Karoline Leavitt's Outdated Barbiecore Look Never Should Have Left Her Closet

Karoline Leavitt has exhibited some less-than-stellar outfits during her time as the White House press secretary. In 2025 alone, Leavitt had a whole compilation of outfits that totally missed the mark; many were outdated, while others were unflattering on Leavitt because they aged her. Well, she did it again on March 10, 2026 in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House. While the primary topic of conversation was President Donald Trump's ongoing strikes in Iran, Leavitt's granny-style blazer and Barbie-pink top did most of the talking. 

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Leavitt can't seem to find the right sartorial balance for her job. As the youngest press secretary in White House history, she's no doubt trying to come off as older and more established than she may feel. As such, Leavitt has often worn bad outfits that have one thing in common: they age her. While her youth might be a factor, another hypothetical reason behind her wardrobe styling is that her husband, Nicholas Riccio, is 32 years older than she is. This whopping age gap has sparked several rumors about Leavitt's love life that she can't seem to shake. But in terms of clothing, the logic is that Leavitt is dressing for her husband's age bracket rather than her own. So, when she wore this beige blazer with brown and pink stripes, as well as a coordinating pink top, Leavitt looked dowdy. The combo, even though there was bubblegum pink involved, aged her considerably. 

Karoline Leavitt had another Barbiecore blunder just before the dated pink top and beige blazer situation. On January 7, 2026, Leavitt held a news briefing at the White House and stepped out in a bubblegum pink boucle jacket with black trim and black and gold buttons. She layered this over a black turtleneck. Yet again, the jacket looked frumpy on Leavitt, as the boxy cut and prim silhouette seemed like something someone older might wear. 

Leavitt's pink jacket sparked online comparisons to Marge Simpson from a 1996 episode of "The Simpsons." Marge wore a pink skirt suit that paid homage to Jackie Kennedy and the pink suit she was wearing when John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. "Marge wore it better!!!" someone commented on the comparison between Leavitt and Marge's looks (via MSN). Others compared Leavitt to the North Korean state TV news broadcaster Ri Chun-hee, who had previously worn a pink jacket that looked similar to the one Leavitt wore, per HuffPost. These unfortunate comparisons proved that Leavitt's jacket just didn't land. However, other outlets like the Irish Star, had a sweeter explanation. In December 2025, Leavitt announced that she was expecting her second child, a baby girl, due in May 2026. So, a possible reason for Leavitt's love of pink could very well be the arrival of her daughter. Somehow, that makes the Barbiecore fails a little more understandable and slightly more sentimental.