When the President-elect tried to kiss his wife during the inauguration, the wide brim of her hat meant he couldn’t quite make it to her cheek. Video / The Telegraph
Nobody could fault Melania Trump for her inauguration outfit – except, perhaps, her husband. When the President-elect leaned in to kiss his wife before taking the Oath of Office, the wide brim of her Eric Javits boater hat meant that he couldn’t quite make it to her cheek.
Perhaps that’s the way she wanted it, fashion that enforces a little social distancing. It would fit with her frosty image.
Donald Trump kisses Melania during the 60th presidential inauguration. Trump's Monday swearing-in marks just the second time in US history that a president lost the office and managed to return to power. Photo / Getty Images
The incoming US First Lady wore a custom navy tailored coat by US designer Adam Lippes under which a crisp white shawl collar could be glimpsed at the neckline. Her navy boater-style hat by Eric Javits – another American label – featured a white band, and the look was completed by ultra-high navy suede Manolo Blahnik heels and a pair of black leather gloves.
Lippes is a label she has worn before, in 2020, for an engagement in Palm Beach – her first outing since Stormy Daniels’ interview on 60 Minutes. It is a solid choice – appropriately patriotic, given that he is American, and a specialist in the kind of elegance required for this kind of occasion. He cut his teeth at Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta before founding his first label, Adam, in 2004. He renamed it Adam Lippes in 2014, and he has enjoyed a following for his timeless, luxury pieces ever since.
First lady Melania Trump attends inauguration ceremonies on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo / Getty Images
No wonder, then, that Jill Biden has also worn Lippes – a textured navy dress and matching blazer to meet the Pope in 2021. The designer said at the time, “I’m not an emotional guy, and I was really emotional this morning,” he told Bazaar.com in a phone call. “In fashion we put so much love into what we do, and to have the First Lady wear us when she could wear any great designer – there’s so much great stuff out there – it’s really moving.”
Bare legs aside, Melania’s outfit reflected the weather in Washington DC – a chilly -6C, which has forced officials to stage the inauguration indoors for the first time since 1985.
It’s not unlike a look from 2019 during a state visit to the UK. For a visit to Buckingham Palace to meet the late Queen, she wore a white Dolce & Gabbana dress with a white boater-style hat, designed by her stylist HervéPierre, trimmed with a black ribbon. Her hair was styled in a low bun, creating a striking silhouette.
In fact, it’s a look which bears similarities with the British royal style playbook. A tailored coat, elegant millinery and sky-high courts are a failsafe fashion formula for the Princess of Wales, Duchess of Edinburgh et al, and boater-style hats were a popular choice among them at Royal Ascot last year.
The incoming US First Lady wore a navy boater-style hat by Eric Javits. Photo / Getty Images
Melania isn’t the only high profile figure at the inauguration to do so. Ivanka Trump was back in First Daughter mode, wearing a dark green belted jacket with an exaggerated hourglass shape and a shawl collar, accessorised with a neat teardrop shaped hat, a black Lady Dior bag, black leather heels and black leather gloves – not unlike an LK Bennett suit worn by the Princess of Wales in 2015. Her daughter, Arabella, 13, looked grown-up in a head-to-toe beige look featuring a cape and trousers – could that have been inspired by Princess Charlotte’s caped look at King Charles’ Coronation in 2023?
Usha Vance, the wife of incoming Vice-President JD Vance, is also emerging as a fashionable figure amongst the Republican elite. For the inauguration, she was firmly on trend in a pink coat with a scarf in the same fabric, completed by a narrow belt in the same tone, and taupe suede knee-high boots. Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, has channelled a similar look for her engagements in the past too.
For a ceremonial event such as this, the British royal style playbook is a reliable one from which to borrow. The royals are experienced in dressing for formal occasions in a tactful, timeless way, and deliberate about how and when they imbue messages within them.
They often dress in block colours with sharp silhouettes; this makes them stand out for somebody in a crowd, glimpsing them from a distance. The late Queen once said, “I can never wear beige because nobody will know who I am” – and on another occasion: “I have to be seen to be believed.”
But could there also be an element of the Trumps fancying themselves as America’s answer to the royal family?
The Bidens both arrived in Ralph Lauren, with Jill wearing an ultraviolet look. Earlier this month the designer was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the outgoing president. Ralph Lauren was Melania’s label of choice for the inauguration in 2017.
And then there were the Tech Bros: in their optic white shirts, navy suits and burgundy ties, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew looked so similar it was as though they’d co-ordinated via a group WhatsApp. Elon Musk too, bar his navy tie. The future Mrs Bezos, Lauren Sanchez, wore a tight-fitting white blazer with a boned lace bodice visible underneath.
