Fact Check

Is This a Photograph of Jill Biden in 'Fishnet Stockings'?

A picture of 69-year-old First Lady Jill Biden deplaning while wearing 'fishnet stockings' touched off online debate over the appropriateness of her ensemble.

Published April 5, 2021

US First Lady Jill Biden deplanes upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on April 1, 2021. - Biden returned to Washington after a visit to California. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Image Via Getty Images
Claim:
A photograph shows First Lady Jill Biden deplaning in black patterned hosiery, ankle boots, and a skirt.

In April 2021, social media users circulated a photograph purportedly showing First Lady Jill Biden sporting a pair of 'fishnet stockings' and a short skirt while disembarking from an airplane at a military base:

Jill Biden in fishnet stockings

This was indeed a real photograph of the 69-year-old first lady, taken on April 1, 2021, as she arrived at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland after returning from a trip to California to mark the birthday of labor organizer César Chávez. Biden's ensemble included black patterned hosiery, black ankle boots, a black blazer, and what looks to be a leather skirt:

Jill Biden in fishnet stockings
US First Lady Jill Biden deplanes upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on April 1, 2021. - Biden returned to Washington after a visit to California. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Some critics asserted the first lady's mode of attire was "trashy" or "inappropriate":

Defenders of Biden's look proclaimed that her ensemble was "amazing" and "classy":

Some commenters also took exception to the term "fishnet," maintaining that the first lady's legwear was more correctly called "patterned hose" or "lace stockings" or "floral tights":

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