- Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez wore a lacy white bustier to President Donald Trump’s inauguration—and the internet was set ablaze with criticism over the outfit being inappropriate. It could reflect the growing “office siren” trend, and the new presidency’s “culture of the personality.”
President Donald Trump just took the oath of office at his inauguration, and one high-profile guest had a choice outfit for the solemn event. And the outfit had guests talking, even more than Trump’s “Gulf of America” comment, or the incredibly private Arnaults being in attendance.
Lauren Sánchez, the fiancée of Amazon executive chair Jeff Bezos, wore a white Alexander McQueen pantsuit with a trim low-cut blazer, complete with a lacy bustier peeking out from underneath the jacket. It stood out among other attendees’ uniforms—the customary classic black suit with burgundy tie, and typical black tailored dress and overcoat—and caused quite a stir online.
Social media users on the likes of X have since been ripping apart Sánchez’s lacy white bra being on display, deeming the outfit “tacky” and “inappropriate” for such a historic event. One critic posed the question, “Do you think she looks trashy or classy?” And was hit with over 10,000 replies. There was some debate, but the general consensus was that lingerie wasn’t the move for this type of event.
Fashion professors were also left “stunned” by her choice of wear, because it deviated so far from the traditional garb for a presidential inauguration. But the issue, no matter how vain it may appear, could be very telling of a new workwear trend—and of the new administration running America.
The outfit debate and similar “office siren” trend
The internet may be divided over whether Sánchez’s outfit is safe for work. But it’s reflective of an increasingly popular office style: The “office siren” and “corpcore” trends have gained traction among young working women on social media.
The look—complete with tight pencil skirts, low-cut blouses and revealing button-downs, and corporate pumps—merges traditional office wear with potentially NSFW sexiness. Fashion giant Boohoo even has an “office siren” section specifically for workers looking to wear short skirts, cropped blazers and deep V-necks to work.
Now some young Gen Z workers are taking fashion notes from the concept, donning crop tops and skintight clothing to the office—even though professionals are hitting back at workwear content creators promoting the siren look, arguing they would be fired for dressing that way.
The normalization of this style could be aided by corporate reality shows featuring stylishly dressed employees in the “corpcore” aesthetic.
For example, Selling Sunset star Christine Quinn weighed in on the situation. The alumni of the Netflix real estate reality show—known alongside her costars for wearing trendy and sometimes revealing outfits to the job—said she would consider wearing Sánchez’s look on the show. But to the historic event in D.C.? Probably not.
“Jeff Bezos’s wife strutting into the presidential inauguration in lingerie with her chesticles hoisted like NASA was launching them into orbit?” She posted on X. “Peak Selling Sunset season 2 energy… Cute outfit, sweetheart, but wrong place.”
The outfit reflects the new administration’s “culture of the personality”
As a former reality TV star and celebrity businessman, Donald Trump is no stranger to the power of personality. His new administrative picks reflect that—as well as Sánchez’s stunt at the inauguration.
Just look at the seating arrangement of the ceremony. Sitting in front of Trump’s cabinet nominees are the tech world’s most prominent businessmen: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Amazon founder Bezos, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk all sharing a row. This choice was intentional—it reflects Trump’s growing strategic relationship with corporate America, a group of billionaires with awkward public rebrands and devoted fan followings.
“That front row of business people, it was people selected for their stardom. It felt very Hollywood,” Hazel Clark, professor of design and fashion studies at Parsons, tells Coins2Day. “The outfit is very much about this moment, this current group, and the character of this presidency.”
Piggybacking off the concept of being part of a spectacle, Sánchez may have felt comfortable leaning into the attention. Clark says that behavior and inappropriate outfit choice is reflective of Trump’s disposition for characters. He gravitates toward distinctive—and oftentimes, controversial—figures with big personalities that seem to resonate with his following. Clark distinguishes this temperament as specific to Trump’s administration, whereas we haven’t seen this etiquette from others.
“She dressed for spectacle, to be looked at. A ‘me’ moment, drawing attention to herself, but maybe also echoing the manner of the new president,” Clark says. “The culture of the personality, drawing attention to individuals rather than seeing all collectively. People are being encouraged to stand out and show off.”
