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They Made Fun of The Hat and Kiss Here It Is
Melania's hat, shorts in winter and other eye-catching looks
BBC
Inauguration Day is all about pomp, pageantry - and pictures.
The clothes worn on this world stage - the colour, cut and details - take the spotlight. From Melania's striking hat to Usha's fashion forward overcoat, here's a roundup of some of the day's most memorable looks.
Melania Trump kicked off Inauguration Day with an outfit that has all the hallmarks of her favoured first lady style: sharply cut, with spiked heels and a dramatic flourish via the headgear. It is simultaneously serious and chic.
The designer chosen by the 54-year-old first lady for the inauguration is the subject of fascination – and, again, an opportunity to transmit a message. That the former model chose New York designer Adam Lippes and a coordinating hat by Eric Javits, was a marked shift of gear.
She may have worn the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren to her husband's last inauguration, but much more frequently turns to the big European houses. Plus, unlike Lauren, neither Lippes nor Javits are such household, starry names.
In a statement, Lippes said the look had been hand-stitched in New York "by some of America's finest craftsmen." Fittingly, Lippes recently opened a new boutique in Palm Beach, close to the Trump's home, Mar-a-Lago, or the "southern White House".
Very much on-brand is the price tag: Melania Trump is known for her extravagant tastes – many of her outfits while previously first lady had price tags running well into the thousands – and Lippes' dresses, for example, go from £1,000 up to over £7,500.
It also speaks to her love of hats. The brim is wide enough and the contrast between the cream ribbon and navy hat big enough that it draws the eyes upwards – even if it obscures the eyes of the wearer.
There was a loadedness to its incongruity. As celebrity stylist and fashion expert Lauren Rothman points out, "a boater is traditionally a summer hat. It's traditionally worn by, you know, in Venice, right?" Not in a freezing cold DC.
"This was just such a spectacular use of signalling and blending Palm Beach and DC with international global fashion aesthetic, while understanding the traditional and political power that is also necessary for your look to communicate," she said.
The first lady made an equally dramatic appearance at the first inaugural ball wearing a full-length gown with a thick black ribbon-like strip, echoed in a choker-style necklace.
From a distance, the inky squiggle could easily remind viewers of the signature that Melania's husband had earlier signed on a flurry of executive orders.
Her black-and-white look was echoed in the classic tux worn by her husband, 24 years her senior.
First daughter Ivanka Trump, 43, matched Melania's serious colour palette with an emerald green skirt suit with a matching hat.
The hourglass silhouette – the cinched in waist and fuller skirt – felt pointed and intentional. It was reminiscent of Dior's glamorous New Look, which ushered in a new era in fashion after World War Two.
The asymmetry of the cut, however, sounded a note of continuation: Ivanka wore a white Oscar de la Renta jacket with an asymmetric handkerchief hem for inauguration day in 2017.
The first daughter's outfit feels like it could be harking back to the work of Adolfo Sardiña, a Cuban-born American fashion designer who started out as an apprentice milliner at Bergdorf Goodman in the late 1940s and went on to be known for his spectacular hats, which were worn by Nancy Reagan to both of her husband's inaugurations.
For Lauren Rothman, the look had a very international flavour. "We're seeing a little bit of Princess Kate style," she said.
It speaks to the idea of a Trump dynasty, in a way more akin to royalty than a democracy. "Her look is really a signal that indicates her strong understanding of the political kingdom," she said.
Yet for all of its regality, Rothman also identifies an accessibility. She has clients already texting her asking, 'how can I get that outfit in another color?' And I've already sent a few links."
Former first lady Jill Biden, 73, yet again wore a purplish blue from head to toe - a colour that has come to represent the administration of the last four years.
At her husband's swearing-in ceremony in 2021, Jill wore a blue coat created by designer/founder Alexandra O'Neill for the New York–based luxury womenswear label Markarian. It reportedly quintupled sales for the designer. It was custom made and embroidered with Swarovski crystals, plus had a pandemic-era matching face mask.
Both Bidens have chosen to dress in clothes again by Ralph Lauren, whose designs and back story are often seen as synonymous with the American dream.
It comes as no surprise: Jill has worn his clothes throughout the last four years and was at his fashion show in the Hamptons last September.
Her husband recently awarded Lauren the Presidential Medal of Freedom - the nation's highest civilian honour - and in the process made him the first fashion designer to receive the distinction.
Lauren suits have been a fitting uniform of choice for the outgoing president. On the White House website as he leaves office, it sums up his presidency: "for all Americans, a country for all Americans, a future for all Americans."
You could argue his Lauren suits are also designed to not leave any Americans out – never straying too far from classic blue and classic lines.
The lawyer and wife of Vice President-elect JD Vance, Usha Vance's most high profile appearance to date was speaking the 2024 Republican National Convention. For the occasion, the 39-year-old chose a cobalt blue off-the-shoulder Badgley Mischka dress, which retails for $495 (£400). According to a spokesperson speaking to industry website WWD, Vance must have bought the garment herself as the brand wasn't consulted.
But, there were clear signs of a pivot to more high-fashion choices. She chose an Oscar de la Renta overcoat with a strikingly fashion-forward detail: a scarf intentionally tucked into her waist-height belt. Is it a sign of a more stylised image to come as Vance takes her place as the second lady?
I would absolutely label her as one to watch," said Lauren Rothman, "because she is the newest member into the spotlight, she is receiving help – and it's working." Plus: "her energy indicates a comfort in it. Like, I was ready for this."
She sees an authenticity too: "It doesn't look like a costume. It looks like she's having fun." She cited an optimism in the choice of pink, where many of the other figures in Trump's universe went for more sombre colours.