When Melania Trump attended the Washington D.C. premiere of her Amazon documentary Melania on Thursday, her outfit served as an apt summary of the ‘First Lady style’ she has projected throughout her husband’s second term in office. For better or worse, the returning FLOTUS has certainly remained ripe for fashion analysis.
The demure ensemble, a fitted and cinched black Dolce & Gabbana skirt suit paired with sky-high Louboutin stilettos, now feels like classic Melania. Even if nobody sees the film (for which just one ticket was sold at an early screening at Vue’s flagship Islington cinema branch), they’ll probably see pictures of the severe outfit and sense its now familiar message: strength, confidence and an underlying inscrutability.
It’s reminiscent of the outfit Melania wore for her husband’s Inauguration just over a year ago. I remember waiting for her appearance at the Capitol Rotunda that day, and being slightly dumbfounded when she emerged in a custom navy coat, skirt and blouse by New York designer Adam Lippes, accessorised with the unforgettable wide-brimmed hat by Eric Javits.
The much-memed hat obscured most of her face and did look undeniably Hamburglar. But the look also signalled a sombre new aesthetic, which Melania has mostly stuck to for high-profile appearances in the intervening year.
The ensemble was a sartorial world away from the powder blue cashmere Ralph Lauren look she wore for the Presidential Inauguration the first time around, in 2017. That prompted comparisons to Jackie Kennedy and has since been compared, not without good reason, to the oppressive high-ranking wives of the television adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale. Think Serena Joy Waterford.
While the navy look of 2025 projected something more overtly solemn, it was interesting that it was made by US designers, considering Melania had developed something of a reputation for skipping them in favour of European names like Dior and Dolce & Gabbana. Was this the start of a new all-American wardrobe?
Well, not exactly, as her recent Dolce skirt suit shows. But some of her most memorable style moments from the past year have had US names behind them. Consider the striking (some would argue, jarring) sunflower yellow off-the-shoulder column gown she wore during the UK state visit, accented with a lilac belt.
This outlier among her more muted wardrobe was by Wes Gordon for Carolina Herrera. During the same trip, Melania also donned Ralph Lauren on a visit to Frogmore Gardens — as did her host, the Princess of Wales.
The UK state visit was an interesting time for Melania to turn to American names. It’s something of a tradition to don homegrown designers during such appearances. She did wear a floor-length Burberry trench coat, an unmistakable piece of British design, upon touching down on UK soil. Perhaps that was enough diplomatic dressing for Melania.
If there’s one thing that’s always been clear about this FLOTUS, it’s that she plays by her own style rules.
