In honor of our nation’s birthday earlier this month, we thought a little retrospective of political gowns would be appropriate.

Recently, NPR thoughtfully culled together a picture selection of what the First Ladies have worn through the decades—and some of it is surprising. Beyond the obvious stunning selections of Jackie O, who knew Betty Ford had such great taste? Or that Barbara Bush wore an 80s-style prom dress to dance away her first night as FLOTUS?

Click through the slideshow to see more images.