Elise Stefanik's Style Transformation Since Taking Office

Elise Stefanik always knew she was destined for politics. After graduating from Harvard in 2006, she won a position in President George W. Bush's administration. She didn't take on the role of congresswoman until 2015, at the age of 30, when she became the youngest woman ever elected to the role. When she began politics, she campaigned as a moderate Republican, but her stance has veered further right over the years to align with President Donald Trump.

Now, some might imagine that her aesthetic has also shifted further into conservative territory. Unlike other members of the MAGA-sphere, though, her style has always remained professional. She's the antithesis to Lauren Boebert's most inappropriate outfits, which are full of tight-fitting, leg-revealing looks. She's also kept away from distinct Republican hair and its worst offenders, keeping her brown locks pretty classic for the most part. Here are the subtleties of how Stefanik's style has transformed since taking office in '15.

In 2015, Elise Stefanik was elected as a congresswoman to represent her constituency in New York. Her fashion reflected her youth, and perhaps, her inexperience. Her standout style moment at the beginning of her congressional career was at her swearing-in ceremony in January 2015, when she wore a flattering blue dress for the occasion (we'll skim over the nude nylons) and brown heels. In August 2015, she posted a photo of herself to Facebook wearing several elements that would feature throughout her career: pink — she appears to love to wear the shade — and a mismatched jacket over a bold patterned dress. Rather than looking cohesive, it felt off, as did the two-toned nude flats.

Her lack of jewelry and accessories would be a theme that continued through her career as well. She did add one piece of jewelry during this era, however, and that was a ring from beau Matthew Manda, a gun lobbyist she married in Saratoga Springs, New York, in 2017.

Elise Stefanik's questionable fashion pairings struck again in 2019 when she met with members of the New York Farm Bureau. For the meeting, she wore a blouse that wrinkled easily, a butter-yellow blazer, and bronze metallic patterned pants. The textures and colors of the outfit competed too much, making it feel off-balance.

Looking more pulled together in Washington, D.C. in May 2021, the congresswoman wore an outfit she repeated multiple times that year and the next: a textured white skirt suit. On this occasion, she wore it as she was elected House Republican conference chair to replace Donald Trump critic Liz Cheney. It was during this time that onlookers speculated if she was pregnant. In early June, she confirmed that she was expecting her first child with Matthew Manda. Her appearances throughout the summer of '21 showed her wearing maternity dresses to accommodate her burgeoning bump, and her son, Samuel, was born at the end of August.

Though Elise Stefanik hasn't been a stranger to wearing bright colors and bold patterns in the U.S. Capitol, she seems to have taken it to a further degree in 2022 and 2023, perhaps as a ploy to make herself stand out in a crowd of politicians in dark suits. She often wore zingy blazers in shades of orange and lime green. She also wore a fuchsia suit on more than one notable occasion; first in February 2022 and then again in January 2023, as the party struggled to elect a house speaker.

Her pattern choices were also extreme. At the Conservative Political Action Conference in March 2023, she wore a suit that looked like sheets of dot candy on a dark background, with a pattern of yellow, green, and purple spots. The busy pattern would've been better as either a skirt or a jacket, but both together felt overwhelming. The Republican stalwart brought patriotic shades to her outfit in the fall of '23 with a red, white, and navy coat, which she paired with dark trousers on one occasion and red on another.

Although Elise Stefanik still chooses bold patterns on occasion and still rotates pink pieces through her wardrobe, her style has transformed into something more low-key and decidedly conservative through the years. It's also more polished overall. Instead of her verging-on-sloppy styles, her outfits look more considered and pulled together.

For example, take her look for her appearance at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She donned a green three-quarter sleeve dress paired with brown pumps — a sensible option for the occasion (as opposed to Marjorie Taylor Greene's inappropriate outfit for her RNC speech that will always haunt her). At the U.S. Capitol in September 2024, she wore all black with tapered trousers and a black blazer, giving off more toned-down vibes yet again. It's likely she'll continue this conservative streak as she focuses her attention on her 2026 candidacy for governor of New York.