In 2017, Melania Trump wore a sky-blue cashmere jacket and mock turtleneck dress by Ralph Lauren
WASHINGTON — Incoming first lady Melania Trump is attending her husband’s second inauguration in a high-fashion outfit comprised of a silk navy wool coat and skirt with an ivory white blouse, black leather gloves and blue suede pumps, completed by a flat-topped hat — clothing meant to keep out the chill of Inauguration Day, which is expected to be below freezing.
The coat is a product of Adam Lippes, a New York fashion designer, according to multiple media reports.
In a statement to Vogue, Lippes said the outfit he designed for Melania Trump was meant to embody American democracy.
“The tradition of the presidential inauguration embodies the beauty of American democracy and today we had the honor to dress our first lady, Mrs. Melania Trump,” said Lippes in a statement. “Mrs. Trump’s outfit was created by some of America’s finest craftsmen and I take great pride in showing such work to the world.”
It’s not the first time Lippes has designed clothing for presidential spouses. Jill Biden has also worn a Lippes suit in the past.
As Women’s Wear Daily noted, Melania Trump’s outfit is a departure from tradition. She usually prefers European designs for her daily wardrobe.
The fashion-focused outlet reported that Melania’s personal stylist, Herve Pierre, orchestrated the outfit in collaboration with several U.S.-based designers specifically for the inauguration.
Clothing is often a tool used by women in politics to signal priorities. Suffragettes campaigning for the right of women to vote often wore white to symbolize morality. Melania Trump herself used an olive-green coat with the phrase “I REALLY DON’T CARE. DO U?” written across the back in an apparent dig at the media criticism of her.
In selecting American outfitters for her inauguration outfit, Melania appears to be signaling support for her husband’s campaign messaging of supporting U.S. businesses, in a departure from her first four years as first lady. In Trump’s first term, he would often preach about buying “America first,” which his wife’s largely European wardrobe undercut.
In 2017, Melania Trump wore a sky-blue cashmere jacket and mock turtleneck dress by Ralph Lauren, the brand that designed so many Hillary Clinton pantsuits, on Inauguration Day.