Melania Doesn’t Care—But We Do
The Click by Vanshika Sharma
Time and time again First Lady Melania Trump has been criticized for her choice in fashion. From the beginning of her husband’s presidency to her recent solo trip to Africa, many of her outfits have sparked controversy. Much of her clothing has been under public scrutiny for being inappropriate, offensive, and unnecessarily costly for the occasion. While Melania has asked that people should care more about what she does rather than what she wears, it is clear that her couture–deliberately or not– are giving mixed signals.
- Melania Trump’s official White House portrait might prove not to be a lasting work of art. At first glance, her portrait seems normal. A simple black blouse and blazer with seemingly no jewelry on her. However, her 25-carat diamond (10th anniversary, not wedding) ring stands out. Past FLOTUS’ have worn relatively moderate jewelry, as the point of their portraits was not to show off.
- Back in August of 2017, FLOTUS, along with her husband, visited Texas to visit the disaster zones Hurricane Harvey left behind. During her visit, Melania decided to wear black stiletto heels: an article of clothing deemed highly inappropriate for the occasion. When visiting a destroyed community and witnessing relief efforts, one would expect our First Lady to be dressed in clothing more respectful to those who had just lost their homes and were trying to rebuild their neighborhoods. Can’t she even dress practically?
- One particular outfit of Melania’s that really angered the public was her Zara jacket. When visiting shelters at the U.S. and Mexico border, which housed children separated from their parents, Melania wore a jacket that read, “I really don’t care. Do you?” The public was suitably outraged.
- Melania’s recent trip to Africa and her recent outfits have shone even more light on what her fashion says about her (that she really does not care). At the Pyramids of Giza, an outfit she wore resembled an Al Capone gangster look. The tie, blazer, and hat were an odd combination considering her backdrop. Sorry to mix metaphors but how she looks during important events (like her first official solo trip as First Lady in this case) seem consistently tone-deaf.
- In addition, an outfit that really upset the public all over the world was her pith hat. The pith hat symbolizes colonialism in Africa, and it is not a positive reminder to the locals. Wearing this hat was extremely offensive and shows just how much thought Melania really puts into her outfits.
