Putting aside any takes on the MAGA comeback across the pond these past nine months, there can be no denying that the returning FLOTUS, Melania Trump, has always been ripe for fashion analysis — be it for better or worse.
No one knows what she is thinking behind her shielding navy hat and pursed smile, but all have borne witness to a woman who has an aptitude for style. This is a former model and high society darling who was once the toast of the Met Gala and New York Fashion Week’s front row, after all.
So, what did she wear to meet the royals, the Prime Minister, and to the United Nations?
For her recent trip to the UN, where escalators broke and Trump decried “sinister” forces at play, Melania was all business in a white Dolce & Gabbana suit, paired with a tan shirt by Maxmara.
While in New York for the General Assembly, the First Lady hosted a reception at Lotte New York Palace, where she was joined by spouses of heads of state and government, including Queen Rania of Jordan.
It was a considerably more composed look than the one she wore her first UN visit — a pink Delpozo dress with statement sleeves, paired with hot pink Manolo Blahnik stilettos.
It’s all part of Melania’s more serious makeover, according to longtime stylist, Hervé Pierre. “She likes tailored suits and sharp lines. She will not start wearing ruffles and floral prints just because she is starting a new chapter,” he told HELLO.
Upon arriving at Windsor Castle last week, greeted by the Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla, Melania chose to top her look with a wide-brimmed hat — a favourite accessory of the FLOTUS. This time a purple iteration was chosen, helping to conceal her emotions, and was paired with a classic Dior skirt suit.
While it’s tradition to wear a homegrown label when visiting a country on state duties, Melania has form in flouting the rules and choosing French designers, plus she’s long been a Dior devotee.
However, she did touch down with Donald in a Burberry trench on her first night in the capital, so she had already done her diplomatic duty.
Later, the pair attended a state banquet dinner where Melania ditched both hats and macs, and wore a strapless column dress by Carolina Herrera.
The FLOTUS’s buttercup-yellow dress with a powder pink belt cinching it at the waist definitely stood out amongst the modest royal blue and gold confections worn by her fellow guests. Putting one's shoulders on show is quite the statement at an event like this.
The choice of designer is no surprise given that Hervé Pierre is the former creative director at Carolina Herrera. He began working with her upon her first entry to the White House, after designing her inauguration gown in 2016, and later helping her with her looks, in what became his first styling job.
Because top luxury houses have historically refused to dress her, a great deal of what she wears is purchased. Pierre’s services do not come cheap, either. Having continued to help Melania Trump after leaving the White House, it was revealed he was paid over $100,000 from Donald Trump's Political action committee in six months alone.
Later on, Melania’s choice of look for a guided tour of the Queen Mary's Dolls' House and the Royal Library at Windsor Castle by Queen Camilla UK was a tan leather two-piece suit by Louis Vuitton.
And she continued showing a penchant for camel coloured tailoring when she met the PM, Keir Starmer, and wife Victoria Starmer at Chequers, Buckinghamshire.
Melania paired a suede safari-style jacket by Ralph Lauren with cream cigarette pants and nude heels. It was the same jacket she wore earlier in the day at Frogmore Gardens at Windsor Castle with the Princess of Wales, when they met with members of the Scouts' Squirrels program.
Now, let’s remind ourselves of Melania Trump’s most impactful outfits from the past.
A modest procession of inauguration looks
On inauguration day in January, as her husband was sworn in as 47th president, Melania was first spotted in a sophisticated navy blue coat by Adam Lippes, a New York based designer, as well as matching boater-style hat with a white ribbon by Eric Javits, who is also from the US, as she arrived at a service at St. John's Church.
It was a step change for Melania to wear so many US designs, as fashion brands have historically not been enthusiastic to dress the Slovenian-American, which her stylist Hervé Pierre has labelled as “snobbish”.
She then returned to form with her outfit at the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia, where she opted for a Dior overcoat and Dolce & Gabbana suit.
The following day, she wore a black, buttoned trench-cum-cape with black boots and leather gloves to attend a wreath laying by Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
She later changed into a black sequin Carolina Herrera skirt, Dolce & Gabbana shirt as well as a statement, black-tie style Saint Laurent cape for a candlelight dinner at the National Building Museum later that night.
While to celebrate the presidential election win, as her husband Donald Trump beat Kamala Harris in November, she opted for a double-breasted grey, wool skirt Dior suit which extended just over the knee. What was she trying to say? Unlike some of the bold hues she has become known for, this time a touch of sophistication (and a willingness to slip, presentably, into the background) was preferred.
Highlighter hues
Much like the late Queen Elizabeth II, Trump well understands the impact one bold, bright colour can achieve — certainly when sartorially speaking to thousands. A standout was a pre-Brat, Brat green pleated dress she wore for her husband’s Republican Party nomination acceptance speech in August 2020.
The Valentino spring 2020 pleated-crepe dress did get her in a pickle online: it was the same colour as a green-screen, which made her an easy target for a meme onslaught. It followed a host of other retina-damagingly bright looks.
Melania Trump’s biggest fashion gaffes
There are two memorable terrors: a Zara coat which read “I really don’t care, do u?” shocked the world as FLOTUS made her way to visit facilities that house and care for children taken from their parents at the US-Mexico border. Another bad, though slightly less alarming, moment came with an unfortunate flesh shade pair of leather trousers.
Military Melania
All salute. Trump leans into army-style khaki two-pieces; famously for her 2020 speech, where she wore full Alexander McQueen.
The old razzle dazzle
Never one to shy from a little sparkle, Trump is known to go full glitz when the dress code is black tie. Capes and all.
Stuck in the mud
Louboutins in the White House gardens? A little dirt has never been a concern for Melania.
