JD Vance Is Unrecognizable In Throwback Photos Before His Political Fame

Before the beard and political fame, JD Vance was rocking a look so different, the only thing that gives him away is that classic smirk.

Even as a freshman senator, Vance had curated a shady reputation for himself. From courting Silicon Valley bigwigs like Peter Thiel to promoting his maybe made-up memoir, Vance has certainly gone through some shifting styles through the years. While rubbing shoulders with venture capitalists in Silicon Valley comes with its own set of fashion standards, the pivot to politics comes with even more outfit requirements. For someone who claims to have come from poverty, Vance certainly seems able to afford new suit jackets along the way. 

A fan of gray suit coats, it seems the vice presidential candidate has often tried to blend into the background, maybe to hide how strange Vance is. Now that he is once again thrust into the spotlight on a national scale, his choice of personal style is also changing. Looking like a partially melted troll doll, Vance has done his best to cover up his face with a new beard. However, even that won't improve his likability. During the summer of 2024, JD Vance had an old photo surfaced of him in drag that took the internet by storm. However, we've found an even older throwback photo where Vance is even more unrecognizable. 

Before JD Vance fully transformed himself into the senator he is today, he seemed to have brought a more nerdy vibe to his high school years — which is surprisingly relatable. Seen here in a button-down shirt and possibly a clip-on tie, a teenage Vance is smiling through baby teeth. However, he can also be seen here rocking a classic look many have speculated on — JD Vance always looks like he's wearing eyeliner. Maybe he dislikes childless cat ladies because they bullied him in high school.

While the vice-presidential candidate's style has certainly evolved since his salad days, his politics still tend toward a traditional vision of family roles. This is surprising, give that Vance's wife, Usha Vance, is incredibly intelligent and possibly was the main breadwinner for their family up until she quit her high-profile job to join him on the campaign trail. Plus, Usha Vance literally looks good in anything. Which is not something we can say about JD Vance.