5 Outdated Trends Melania Trump Was Caught Wearing

Melania Trump, fashion model turned First Lady, has brought her high fashion inclinations to the White House. From the powder blue Ralph Lauren suit she wore for President Donald Trump's 2017 inauguration to the white Dior gown she wore to a UK state dinner in 2019, Melania Trump has earned a reputation for classic, elegant styling.

But she doesn't always get it right. There have been some high-profile missteps — who could forget the infamous "I really don't care, do u?" jacket from Zara. In fact, Melania Trump's fashion background sometimes works against her, as her style choices are sometimes too fashion forward for her current political context. But sometimes, perhaps in her effort to appear classic and conservative, her choices are just plain outdated, especially when she goes too hard on the '80s influence — something she likes to do a lot! Here, as a companion to Melania Trump's biggest makeup mistakes, are five times the First Lady inexplicably dressed like she was from another decade.

Melania Trump's dramatic styling for the President Donald Trump's January 2025 inauguration was surprisingly dour — particularly when contrasted with the optimistic blue coat she wore for the 2017 inauguration — and was one of several outfits that totally missed the mark at the event. For an event where attendees rarely wear formal hats, Melania Trump's styling felt stuffy and severe. Though the inauguration is a formal event, the hat managed to look overdressed. Fascinators might be a bit with the Brits but they haven't yet caught on stateside. This one hid much of Melania Trump's face, giving the whole look an ominous tone.

Although the hat spawned plenty of memes — with some Internet users hinting it was a strategic choice to keep her husband's kisses at bay — Melania Trump ended up looking more like a black and white movie villain than a First Lady. That could be because of the dark colors and harsh lines on her coat, which don't signal the optimism traditional associated with the event.

Melania Trump turned the '80s way up with a retro-patterned dress that she wore to Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally in October 2024. It's clear that Melania Trump vibes with the opulent aesthetics of the Reagan era since she gravitates toward dramatic styles that exaggerate classic shapes. Choices like this dress seem to underline her husband's politics—uniting Wall Street excess with a veneer of social conservatism. Hence, the classic, tailored dress with its outrageous, eye-catching pattern. It's practically zebra print.

The only problem? While Reaganomics might be trendy again, the flashy styles of that moment haven't necessarily returned to fashion favor. The pattern's harsh contrast and modest silhouette just age Melania Trump, and make her look out of touch with contemporary aesthetics. For this appearance, she might have been better off in a softer, more feminine look rather than a graphic print.

When Melania met the Irish Taoiseach for the annual Shamrock Presentation, she was wearing green for the holiday. But that's about the only good thing we can say about this geometrically patterned shirt dress, which is giving Michael Kors circa 2005. From the color palette to the graphic pattern, it looks like something Melania Trump found at Marshalls.

If there's a sorority girl-approved version of indie sleaze, this is it. The masculine print is at war with the feminine silhouette. Though the mint, navy, and white frock is ostensibly a polished nod to the mod 1960s, the look is surprisingly corny on a woman who prides herself on her high fashion chops. Though her jewelry choices and hair style were sophisticated, as always, the mass market print seems to age the First Lady. Green or no, hopefully someone pinched her to wake her from this style nightmare.

If there's a place for conceptual dressing, it's the annual Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Attendees are expected to appear in over-the-top looks that pay homage to the theme. But Melania Trump's attempt was a swing and a miss. There's little in this look, which is at once both retro and futuristic, that reflects the 2012 theme of "Schiaperelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations." Instead, Melania Trump looks like she borrowed an outfit from Mrs. Jetson's closet.

From the asymmetrical hem to the shoulder pads that are sharp enough to cut glass, she looks both underdressed for the hyper formal event, and oddly out of touch with its high fashion vibe. Attendees typically wear gowns, and so her knee-length skirt ends up looking more like cocktail attire. Paired with her signature heavy eye makeup and bronzer — since the First Lady rarely goes makeup free — she looks a bit like she wandered out of an Austin Powers movie.

Melania Trump's Alexander McQueen skirt suit was giving "ready for battle" at the 2020 Republican National Convention. From the olive drab coloring to the military-inflected detailing, the suit erred toward political messaging rather than chic, the opposite of Melania Trump's typical tendencies. Though the First Lady often seems to dress as if oblivious to her surroundings and context, the suit seemed to make a strong statement that transcended the speech she delivered.

But while the suit itself isn't necessarily outdated, there's something bizarre and, again, way too '80s, about the wide, double-buckled belt she has cinched over the jacket. Also by McQueen, the belt is so wide it's approaching a corset. It seems to be serving a more decorative than structural function — and that's quintessential '80s. Someone should let Melania Trump know that we stopped doing wide, functionless belts back in 2006.