Once again, Melania Trump is officially the First Lady of the United States. On Monday, January 20, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, and his wife was at his side for the entire day of ceremonies and celebrations.
While one body language expert branded Melania Trump “unhappy” during election night, things appeared to be different for the inauguration. Meanwhile, Melania’s outfit was in the spotlight and the subject of deep analysis, with one piece of clothing standing out.
The First Lady wore a very special hat, which appeared to have a powerful message. And for that – on social media at least – Melania Trump was mocked.
Donald and Melania have been preparing to move into the White House for months. On Monday, January 20, it finally happened as the former real estate mogul was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, beginning his second term as president. His wife and the rest of his family, including he and Melania’s son, Barron, were at his side the entire day. Because of the unusually cold weather, Trump took his oath of office inside the Capitol Rotunda.
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.”
The First Lady’s outfits are always likely to be a big talking point. For the inauguration, they were, of course, heavily scrutinzed. According to Judi James, Melania’s outfit played a crucial part in sending a message about what kind of First Lady she would 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.”
While Melania wore a stunning outfit, getting the exact one she perhaps wanted appears to have been quite tricky. Women’s Wear Daily contacted 16 designers to ask if they would dress Melania. However, Mrs. Trump, it appears, isn’t all that popular with designers.
Representatives for designer brands such as Michael Kors, Diotima’s Rachel Scott, Zankov’s Sergio Hudson, and House of Gilles declined to comment whether they would want to work with Melania for the inauguration. Previously, during Donald Trump’s first term, designers such as Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, and Jason Wu publicly refused to dress Melania.
One of those who has worked closely with Melania over the years is French designer Hervé Pierre. Speaking with Women’s Wear Daily, he explained that he hasn’t gotten a good answer about why some people won’t work 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 recalled when his work with the Trumps negatively impacted his life. When shopping in a designer’s store in New York City, one person told him he “was not welcome here.”
“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.”
Melania Trump’s “power signals” have increased, body language expert Judi James stated. She added that the First Lady’s warm smile showed “an air of relaxed confidence.
“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.”
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Melania has stated that she is much more prepared to enter the White House this time around. As a result, she will likely approach things differently – according to another body language expert, Inbaal Honigman, even her behavior was different at this inauguration compared to 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.”
He continued by saying that she appeared 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.”
Yes, the hat. Melania wore her hat for the entire day, both inside and while walking outside, and it became the talk of the town. The hat was designed by Eric Javits, who said in a statement that dressing Melania was one of the greatest honors of his career.
“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.”
The hat made it hard to see Melania’s eyes, but even though it appeared to be sitting steadily, her husband had seen something different. When speaking in Emancipation Hall, Donald joked that her hat nearly blew away while she was stood next to a military helicopter.
“She almost blew away,” Trump said and laughed. “She was being elevated off the ground.”
In addition to the hat, Melania wore a navy silk wool coat with a navy skirt and an ivory silk crepe blouse, created 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.”
Although the ceremonies throughout the day went well for the Trumps, social media users had a lot to say about Melania’s hat. One person wrote on X, previously known as Twitter, that she “looks like she’s going to a funeral.”
Another person added: “She’s mourning America.”
Many things will differ for Donald and Melania during their second tenure at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. One major difference is that their son, Barron Trump, won’t live there. He began his studies at New York University last year. However, though he might not visit weekly, his mother told Fox that Barron is always welcome.
“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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