Melania Trump, once again entering the fray as First Lady, is once more making fashion news. Melania Trump, known for her eye-catching style, is drawing attention for her wardrobe selections at the inauguration ceremony scheduled on January 20, 2025. While getting ready to commemorate this milestone event in history, her fashion choices are all set to create an impact.
A Statement with Purpose
Since Melania Trump emerged into public view, it has been more than a mere reflection of her style. She used her style to trumpet and advance a message at each juncture. The American psyche still remembers the powder-blue Ralph Lauren coat dress from Donald Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, just as it recalls any fashion move made in the days leading up to the event. Melania, her fashion has never stopped from becoming an integral part of the First Lady brand.
Indeed, fashion has always been a channel for First Ladies to express their personalities and determine the style of their term. As the nation is getting ready for Donald Trump‘s second inauguration, the world is waiting to see what Melania will wear and what message that outfit will bring to the people.
A More Reserved First Lady?
Since Melania left the White House in 2021, she has been rarely seen in public. However, with the inauguration coming up, she will once again take on the role of First Lady, which will put her in the spotlight again. This time, though, she may appear less often since she is going to split her time between New York and Florida. Reports indicate that Melania will scale back her public duties compared to previous First Ladies, who have maintained more active roles.
Style strategist Lauren A. Rothman suggests that Melania may take a more relaxed approach to her wardrobe, rewriting the traditional script for First Ladies. “I think some rules are going to be rewritten,” Rothman tells USA Today. “She’s taking advantage of that in a positive way to rewrite her script of how she shows up.” She might mean a more practical and personalized wardrobe rather than the traditional outfits we have learned to expect of First Ladies.
Melania Trump Returns to Style’s Center Stage
Contrast that with her inauguration in 2017, where she could barely find designers to dress her up since her husband’s politics were already a subject of controversy. But now, offers from top fashion houses are swamping Melania, with Versace, Christian Dior, and other iconic European couture names reportedly clamoring to dress the First Lady for her husband’s second term.
During her first inauguration, Melania wore a powder-blue Ralph Lauren dress, paired with suede gloves and heels. This time around, she’s receiving attention from fashion houses eager to dress her. Toni Holt Kramer, a close friend of the Trump family, shared that Melania’s treatment in the fashion world has dramatically changed since 2016. “When President Trump was first elected, Melania was treated very badly indeed,” Kramer said. “People spoke against her and didn’t want to dress her. Today, people are praying to dress her.”
A Glance of Her Inaugural Attire
Though Melania has kept her inauguration dress a secret, sources say she finalized her wardrobe at Mar-a-Lago in consultation with her sister, Ines. Lauren Rothman, a style strategist, believes the First Lady’s outfit will say “powerful.” Melania traveled to Washington D.C. to prepare for her inauguration wearing a charcoal-grey coat by Dior and a Dolce & Gabbana white jacquard Baroque-inspired pantsuit, cementing her elegant style.
Her outfit for the inauguration day itself is also likely going to be at this high level of quality, with many conjecturing that her outfit might reflect her polished persona and her aspiration for the country. “There is an aspirational quality to Melania,” says Kate Andersen Brower, author of First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies. “Trump voters see her as the perfect, ideal woman.”
