Fashion as communication: Jacqueline Kennedy's rhetoric of style

Fashion is a form of rhetoric. It has the power to communicate whether intentionally or not. Jacqueline Kennedy utilized this form of communication to express herself to create a new image of the White House, and to educate the American public on nuances. To her, the various aspects of fashion were strategies that allowed her to create a rhetoric all her own and one that was widely esteemed and emulated. Her creative use of style helped fulfill the public's desire for change in the White House. Essentially, Jackie added an aura that completed the "New Frontier" administration her husband promised. She had set new standards. Her popular style was copied not only because it was aesthetically pleasing, but because it constructed a compelling mystique composed in part by her wealth coupled with her high social and political standing.