First lady Melania Trump’s fashion choices in the UK made netizens think she “didn’t get the memo.”
After the Trumps landed in the UK this week, Melania and her husband, U.S. President Donald Trump, were seen greeting members of the British royal family at Windsor Castle.
The first lady managed to hide most of her face during the official engagement, making people ask why she was dressed “like a monster villain.”
First lady Melania Trump’s fashion choices in the UK made netizens think she “didn’t get the memo”
Image credits: The Royal Family Channel/YouTube
Melania and the president were first greeted by Prince William and Kate Middleton when they stepped out of Marine One (the presidential helicopter) onto the grounds of Windsor Castle.
They went on to meet King Charles and Queen Camilla outside Victoria House, thus officially kicking off their state visit.
While everyone had warm expressions on their faces, it was a little hard to tell what Melania was feeling because of the enormously large, wide-brimmed hat she was wearing.
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The first lady was dressed in a two-piece skirt suit by Dior, known to be one of her favorite fashion houses.
She topped the suit off with an eye-covering purple hat that triggered a flood of memes, comparing her to lampshades and coat racks.
Meanwhile, her husband wore a dark suit and a tie to match his wife’s dramatic headgear.
The first lady was dressed in a two-piece skirt suit by Dior and an enormous, wide-brimmed purple hat
Image credits: The Royal Family Channel/YouTube
“Someone needs to put a new light bulb in Melania,” one commented online.
Another wrote, “Why does Melania dress like a monster villain from an A24 film.”
“Good grief… who the hell dresses Melania,” one asked.
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Another wrote, “Melania looks like a coat and a hat rack, the funniest picture ever. Oh my gosh.”
“Melania has to be intentionally dressing like this to embarrass her husband,” one commented. “Nobody leaves the house looking like they should be priced, tagged, and put on the sale floor of Lamps Plus.”
“Show the Royals your impression of a hat stand,” read one comment online
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Marian Kwei, a celebrity stylist and Vogue contributor, offered her thoughts on the hat and called it “a nod to her support for her husband’s agenda during this state visit.”
“Melania’s hat is not by chance,” Marian told BBC.
“The hat with the wide brim that hides her face is pointing to a stance where she wants all eyes on her husband and his agenda while here,” she added.
Image credits: The Royal Family Channel/YouTube
Dr. Naomi Braithwaite, associate professor in fashion and material culture at Nottingham Trent University, spoke about the outfit and admitted the hat added some intrigue to her appearance.
“It really does hide her eyes; she’s almost hiding behind it,” the associate professor was quoted telling PA Media about Melania’s banquet attire.
A celebrity stylist claimed there was a special reason behind Melania‘s eyebrow-raising headgear
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Naomi also spoke about how Melania’s choice of wearing a hat that contrasted her dark suit was a “color clashing” move, which deviates from the British royal norm of “color blocking.”
“Color clashing is quite in fashion,” she said. “It probably is quite American.”
“Melania’s hat is not by chance,” Marian Kwei said
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As the internet took a breath from roasting Melania’s plum hat, her outfit at the state banquet only added fuel to the fire.
The Slovenian-born model wore a yellow off-the-shoulder evening gown by American designer Carolina Herrera and a contrasting pink belt.
Image credits: The Royal Family Channel/YouTube
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It is “quite unusual at a royal event […] but she looked wonderfully stylish,” Naomi said about Melania’s banquet attire.
“It’s slightly subverting the expectation in a royal setting – but doing it in a Melania way,” she added.
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Melania was captured walking beside Queen Camilla in the procession, right behind their husbands who walked side-by-side and led the guests into the banquet.
“Trump looks like a stuffed turkey unable to breathe and Melania’s yellow dress is awful,” one commented online.
Melania’s evening gown at the state banquet added fuel to the fire
Image credits: The Royal Family Channel/YouTube
Another wrote, “Melania clearly didn’t get the memo that this is a white tie event, not a pool party at Mar-a-Lago.”
“Can someone PLEASE tell me what Melania was thinking with this gown?” read another comment. “She can do so much better than this! It’s horrid. When you’re a former model but Camilla dresses better than you do . . . you’ve got a problem.”
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The gown was “not the expected color to see at a high state banquet,” Marian Kwei said.
“Although it perhaps is in keeping with state dress protocol, the strapless gown is a little on the daring side,” she added.
An expert admitted the strapless gown “is a little on the daring side”
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Dr Naomi Braithwaite called it “wonderfully stylish” even though it was “quite unusual at a royal event.”
“It’s slightly subverting the expectation in a royal setting – but doing it in a Melania way,” she added.
“She doesn’t want to appear in the future history book pictures,” one commented online
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