Janna Ryan sports thrifty Kohl’s dress on campaign trail

Janna Little Ryan found herself in the spotlight this weekend as she made her campaign trail debut with her husband, newly tapped Republican vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.

The 43-year-old mother of three showed up at campaign events in North Carolina sporting a thrifty $70 floral dress by Dana Buchman (on sale at Kohl's for $35). The down-to-earth look inspired fans on Facebook, who were charmed by Ryan's fashionable, yet machine-washable approach.

"I was so excited this morning watching Romney & Ryan in North Carolina. Romney calls the wives up to the stage & OMG, Janna Ryan was wearing the same dress I wore to my nephew's wedding 2 wks ago!!!" wrote Cheryl Cooper of Oklahoma City on Facebook. "I got mine at Kohls, with Kohls cash & 30% discount. Cost me about $20."

Ryan is known for her thrifty sense of fashion. The Ryan's neighbors Joe and Terry Moss of Janesville, Wis., told USA Today that Ryan showed up to a neighborhood porch party sporting a cute pair of sandals she nabbed at Goodwill for $2.

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Ryan is following in the footsteps of the current first lady—who is known for her high-low fashion. Michelle Obama wore a $35 H&M dress on the "Today Show" last year and has been spotted in Target's affordable designer collaborations. But the first lady also dresses upscale—consider the $6,800 jacket she wore to Buckingham Palace for the Olympics' opening ceremonies.

Janesville residents have praised Ryan, a former high-powered tax attorney who is now a stay-at-home mom, for being "ladylike" and kind. She grew up in Madill, Okla., in a family that has deep Democratic roots. Her cousin is a retiring Democratic congressman—the only Democrat in Oklahoma's congressional delegation—and her uncle was the former governor of Oklahoma. She graduated from Wellesley College in Massachusetts before getting her law degree from George Washington University and becoming a tax attorney in Washington. According to the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal, Paul Ryan proposed to Janna at his favorite hunting spot when he was 30 and she 31.