Kristi Noem Was Embarrassingly Out-Dressed By Tulsi Gabbard At 2024 Campaign Event
At this point, it seems like no amount of fashion faux pas will convince Kristi Noem to give up on mixing formal wear with overtly casual clothes. While attending a presidential campaign event in November 2024 with other prominent women in MAGA circles, the former South Dakota governor made the odd decision to pair a full-sleeved navy blue coat with baggy jeans. All the politician had to do to make the outfit more appropriate for the event was wear one of her signature pairs of fitted jeans.
Unfortunately, the head-scratching choices didn't end there, because Noem decided to finish the look with a pair of sneakers. As a whole, the outfit gave the impression that Noem was out at the mall when someone told her to throw on a coat because she had a campaign event to get to. Even worse for Noem, Tulsi Gabbard appeared to be wearing the same navy blue jacket. However, Gabbard arguably pulled off the jacket far better by pairing it with cropped blue trousers.
Although both MAGA women wore a white top underneath the jacket, Gabbard's shirt worked better than Noem's, because it looked formal and made her navy blue jacket pop more. Additionally, Gabbard's sleek black heels went perfectly well with her outfit. All in all, there's no doubt that Gabbard had a much more cohesive idea of the look she was going for at the event. As for the former DHS Secretary, her outfit choice stuck out like a sore thumb in group photos, since all the other MAGA ladies appeared to be dressed far more sharply.
Kristi Noem has gone down some strange roads with her business casual 'fits
Kristi Noem and other politicians have desperately tried to make cowboy boots business casual over and over again. However, things have never gone quite as they hoped. One of the most noticeable examples of this faux pas occurred in 2017, when Noem decided to wear a pair of tacky cowboy boots to a formal meeting. The odd shoe choice made even less sense with the orange short-sleeved dress that didn't complement the boots in the slightest. Even her accessory choice, a large multicolored necklace, was overtly casual for the occasion. It's more than likely that Kristi Noem's inappropriate 2017 outfit at Capitol Hill will always haunt her.
In July 2025, Noem pushed the boundaries for appropriate workwear in a different way. After landing in Santiago, Chile, the then-DHS Secretary decided to greet the country's officials on the tarmac while wearing camo leggings. Once again, Noem appeared to be taking a business casual approach to fashion since she paired the leggings with a black jacket and a cap.
However, that outfit was still far too heavy on the casual for someone representing their country on a foreign visit. Some may argue that a more casual outfit was to be expected, given that Noem had just gotten off a long flight. However, the counterpart to that argument is that Noem likely knew that she would be meeting Chilean officials and chose to wear that outfit anyway. All in all, Kristi Noem's outdated take on the 2025 camo trend was an empty reach for style points.