Melania Trump is once more the official First Lady of the United States. Donald Trump’s wife was present for the full day of the ceremonies and festivities on Monday, January 20, the day he was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.
Melania Trump was described as “unhappy” by one body language specialist on election night, but the inauguration seemed to be different.
Melania’s attire, on the other hand, was the focus of intense scrutiny and attention, with one item of clothing in particular catching the eye.
The First Lady was wearing a really distinctive hat that seemed to convey a strong statement. Melania Trump was ridiculed for that, at least on social media.
For months, Donald and Melania have been getting ready to move into the White House. The former real estate tycoon was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, January 20, marking the start of his second term in office. He spent the entire day with his wife and the rest of his family, including Barron, his son with Melania. Trump took the oath of office inside the Capitol Rotunda due to the exceptionally cold weather.
Speaking to the Mirror, body language expert Judi James noticed Donald spent much of the inauguration clutching his wife’s hand or, as she described, “taking it like some Regency gentleman, kissing her proffered cheek or even gazing at her as they danced together like a man in the throes of some romantic thrall.”
It’s likely that the First Lady’s attire will be a major topic of conversation. They were, of course, closely watched for the inauguration. Judi James claims that Melania’s attire was a major factor in indicating the type of First Lady she will be.
“Her saucer- shaped hat and her fiercely-tailored coat twinned her as an equal to Trump and a woman who means business this time around. Beneath the brim her smile was regal and confident, while her eyes were kept hidden,” James said.
“During tricky social moments, like when they were seeing the Biden’s off after Trump’s flame-thrower of a speech, Melania seemed to make her own feelings very clear when Biden placed an arm around her waist for a full ten seconds and she turned away towards her husband with one elbow splayed as she held onto her hat brim. As Trump leaned in to shake hands with Biden she placed her own arm around Trump’s waist for several seconds and patted him in a gesture of reward and reassurance.”
Even though Melania looked amazing, it seems like it was difficult to get the exact outfit she might have desired. 16 designers were contacted by Women’s Wear Daily to inquire about dressing Melania. But it seems that designers don’t really like Mrs. Trump.
Designers Michael Kors, Rachel Scott of Diotima, Sergio Hudson of Zankov, and House of Gilles did not respond when asked whether they would like to collaborate with Melania for the inauguration. In the past, designers like Jason Wu, Marc Jacobs, and Tom Ford openly refused to wear Melania during Donald Trump’s first administration.
French designer Hervé Pierre is among several who have collaborated extensively with Melania throughout the years. He clarified in an interview with Women’s Wear Daily that he hasn’t received a satisfactory response to the reasons why certain individuals refuse to collaborate with the First Lady.
“I don’t really do that for the good reason that the fashion industry is not very welcoming [of Trump.] That’s no secret,” he explained. “Some are very open-minded and would be able to do something special. But a lot of people are not.”
The French designer remembered a time when his life was adversely affected by his work with the Trumps. One guy told him he “was not welcome here” when he was shopping in a New York City designer store.
“I understand that you can criticise Mrs. Trump, but to say to someone who is coming to shop – full-price, ‘You are not welcome here.’ That is something that I would have never expected,” Pierre said.
“Some of the designers here in New York are lovely. The Europeans are more open-minded. They see dressing Mrs. Trump, due to the press coverage that she is getting, as a business opportunity to generate sales and free publicity.”
According to body language specialist Judi James, Melania Trump has been sending more “power signals.” The First Lady’s kind grin conveyed “an air of relaxed confidence,” she continued.
“As they leave the service, Donald and Melania amplify their clasped hands into a more pronounced display of unity. Trump lifts the clasp higher a few times, almost waving it as they walk towards their car, as though signaling both pride in his wife and a gentlemanly concern for her as they step off the curb,” James told the Mirror.
“Trump’s expression is familiar – the slightly stern, almost baleful look that mirrors his official portrait. Melania, in contrast, seems determined to inject a touch of celebration into the occasion. Though her eyes are shielded by the brim of her hat, her wide, toothy smile creates an air of relaxed confidence.”
Melania has declared that this time, she is much more ready to step into the White House. She will thus probably take a different approach. In fact, another body language expert, Inbaal Honigman, claims that she behaved differently during this inauguration than she did at the one in 2017.
“Melania’s body language during the 2025 inauguration is still and neutral,” Inbaal told the Express. “She sits still in her model pose, her facial expression neutral, not drawing any attention to herself, letting all attention be on her husband.”
Then he added that she seemed more “friendly”.
“In comparison, Melania of 2017 flashed smiles and waved around, displaying a more friendly persona to the crowds,” he explained. “Melania’s face is naturally neutral. She doesn’t have an expressive demeanor in general and has previously been criticized for having short-lasting smiles, which she must have known.”
Inbaal Honigman concluded: “This inauguration’s Melania was protected from criticism by hiding her expression behind a wide-brimmed hat so that she could keep her neutral expression with no issue.”
The headgear, indeed. Melania’s hat became the buzz of the town as she wore it both indoors and outside throughout the day. Eric Javits, who designed the hat, claimed in a statement that one of the greatest privileges of his career was getting to outfit Melania.
“My art background gave me an edge in bringing harmony and balance to the face by creating hat shapes that would flatter and enhance every kind of face,” Javits said in a statement. “In this specific case that was not difficult to do, in that Mrs. Trump is blessed with great bone structure, beauty and a wonderful sense of style.”
Although it was difficult to view Melania’s eyes through the hat, her husband had noticed something strange despite the fact that it seemed to be sitting steadily. Donald joked that she was standing next to a military helicopter in Emancipation Hall when her hat almost flew away.
“She almost blew away,” Trump said and laughed. “She was being elevated off the ground.”
Melania paired the hat with an ivory silk crepe blouse, a navy skirt, and a navy silk wool coat designed by American designer Adam Lippes.
“The tradition of the presidential inauguration embodies the beauty of American democracy and today we had the honor to dress our first lady, Mrs. Melania Trump,” Lippes said in a statement. “Mrs. Trump’s outfit was created by some of America’s finest craftsmen and I take great pride in showing such work to the world.”
Social media users had a lot to say about Melania’s hat, despite the fact that the Trumps’ festivities went well throughout the day. On X, formerly known as Twitter, one user said that she “looks like she’s going to a funeral.”
Someone else said, “She’s mourning America.”
During their second term at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Donald and Melania will experience several changes. The fact that Barron Trump, their kid, will not be residing there is one significant distinction. Last year, he started attending New York University. Barron is always welcome, his mother told Fox, even though he might not come every week.
“Obviously he’ll have a bedroom there, but he’s an adult, he’s in college now. I think he will come and visit, yes,” Melania said, adding that she’d love it if he’d bring friends. “Yeah, whatever he would like to do, yes. I feel that as children, we have them till they are 18, 19 years old. We teach them, we guide them, and then we give them the wings to fly. And I always respect Barron’s yes and no, and what he likes to do, where he would like to be.”
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