This is a composite and hero image for the digital exhibit titled, "Suited to Lead: The Lives of Six Presidents Through Fashion", curated by Fiona Hibbard. "Suited to Lead" considers how dress functioned as a tool of self-expression for these presidents, and how their choices in dress reflected their preferences, societal expectations, as well as their position. The digital exhibit explores dress before, during, and after the presidencies of six American presidents. The composite is made of the portraits of the six presidents featured in the exhibit, clockwise from the far left: Theodore Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Harry S. Truman, and John Quincy Adams. It may only be used for press and publicity purposes related to the exhibit. All other uses must be approved by the White House Historical Association in writing.

This portrait photograph of President Donald Trump was taken by Daniel Torok on June 2, 2025, during his first year as the 47th President of the United States. President Trump was the second president, after President Grover Cleveland, to serve two nonconsecutive terms in office, having previously served as the 45th president from 2017-2021.

This ambrotype of future president Abraham Lincoln was taken by photographer William Painter Pearson on August 26, 1858. An ambrotype was a successor to the daguerrotype that was easier and cheaper to produce. This image was taken during the seven debates the future president had with Stephen Douglas in 1858, when both were running for senator. Lincoln became president on March 4, 1861 and had served in the House of Representatives earlier in his life.

This photograph of future president Theodore Roosevelt in a hunting outfit was likely taken by George Grantham Bain in 1885. In 1883, Roosevelt went buffalo hunting in the Dakota Territory, now known as North Dakota, for the first time. There, he faced even more scrutiny for his slim build and fashionable New York style. Eager to prove himself as a real frontier hunter, he acquired a custom-made buckskin suit and purchased his first ranch. After returning to New York, he sat for photographs at a studio while wearing the outfit in 1885. A former governor of New York, Roosevelt became president upon the assassination of William McKinley on September 14, 1901, and served until March 4, 1909.

This photograph is of future president Theodore Roosevelt posing in his Rough Rider uniform during the Spanish-American War. It was taken in 1898 by Siegel, Cooper & Co. His uniform was custom-made by the American clothing brand Brooks Brothers. Roosevelt wore a slouch hat, a hat style popular for military uniforms since the Civil War. Rough Rider uniforms also included a loosely tied blue bandana, cartridge belt, long gloves, and boots. This rugged look captured the adventurous, frontier spirit Roosevelt aspired to, and that earned the group the nickname, the “Rough Riders” though officially known as the 1st Volunteer Cavalry. A former governor of New York, Roosevelt became president upon the assassination of William McKinley on September 14, 1901, and served until March 4, 1909.

In this photograph, future president Theodore Roosevelt poses in a mountaineering outfit, representing his growing interest in outdoorsmanship. He posed for this photograph in 1881, around the time of his honeymoon to his first wife, Alice Lee Roosevelt. A former governor of New York, Roosevelt became president upon the assassination of William McKinley on September 14, 1901, and served until March 4, 1909.

This photograph of future president Theodore Roosevelt was taken by George Gardner Rockwood in 1898, and the card was made by F.M. Buckles & Co. in 1900. The quotation was adapted from a speech given by Roosevelt in 1899, called "The Strenuous Life." From the late 1880s through his election as president, Roosevelt held several prominent positions, including U.S. Civil Service commissioner, New York police commissioner, governor of New York, and Vice President of the United States. During this time, he dressed in typical 1890s fashion: a frock coat, waistcoat, and trousers. Roosevelt added patterned ties and striped trousers to his wardrobe. His pince-nez eyeglasses, fashionable during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, also added sophistication to his look. Roosevelt became president upon the assassination of William McKinley on September 14, 1901, and served until March 4, 1909.

This lithograph of President Abraham Lincoln was created by Currier & Ives Lithography Company circa 1860-1861. In late 1860, Abraham Lincoln began growing a beard, and was the first United States president to do so. After his first election, he reportedly received a letter from an eleven-year-old fan, Grace Bedell, who suggested that growing facial hair might improve his appearance. In his reply to this letter, President Lincoln wrote, “As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a piece of silly affectation if I were to begin wearing them now? Your very sincere well-wisher," A. LINCOLN."” By 1861, Lincoln’s beard appeared in portraits, paintings, and photographs, and would remain a style that he maintained for the remainder of his life. Lincoln became president on March 4, 1861 and had earlier served in the House of Representatives.

