The First Lady and her oversized hat "Melania Trump's outfit says she's not actually there"
Melania Trump wore a hat with a cream-colored band and straight brim at her husband's inauguration, which barely allowed a glimpse of her face.
Image: KEYSTONE/EPA/ANNA MONEYMAKER / POOL
Matching the color of Donald Trump: the First Lady's navy blue look.
Image: KEYSTONE/AP Photo/Matt Rourke
The ensemble, consisting of a double-breasted coat, pencil skirt and ivory-colored blouse, was created by New York designer Adam Lippes.
Image: KEYSTONE/AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Many online are convinced that Melania Trump's look is reminiscent of a funeral outfit.
Image: KEYSTONE/Chip Somodevilla/Pool Photo via AP
Melania Trump wore a hat with a cream-colored band and straight brim at her husband's inauguration, which barely allowed a glimpse of her face.
Image: KEYSTONE/EPA/ANNA MONEYMAKER / POOL
Matching the color of Donald Trump: the First Lady's navy blue look.
Image: KEYSTONE/AP Photo/Matt Rourke
The ensemble, consisting of a double-breasted coat, pencil skirt and ivory-colored blouse, was created by New York designer Adam Lippes.
Image: KEYSTONE/AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Many online are convinced that Melania Trump's look is reminiscent of a funeral outfit.
Image: KEYSTONE/Chip Somodevilla/Pool Photo via AP
Melania Trump's outfit at her husband's inauguration has caused a stir. With the hat pulled low over her face, the First Lady made a clear statement, many are sure. But which one?
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- At her husband Donald Trump 's inauguration, Melania Trump wore a navy blue double-breasted coat and a straight-brimmed hat. Her eyes were barely visible.
- Many online are convinced that her outfit is reminiscent of a funeral.
- One expert thinks that Melania Trump was able to "hide her facial expression" so well.
- She praises the "always very classic" appearance of the new First Lady.
At first, Melania Trump (54) faced a major challenge: it was reported in advance that some designers had refused to dress the new First Lady for her husband's inauguration so as not to be associated with the Trumps.
The former model had the same experience at the first inauguration of Donald Trump (78) in 2017, when she also had difficulties finding designers - in the end, she wore a fantastic powder blue costume à la Jackie Kennedy (1929-1994) by Ralph Lauren.
In the end, two US designers took care of the new First Lady at Donald Trump's second inauguration. The ensemble, consisting of a midnight blue double-breasted coat that reached down to the calves, a pencil skirt and an ivory-colored silk crepe blouse, was created by New York fashion designer Adam Lippes.
The designer acknowledged his work on Instagram. "Today we had the honor of dressing our First Lady, Mrs. Melania Trump," he wrote under a photo.
However, the unmissable highlight of Melania Trump's look was another detail: the 54-year-old wore a hat by Eric Javits with a straight brim that covered her eyes, making it difficult for photographers to capture her entire face.
A clear statement that Melania Trump would actually rather be somewhere else? For Ana Haldimann, personal shopper and styling coach, it's clear: "I just had to laugh. I immediately thought it was as if she had put the hat on specially. Like, 'I'm not actually here'. Her look is worth a thousand words."
No one can see what Melania Trump is thinking
Haldimann refers to Melania Trump's previous looks, in which she also wore a hat. "But back then she never put the hat on straight, but at an angle so that you could see at least one side of her face."
The way she wore the hat now at the inauguration, it hid everything that was going on inside Melania Trump. "You can't see what she's thinking. Of course, she can hide her facial expression wonderfully."
For Haldimann, a clear "intention" and a clear statement. The fact that her husband couldn't kiss her properly like this is probably all the better.
"Melania Trump's outfits are always very tasteful"
First ladies usually opt for cheerful colors for festive occasions, but not Melania Trump, who wears an almost black look. Some online are convinced that her high-necked and very dark outfit would be suitable for a funeral.
Or she is accused of wanting to hide and protect herself. "That hat looks like a gun in a James Bond movie," writes one user on X. And another says: "What is she shielding herself from?"
Melania Trump's hat is going viral and leaves room for comparisons with other characters. Did she take her cue from Bob Dylan (83), who also likes to wear headgear on stage? Or did she want to look like the McDonald's Hamburglar? Others believe she copied Jim Carrey (63) from "The Mask".
In addition to all those who make fun of Melania Trump's appearance at the inauguration, others praise her as a fashion icon and celebrate her timeless elegance.
"Melania Trump has always made a good fashion impression," says Haldimann. The personal shopper praises the fact that the First Lady "always dressed very classically" during her husband's first term in office.
In the beginning, she still showed cleavage and dared to wear sexy outfits, but then someone probably advised her to wear something high-necked. Haldimann: "Her outfits are always very tasteful."
The First Lady deserves the attention
The fact that so little attention is paid to the fashionable appearance of the actual protagonist of the story, with the First Lady taking center stage, is usually the case at such events. "Nobody wants to talk about Donald Trump's overlong tie. It always looks terrible. She probably dressed so conspicuously to distract a little from him," says Haldimann.
Melania Trump's dark look seems to be a fashion f***-up in a way and is yet another reminder of how she has mastered this art of tacit communication. Quick reminder of the "I don't care" coat the First Lady wore in 2018 on her way to a home for refugee children on the Mexican border.
What exactly Melania Trump is trying to say with the hat pulled low over her face remains a mystery. While some interpret it as a textile cry for help, for others it is simply an outfit. An outfit that would also be suitable for a funeral.
