As many nearly every First Lady of the United States eventually comes to experience, it is inevitable for a woman in this role to stay out of the public eye. Being in one of the most high ranking political positions of a nation brings constant attention and scrutiny from the general population and media. Melania Trump is no stranger to this attention and is continuously the subject of controversy for her bold fashion choices. From her many appearances while in the states to her fashion choices while traveling abroad, Melania is thought of as possibly one of the most controversial First Ladies in the history of the United States. For the most controversial fashion statements ever worn by Melania Trump, check out this list of the First Lady’s 6 most talked-about fashion choices.
President Macron’s state visit: April 2018
One the second day of French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit, Melania turned heads with a suit for Michael Kors. She also wore a Herve’ Pierre hat that many were totally surprised by.
Solo Africa trip: October 2018
In October of 2018, Melania Trump took her first solo trip overseas to Africa. While on a safari excursion, she caused a media frenzy for her choice to wear a “pith” helmet. This raised a lot of eyebrows due to the longstanding dark past associated with the pith helmet in Africa. Her choice to wear this hat was viewed as culturally naive and even insensitive.
Saudi Arabia state visit: May 2017
During a state visit trip to Saudi Arabia in May 2017, Melania was slammed for not observing the local cultural norms of women covering themselves in terms of clothing. She was very risque in her fashion choices, dawning pieces that exposed her legs.
G7 Summit: May 2017
Keeping up with her trend to stir up controversy, Melania chose an interesting fashion piece on a trip to Sicily for the 2017 G7 Summit. The First Lady wore an embroidered jacket by Dolce & Gabbana, with an estimated price tag of $70,000.
Hurricane Harvey relief visit: September 2017
As one of the most looked down upon moments in Melania Trump’s fashion choices, both Democrats and Republicans condemned her for this look. When leaving the White House to visit Hurricane Harvey in Puerto Rico in 2017, the First Lady wore Manolo Blahnik pumps. She was viewed quite harshly for wearing this type of shoe to a disaster zone.
US/Mexico Border Visit: June 2018
The most controversial moment in possibly all of the United States political history occurred when Melania Trump visited families who were forced to separate at the US/Mexico border. Many thought that it may have been a mistake until the President confirmed on Twitter that the outfit choice was intentional. While making a visit regarding such a sensitive issue, the First Lady wore a Zara jacket that read, “I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO YOU?” With such an ambiguously abrasive message, the meaning behind it was not definitely known but assumed to mean the worst. Later, it was confirmed by Trump through Twitter that the phrase was referring to Melania Trump’s feelings towards “Fake News Media.”