Here’s Why People Are Talking About Melania Trump’s White Hat
First Lady Melania Trump's all-white ensemble — including an eye-catching white hat — made quite the statement Tuesday as the internet immediately pointed out the look was giving them Beyoncé and Scandal vibes.
The all-white outfit grabbed attention Tuesday morning as the First Lady and President Donald Trump posed for photos alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, who also wore a white skirt and jacket, during the administration's first official state visit.
Trump's draped, belted blazer from the Michael Kors Collection retails for $2,195, according to the fashion designer's website. Trump’s white hat came from the First Lady’s go-to designer Hervé Pierre, according to CNN, which first reported the hat was a Michael Kors collection item. Pierre, a French designer who advises the First Lady on different outfits, has created looks for past First Ladies and made Trump’s gown for the inaugural ball.
Trump's striking ensemble drew comparisons to the wardrobe of Scandal's Olivia Pope — a character (played by Kerry Washington) who both literally and figuratively wore "the white hat" as a high-profile, Washington, D.C.-based fixer and political consultant.
Indeed, a costume designer for Scandal tweeted the comparison, noting that Trump was "certainly wearing Olivia's jacket."
The outfit also garnered other pop culture comparisons. Some saw HBO's The Young Pope, and others saw Beyoncé's iconic "Formation" look. (Lest we forget Trump's predecessor Michelle Obama's use of that wide-brimmed hat in her homage to the Lemonade singer last year.)
On Tuesday evening, Trump will host the administration's firs state dinner, with the Macrons as guests. The Office of the First Lady said Monday the menu will include greens from the White House garden and china from past presidential administrations. Information on the First Lady's gown for the occasion, however, won't be available until before the event this evening.
Of course, the all-white attire wasn't the first time Trump captured headlines for her fashion throughout her husband's run for president and term in the Oval Office. Just days after the infamous "Access Hollywood" audio was published, the future First Lady wore a $1,100 pink Gucci "Pussy Bow" shirt during the second presidential debate in October 2016.
The First Lady also has a history of donning white ensembles. At the Republican National Convention in July 2016, she wore a $2,190 Roksanda white dress. At the president's first State of the Union address in January 2018, she wore an all-white pantsuit. Those looks generated a barrage of think-pieces, particularly the State of the Union attire, for the potential symbolism as white is widely known as the color of the suffrage movement — and one commonly worn by Hillary Clinton, the first female presidential nominee for a major party, on the campaign trail.
Trump's intentions — symbolic or not — are never abundantly clear. During the president's first speech to Congress, the First Lady wore a black jacket and skirt as female Democrats in Congress wore white symbolically.
But perhaps the Michael Kors outfit she wore to that speech was most memorable for its stunning price: a $4,995 jacket and a $4,595 skirt.