This gelatin silver print of future president Abraham Lincoln was taken by Alexander Hesler of the Herbert George Studios of Springfield, Illinois in June 1860. It depicts Lincoln before his presidency, without his beard, wearing a suit and cravat. Lincoln’s cravat was pre-tied and fastened at the back. The bow was also intentionally sewn on crooked, since Lincoln preferred to wear it slightly off-center. Lincoln became president on March 4, 1861 and earlier had served in the House of Representatives.

This daguerreotype of former president John Quincy Adams is believed to be a copy by Southworth and Hawes of a lost original daguerreotype by Philip Haas. In his later years, President Adams was photographed wearing his usual outfit: a black double-breasted coat, black trousers, and black leather shoes. These clothes represent the typical daywear of the 1850s. The shoes, which are split at the vamp, are fastened with shoelaces, and the large, stiff necktie resembles a black stock. These simple, tailored garments show that Adams’s preference for elegant dress lasted well after his time as president. John Quincy Adams was the son of President John Adams and First Lady Abigail Adams. Prior to his presidency, President Adams was a diplomat to the Netherlands, Prussia, Russia, and the United Kingdom. He served as Secretary of State under President James Monroe and is the only president who went on to serve in the United States House of Representatives after being president. Adams represented his home state, Massachusetts, in the House.

This photograph of Harry S. Truman, aged 13, wearing a bow tie and glasses, was taken by W.A. Hare and Co. in 1897. Truman is wearing a dark jacket, bow tie, and oval spectacles with a thin metal frame. At the time, children did not typically wear glasses, as they were not as fashionable as other types of eyewear, such as eyeglasses, which did not have side arms. The glasses also prevented him from doing rough activities, which might break them. Truman served in the United States Senate prior to his years in the White House. As vice president during President Franklin D. Roosevelt's fourth term, Truman became president upon Roosevelt's death in office in 1945. He was elected president in his own right during the 1948 election, serving from January 20, 1949 to January 20, 1953. During his second term, Truman was the target of an assassination attempt while living in Blair House during a major White House renovation.

This glass plate collodion negative, a type of photograph, is of President-elect Abraham Lincoln. This photograph was taken on February 24, 1861 by Alexander Gardner in the days following Lincoln’s arrival in Washington, D.C. ahead of his Inauguration. He is dressed in the outfit that would become his most recognizable look: a black frock coat, matching waistcoat and trousers, a narrow black cravat, and polished black leather shoes. His hat rests on the table next to him. Photographs of Lincoln from the 1840s and 1850s show that by this time, his signature look was well-established. Lincoln became president on March 4, 1861 and earlier served in the House of Representatives.

This print of President John Quincy Adams, made by Thomas Gimbrede in 1826, suggests how Adams may have dressed during his time as Secretary of State. Adams is pictured here wearing a black morning coat and breeches, in line with his preference for simple, formal styles. His short haircut marked another first; Adams was the earliest president to adopt this style, rather than the long powdered hair typically associated with early presidents.

This daguerreotype, a type of photograph, of President John Quincy Adams was taken in 1843 by Philip Haas. John Quincy Adams is believed to be the first former president to be photographed following the invention of the daguerreotype in 1839. Adams was particularly fond of photographs, writing about his experience, “I walked this morning to Mr Haas’s shop, and he took from his camera obscura, three Daguerrotype likenesses of me— The operation is performed in half a minute; but is yet altogether incomprehensible to me… It would seem as easy to stamp a fixed portrait from the reflection of a mirror; but how wonderful would that reflection itself be, if we were not familiarised to it from childhood.” Adams’s appreciation for photography was the beginning of a new period in which the presidential image could be recorded and shared with greater accuracy. John Quincy Adams was the son of President John Adams and First Lady Abigail Adams. Prior to his presidency, President Adams was a diplomat to the Netherlands, Prussia, Russia, and the United Kingdom. He served as Secretary of State under President James Monroe and is the only president who went on to serve in the United States House of Representatives after being president. Adams represented his home state, Massachusetts, in the House.

This pastel on vellum portrait of future president John Quincy Adams was created by Izaak Schmidt in 1783. Beginning in 1779, John Quincy Adams kept a detailed diary, recording his daily activities in Europe. Though he occasionally mentioned his dress in passing, he provided little description, focusing instead on his studies and travels. In 1783, while staying in The Hague, Adams sat for a portrait. This painting reflects how his style as a young man was influenced by the prevailing fashions of France and Great Britain. He is depicted wearing a slim-fitting frock coat with a wide, turned-down collar, a colorful waistcoat (possibly embroidered), and powdered hair; styles that were popular at the time among young men in Western Europe. John Quincy Adams was the son of President John Adams and First Lady Abigail Adams. Prior to his presidency, President Adams was a diplomat to the Netherlands, Prussia, Russia, and the United Kingdom. He served as Secretary of State under President James Monroe and is the only president who went on to serve in the United States House of Representatives after being president. Adams represented his home state, Massachusetts, in the House.

