White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is the subject of an internet war over her true age, and sadly she has only her stylist to blame. Leavitt is just 27 years old, making her the youngest press secretary in U.S. history, but her wardrobe choices often make her appear much older than the average Gen Z woman. Back when Donald Trump was campaigning for his second go-round in the Oval Office, Leavitt went full-on White House Barbie (and not in a good way) with an assortment of pink suits and dresses that were too twee for words. Once the divisive politician was re-elected, she traded the cutesy ensembles for more mature outfits — a little too mature, TBH. For instance, Leavitt donned a pantsuit resembling a nursing home uniform to a press conference, a leopard-print maxi dress to a CPAC appearance, and grandmotherly sweater sets pretty much everywhere else.

Unfortunately, her latest attempt at professionalism was just the latest in a long line of fashion missteps. Leavitt took questions from reporters outside the White House on June 2, 2025. Asked about the recent antisemitic terror attack in Colorado, Leavitt asserted that “We’re not going to tolerate such violence in the country; no mercy,” (per YouTube) and blamed the Biden administration for not deporting the suspect after his visa expired. She sounded confident and assured, or at least we think she did. Her boxy lime-green blazer was so eye-catching — and not in a good way — that it distracted from the Trump staffer’s rather serious message. Of all the clothes in her closet, this is what she picked?

The boxy green blazer didn’t work for Karoline Leavitt

Karoline Leavitt’s choice of jacket was a flop for a number of reasons. Lime green is a tough color for anybody to pull off, but particularly those with pale hair and lighter complexions like hers. Plus, the bright neon shade would be more appropriate for the beach or a tropical wedding than for discussing terrorism and immigration at a presidential press conference (we’ll allow, however, that it was a more flattering hue than the shockingly outdated pastel green ensemble Leavitt wore for Easter). The tailoring is equally problematic. Its too-roomy cut and sizeable shoulder pads overwhelmed her small figure, making the Trump staffer look like a kindergartner playing dress-up in her Mom’s clothes. Moreover, the style was straight out of the 1980s — long before the press secretary was even born.

Guess who was around then? Husband Nicholas Riccio, who’s more than three decades older than Leavitt. In fact, it was almost as though she was trying to cosplay her guy’s generation: Gnarly, dude! Don’t I look totally rad? We get that Leavitt is trying to overcome the cute-dumb-blonde stereotype and present herself as more mature and knowledgeable, in keeping with her lofty new position. Wearing matronly clothes isn’t the answer, though; it just makes her appear both uncomfortable and insincere.

Instead of turning to Grandma for inspiration, the White House staffer should study Jackie Kennedy. The iconic first lady was one of the youngest women to hold that position, but she never tried to appear older than her years. Kennedy embraced her youth and the fashions of the day, so Leavitt could easily do the same without sacrificing professionalism.