Nancy Mace Looks So Different With Short Hair

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When one thinks of Nancy Mace, a certain image springs to mind. The South Carolina congresswoman is known for minimal makeup, though for bigger public she tends to go all out with false lashes and shimmery eyeshadow for big events. She typically gets more coverage for her fashion choices, especially as Nancy Mace seems to be taking fashion tips from Kristi Noem's "cosplay" outfits. When it comes to her chestnut hair, she wears it parted to the side, either straight or waved, but since rising to prominence, she's consistently kept her hair past shoulder-length. So, when old photos of her with shorter locks emerge, it definitely gives us pause. The most famous of these receipts is a snap from Mace's 1999 graduation from The Citadel, a military college that formerly only admitted males. 

Mace posted the throwback pic to Instagram in January 2025, telling her followers that she fought "like h*** to become the first woman to graduate from The Citadel." Notably, Mace wasn't the first woman admitted to the college, as another student by the name of Shannon Faulker gained entry in 1995 after engaging in a legal battle with The Citadel. Faulker dropped out before graduating, but she paved the way for Mace to be admitted and graduate in 1999 as the first woman to do so from the academy's Corps of Cadets program. Starting in 2019, The Citadel allowed its female cadets to opt out of cutting their hair upon graduating, but during Mace's time at school, she was not permitted to have hair that touched the top of her blouse. 

Following her graduation from The Citadel, Nancy Mace continued her education at the University of Georgia, where she did not have to cut her hair to a particular length. It seems that as Mace moved away from her military background, she also moved away from the fashion and beauty that came with it. Most of the photos that we have of her date to 2020, when she rose to fame for being Congress' first-ever Republican woman to be elected from South Carolina, and her current style as a public figure began here. 

While Nancy Mace has been spotted in a few inappropriate outfits, her hair and makeup are pretty standard. These days, she typically wears her long hair down and waved, though she's not opposed to the odd clip styling moment. The congresswoman reflected on her military college experiences in her 2001 memoir "In the Company of Men: A Woman at The Citadel," but we don't expect any real-life throwbacks to this era in her hair and beauty game anytime soon. However, if you're inspired by Mace's 1999 look, here are a few reasons why you should consider short hair (you can thank us later!).