This ink on paper silhouette portrait of future president John Quincy Adams was created by Henry Williams (professionally knowns as H. Williams) in 1809 and depicts Adams wearing a top hat. Adams was an early adopter of the top hat, despite its decline in popularity in the late 1700s. By the early 1800s, top hats served as a sign of status, and fashionable men would not have been seen in public without the latest hat style. While Adams is not usually pictured wearing a hat in his portraits, in this 1809 silhouette, his top hat is in the popular fashion of the time, around six or seven inches tall, with a narrow brim curving downward at the front and back. Silhouette portraits were fashionable and readily available throughout Europe and the United States in the 1800s. John Quincy Adams was the son of President John Adams and First Lady Abigail Adams. Prior to his presidency, President Adams was a diplomat to the Netherlands, Prussia, Russia, and the United Kingdom. He served as Secretary of State under President James Monroe and is the only president who went on to serve in the United States House of Representatives after being president. Adams represented his home state, Massachusetts, in the House.

This portrait photograph of future president Jimmy Carter was taken during his time in the United States Navy. Carter graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1946. He began his military career as an ensign on a submarine and rose to the rank of lieutenant in 1952 before resigning from the Navy upon the death of his father in 1953. The inscription in the bottom right corner is written to Carter's wife and future first lady Rosalynn Carter. It reads, "Darling, I love you with all my heart - for all my life. Jimmy".

This photograph of young, future president Jimmy Carter at Forestry Camp was taken circa 1939. Carter spent his early years on a Georgia farm during the Great Depression, in a home that did not have electricity until 1938. Carter described his childhood lifestyle as closer to the farm life of 20,000 years ago than modern farming of the day. Clothing was more a matter of necessity and survival than a fashion statement: for boys like Carter, this meant practical, durable clothing that was suitable for long days of work on the farm. Here, he looks to be wearing denim pants and a sturdy leather belt.

This miniature watercolor on ivory portrait of William Thornton was created by Robert Field circa 1800. Dr. William Thornton was born in the British West Indies in 1759 and gained U.S. citizenship in 1787. Thornton moved to Washington, D.C. after President George Washington chose his design for the U.S. Capitol building and appointed him a city commissioner. Considered the "first architect of the Capitol," Thornton held the role of head of the Patent Office from 1802 until his death in 1828. William Thornton and the creator, Robert Field, were acquaintances. This portrait is a part of the White House Collection.

This composite features pieces from the White House Collection. This image was featured in the exhibition entitled "Slavery and Freedom in the White House Collection". It may only be used for press and publicity purposes related to the exhibit. All other uses must be approved by the White House Historical Association in writing.

This composite features pieces from the White House Collection. This image was featured in the exhibition entitled "Slavery and Freedom in the White House Collection". It may only be used for press and publicity purposes related to the exhibit. All other uses must be approved by the White House Historical Association in writing.

This official portrait of President Barack Obama was painted by Robert McCurdy in 2018. Prior to his election to the presidency, Obama served as a United States senator from Illinois. On January 20, 2009, he became the first African American president and served two terms from 2009 to 2017. Both portraits of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were unveiled in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on September 7, 2022.

This official portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama was painted by Sharon Sprung in 2018. A Chicago native, Obama earned degrees from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. Her husband, Barack Obama, served as president from January 20, 2009 until January 20, 2017. As first lady, Michelle Obama pursued initiatives focused on childhood obesity and healthy eating, support for service members and their families, and opportunity in education. Both portraits of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were unveiled in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on September 7, 2022.

This portrait of Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly was the frontispiece, or an illustration facing the title page of a book, for her memoir Behind the Scenes, or Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House, published ca. 1868 by G.W. Carleton & Co. Her memoir detailed her life when she was enslaved, her rise to prominence as a businesswoman and seamstress, and her friendship with First Lady Mary Lincoln. Her memoir provides ample insight into the Lincoln White House, her family life, and the brutalities she experienced under slavery.

This portrait photograph is of White House staff member Jeremiah "Jerry" Smith. Smith started working at the White House during the Ulysses S. Grant administration in the late 1860s, and served as butler, cook, doorman, and footman until his retirement some 35 years later. Shortly before dying at age 69 in 1904, Smith was visited at his home by President Theodore Roosevelt.