5 Melania Trump Outfits That Totally Missed The Mark

Melania Trump — who went from first lady to former first lady to first lady again — has made more than a few headlines for a controversial outfit. In some cases, Melania's outfit was poorly put together; in other cases, it was an inappropriate piece for the event. One of the most glaring examples of this was her choice to wear a jacket that read "I really don't care, do you?" on her way to visit a detention center for migrant children in 2018. The $40 Zara jacket landed Trump in so much hot water that it seems she's never been fully able to shed the sartorial mistake, despite her many attempts at explaining her decision. She claimed that it wasn't related to the family separation crisis, but rather a pointed message to the media that criticized her. Whatever the case, the green jacket was perhaps the most highly covered fashion mistake that Melania made, but it's not the only one.

A life in the political spotlight inevitably comes with a lot of deep dives into outfit choices and what those decisions means. Just look at how much attention Kamala Harris' outfits have received, and the deeper messages attached to them. Unfortunately, criticisms hit political women much more than men when it comes to sartorial conversations. Tiffany Trump has learned this the hard way too. Ivanka Trump has also made a few fashion blunders, so Melania is by no means the only one. 

When Melania Trump visited Kenya in October 2018, she went on safari and chose to wear what's commonly called a pith or safari helmet. The headgear is best known for being popular amongst European explorers in Africa and parts of Asia throughout the 19th century. They were later adopted by military personnel and as such, are seen as symbolic of colonial oppression, which upset people. Others, however, claimed that Melania was simply dressing in safari-style clothing. Nevertheless, the hat brought a lot of attention with it. Later on the same trip while stopping in Egypt, Melania responded to the backlash about her pith helmet, saying: "I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear." She was clearly a little irritated with the negative feedback. 

When Melania Trump arrived in Ghana in October 2018, on a solo visit to Africa, she chose to wear a red and white dress by Céline with a white pair of Manolo Blahnik pumps. After her airport arrival, Melania visited the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and handed out teddy bears to children there. While the visit itself appeared to go well, people were turned off by the couture outfit given the setting. Numerous news outlets, including E! News and Express UK, noted that the dress cost over $2,000. Meanwhile, her shoes retailed for around $750. It seems fair to note that if Melania wants people to focus on what she does rather than what she wears, perhaps opting for more simple attire on political visits, particularly if it involves a stop at a hospital, is a better choice. 

Melania Trump attended Rosalynn Carter's funeral in Atlanta in November 2023. Sitting in the front row, she joined other first ladies, including Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, as well as Jill Biden, who sat next to then-President Joe Biden. While Melania's gray coat dress was by no means vivacious in tone, she stood out next to all the other political figures in the front row, who uniformly wore black. Later, Trump's former senior adviser, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, took to X and claimed that the first lady deliberately wore the gray coat, using the event as a "photo op for herself." However, others online claimed that gray was still a somber enough color that Melania didn't do anything wrong. "Not a fan but why is this an issue?" someone asked on YouTube. "Gray is a proper color for a funeral. She doesn't have to wear only black that's ridiculous!" 

Melania Trump kept Michelle Obama's vegetable garden alive at the White House, and in September 2017, she and local school children cared for the garden together. It was a very sweet moment; however, some noted that Melania wore a plaid top by Balmain for the occasion, which retails for $1380, a price that seemed a tad excessive for such a casual event. Others poked fun at the theatrical tone of the top. "She was going to be photographed in 'nature' so she dressed up like a lumberjack!?" someone remarked on YouTube. However, others focused on the first lady's efforts, and praised her efforts to create a healthier America. "I encourage you to continue to eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, so you grow up healthy and take care of yourself," she told the children she was with. This seemed to be a more important take away message. 

Melania Trump joined President Donald Trump in Sicily in May 2017 for the G7 Summit and stunned as she stepped out in a 3-D floral print Dolce & Gabbana coat that cost $51,500. While the coat was shockingly beautiful, it created endless headlines for the sheer cost. This occurred early on in Trump's first term as president, and started what became a trend of criticism towards Melania; that her outfits — the price of them — made her seem out of touch. However, it is tradition that the first lady's clothing is paid for by her and not by tax payers. This prompts the question, then why is it any of our business? But as a member of the first family of a country, it seems reasonable that the average citizen would want to identify with her, and a coat that costs over $50,000 makes this hard to do.