From Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama, first ladies have set fashion trends for decades, using diplomatic outings as opportunities to express their personal style.
Perhaps one of the most important political events is the NATO Summit, which occurs at least every other year. Formed in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is currently comprised of 31 countries, including the United States, England and France.
Since NATO’s inception, heads of state have gathered to discuss the most important issues plaguing global politics. First Ladies often join their husbands at the Summit, hobnobbing with foreign dignitaries at a variety of events, including dinners, receptions and daytime charity outings.
Ahead of this year’s convention in Vilnius, Lithuania, a look back at FLOTUS fashion during the NATO Summit.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt greets President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan as they arrive in Bonn to attend the 1982 NATO summit.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: ullstein bild via Getty Images President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan arriving at Tempelhof Airport for the NATO Summit in 1982.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images President George Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush arrive in Brussels in 1989 to attended the NATO Summit.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images French President Jacques Chirac greets First Lady Hillary Clinton during the 1999 NATO Summit.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush arrive in Bucharest, Romania for the 2008 NATO Summit.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush attend the 2008 NATO Summit in Bucharest, Romania.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images First Lady Michelle Obama and French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy in Strasbourg, France, during the 2009 NATO Summit.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama pose with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband Joachim Sauer in 2009 during the 60th annual NATO Summit in Baden-Baden, Germany.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are pictured during the 2009 NATO summit in Strasbourg, France.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: Getty Images First Lady Michelle Obama arrives at the opening of the 2009 NATO summit in Baden Baden, Germany.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: Getty Images President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the evening reception and dinner at the 2018 NATO Summit in Brussels, Belgium.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: WireImage President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend a reception during the NATO Summit in 2019.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: POOL/AFP via Getty Images Spain’s Queen Letizia, President Joe Biden, Spain’s King Felipe VI and First Lady Jill Biden during the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid.
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First Ladies of the United States at the NATO Summit Through the Years: Photos
Image Credit: Getty Images Queen Letizia of Spain and Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States during the 2022 NATO Summit in Spain.