatever the case may be, Mace knows exactly how to get a rise out of people, and her wardrobe has had the same effect.

Mace's most contentious outfits are the ones where she's attempted to make statements, such as her attempt to brand herself with a scarlet letter, wearing a polarizing graphic tee, or even pulling a Kristi Noem and cosplaying as a construction worker. When she's not wearing her more polarizing ensembles, Mace's staples include blazers and bodycon dresses, which have still landed her in hot water from time to time, some wondering if her more risqué, figure-hugging garments are Capitol Hill-friendly. Without further ado, let's take a look back at some of Nancy Mace's most inappropriate outfits.

Nancy Mace's attempt at using a cultural phenomenon in her wardrobe totally backfired. In October 2023, Mace was the only female of eight Republicans who voted to have Kevin McCarthy removed as Speaker of the House. The following week at Capitol Hill, Mace donned her typical ensemble — a black pantsuit — but made a bold statement by wearing a white tank top with a large capital "A" plastered on the front.

"I'm wearing the scarlet letter after the week I just had, being a woman up here, and being demonized for my vote and for my voice," Mace revealed of the garment in a C-SPAN video on Instagram. "The Scarlet Letter" is a 19th-century novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, centered around feminism and the alienating effects of adultery. Though it is a piece of historical fiction, in the text, the "scarlet letter" punishment involved stitching a red letter A to the woman's clothing so the public would know that she was guilty of adultery. While Mace makes a valid point that she was ostracized as the only woman, her attempt at the statement felt like a mockery to some. "Don't taint Hawthorne's masterpiece with your stupefying ignorance. What a JOKE," one user wrote on Instagram. Another quipped, "Someone ask her what the plot of ['The Scarlet Letter'] is."

Nancy Mace took a note from Kristi Noem's bizarre history of inappropriate cosplay outfits and decided to dress up as "Construction Barbie" when she paid Nexans — an automation company in South Carolina — a visit in June 2025. Surrounded by employees with standard white, yellow, and orange construction vests and hats, Mace decided that she wanted to "get her hands dirty," as it were, with a pink construction vest and matching hat.

"Infrastructure isn't just a talking point. It's cables, crews, and companies like Nexans getting the job done right here in Goose Creek, South Carolina. And yes, I'll take a pink hard hat over diamonds and pearls any day," Mace wrote on Instagram. What she failed to mention, however, was that she was wearing her hair down for the entirety of the video, likely against safety protocols. This instantly let viewers know that the get-up was just for the photo-op, once again seemingly making a mockery of working-class people. "Making competition for Noem?... Cosplaying is not part of governance. Get to work. We don't care how you look in uniform or hard hat," one user expressed.

As mentioned previously, some of Nancy Mace's everyday ensembles have landed her in hot water from time to time. When she posted a video to X strutting through Capitol Hill in one particular garment, though, many were saying that her outfit wasn't appropriate for the setting. In the clip, uploaded in September 2024, Mace is detailing the different meetings and topics she would be covering that day, but the viewers were hardly listening to what she had to say.

The representative decided on a periwinkle lace bodycon dress that gave the illusion that it was completely see-through, as the fabric underneath was nude. Mace paired the dress with layers of chunky gold necklaces, fully looking like she was ready for a night on the town. At least she looked effortlessly chic in the classic gold chains. Many agreed with this sentiment, one writing, "45 days off, and nothing too see here! BTW your dress is evening wear," in reference to the excessive amount of vacation days she'd taken. Another added, "I'm not sure a lacey see-through top layer is a good idea with a flesh colored underlayer for a congresswoman ..." 

Nancy Mace's dedication to making it to the polls should be studied, but she could've at least thrown on a fresh set of clothes first. In July 2025, the South Carolina representative drove from her home state to Washington, D.C. overnight so she could vote on Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill after her flight was canceled. Since the bill was originally written, it has caused massive amounts of contention with the public as to the threats it poses to healthcare, financial aid for students, and taxation. What Mace decided to do was document all of this in the middle of the night.

In a relentless switch-off between Instagram and X, Mace chronicled her nearly 500-mile journey, all while wearing a white pajama set with red hearts. Not only was this stunt massively head-scratching to watch unfold, but many found it unprofessional. In a video Mace posted to Instagram, noting gas prices on their road trip, one user commented, "[What] are you doing making videos in your pj's holding your puppy, stop being bougie and start doing your job." She certainly wasn't successful in turning her pajamas into streetwear, which can be cool.

Throughout Mace's career, she's made it a point to announce that she used to work at Waffle House as frequently as possible. Understandably, she decided that would be one of their late-night stops, later posting a photo to X of her arm around one of the waitresses. "From one Waffle House waitress to another, thank you for showing up, working hard, and keeping the coffee hot." Many were able to read between the lines, though, as one user wrote, "Put on some serious clothes. This is ridiculous. Stop engagement farming, dress professionally and DO [YOUR] JOB. There was plenty of time to duck into a bathroom and change — why didn't you?"

Throughout Nancy Mace's time in politics, one of her biggest and most divisive stances has been her take on transgender rights, but it seems she can't even decide how she feels about it. Back in July 2023, Mace described herself as "pro-trans rights" during an appearance on CBS' "The Takeout." However, in November 2024, Sarah McBride won her Congressional campaign and became the first trans woman to hold a seat. Mace immediately retaliated by introducing a bill that would require that all people use the bathroom that aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth in federal buildings. "I'm not going to stand for a man, you know, someone with a p—-, in the women's locker room," Mace expressed at the Capitol, per ABC News.

Since then, Mace has completely flipped the script on her feelings about trans rights, and in a season of political turmoil, all she's done is double down. In July 2025, Mace attended a grassroots movement, wearing a graphic T-shirt that read, "God Made," along with the female and male bathroom figurines, referring to the biology and religious aspect of the debate. Members of the public found this harmful for several reasons, one of which is exemplified by one Instagram user: "Caring about where people go to the bathroom is a weird hill to die on."