Kari Lake's Outdated Fundraiser Outfit Will Always Haunt Her

By Gem Adeyinka
Kari Lake photographed staring at someone lev radin/Shutterstock

It's one thing to wear an outfit that's technically out of style but still works on you, and it's another thing entirely to wear something outdated in a way that proves exactly why it's no longer fashionable. Kari Lake, senior advisor for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, unfortunately fell into the latter category with an outdated fundraiser dress. Now, Lake is a good-looking woman and hasn't succumbed to the "Mar-a-Lago face" trend (or become one of its worst offenders), but the wasted potential is exactly why this outfit is so hard to unsee. At a CPAC auction at Mar-a-Lago in November 2024, she arrived in a dress that looked like layered fish scales, and to be clear, this cut doesn't flatter anyone. This isn't to be confused with the fishtail silhouette, which has been found in some of Melania Trump's most outdated outfits.

 

Between the tragic paneling, the bolero jacket, and the unflattering color, Lake's dress gave us Y2K flashbacks in the worst way possible. To absolutely no one's surprise, the internet mercilessly ripped into her for this look. "NOBODY looks good in this dress. It's an abomination," one Redditor wrote. Surprisingly (or not), this wasn't the first time Lake donned an outdated 'fit.

Kari Lake seems to be obsessed with outdated fashion trends

Kari Lake wearing two different outdated outfits that don't flatter her features karilake / Instagram & karilake / Instagram

Unfortunately, Kari Lake's style disaster isn't an isolated incident, as she's worn several outfits that lean heavily into unfashionable trends. That same month, she showed up to Pinal County Cowboy Church in Casa Grande, Arizona, in cropped skinny jeans (another fashion relic) paired with a blazer. The cut made her legs look tiny and threw off her proportions, giving her a top-heavy look. Needless to say, it wasn't flattering.

Then, in February 2025, she served another fashion faux pas with a green-and-black outfit that stood out for all the wrong reasons. The green hue almost made her appear ill, and the tucked-in shirt paired with black leather skinnies was a total no-no. Still, she proudly shared the image on Instagram.

The core issue seems to be that Lake clings to the fads she loved growing up and hasn't adapted to more modern styling. A simple fix could involve two things: learning how to style a sheath dress since she clearly loves them and understanding what women over 40 should avoid wearing if they want to look put-together. It won't transform her style overnight, but it could keep her from adding more outdated looks to her resume.

Recommended