One of the many things that will remain unforgettable from yesterday's inauguration is certainly the impressive appearance of Melania Trump, who was truly elegant, imperious but also austere, with a look that immediately gained loyal fans and skeptical critics. But what was the real message the 54-year-old First Lady wanted to convey with her made in USA unconventional look?
Eva Metis Koutoumanou
"Melania Trump at the inauguration seemed elusive," CNN commented, while US Vogue commented that at the first inauguration, Melania followed the protocol and "standards" of the First Ladies, while with her appearance yesterday she wanted to do exactly the opposite, with an "unconventional" appearance that bore her own stamp.
Melania Trump opted for a blue hat with a white ribbon by American designer Eric Javits and a dark blue coat in a narrow fit by New York designer Adam Lippes.
With her eyes almost entirely covered by the rim of her hat, 54-year-old Melania Trump stood behind U.S. President Donald Trump in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda as he took the oath.
Adam Lippes, who designed the coat, has dressed Michelle Obama in the past. Melania Trump has chosen creations by Adam Lippes many times.
Underneath the elegant dark coat she wore a silk wool skirt and an ivory silk crepe blouse with a striking neckline, hand-sewn by Lippes' team in New York.
Her strategically austere look was complemented by a lovely pair of black leather gloves that covered her arms up high and reminded of a star or royalty of another era, adding an ultra-elegant touch - as well as the hat, which, personally, I found very interesting and tasteful - while at the same time being the perfect and necessary accessory for such a cold day. Let's not forget that yesterday was the coldest swearing-in ceremony in 40 years.
What the "experts" say
"With her face half hidden from her hat, Melania remains aloof," Professor Nichola Gutgold, author of "Electing Madam Vice President: When Women Run, Women Win," said in an email to CNN.
"Melania Trump at the inauguration seemed elusive," CNN said, entering a "combative and at the same time advantageous position as a whole, which is not unusual for the Trump family."
Throughout her first term as first lady from 2017 to 2021, Trump's stylistic evolution included more structured, military-inspired dresses and skirts in khaki, navy and gray. As she emerged as a public persona, she still craved privacy," said Kate Bennett, CNN's former White House correspondent.
"Her clothes, in my opinion, really reflect that. The clothes she chooses are with a tight waist and hard shoulders. They have a "military atmosphere". I think that's because he felt like he had an armor. After all, in the past four years it has been subjected to a lot of scrutiny," Bennett added, according to CNN.
Some of us loved it and some disagreed with yesterday's stylistic choice of Melania Trump, who is now, for the second time, First Lady of the United States. The future may show us, with more confidence, what she wanted to say with her appearance yesterday that was nothing like her appearance at the first inauguration - with the baby blue suit and the irresistible, of course, because she is undoubtedly an impressive woman, but a sweet-salted look, of a First Lady who is somewhat more decorative and inconspicuous - as, yesterday, the appearance of Melania only "decorative" and baby was not. Perhaps, indeed, the new First Lady of the United States wanted with this appearance to show her strength and respond, in this way, to the dozens of publications focusing on her past as a model, especially nudity, something that she never hid or denied. What is certain is that the First Lady of the United States, in her second term, looks much more mature and dynamic.
In addition to her appearance yesterday, Melania Trump recently released a book about her life that became an instant best-seller, signed for a multimillion-dollar documentary series about her life – which will also feature her husband, President of America, Trump – and launched her own cryptocurrency. which, however, despite the initial upward frenzy it caused, today took a vertical "plunge", as did the meme cryptocurrency of the American President.
Trump's second term is predicted to be unforgettable, for many reasons, and we hope it will be for good!
