Jill Biden vs Melania Trump: In a battle of style, career and activism, who fits the FLOTUS bill better?
As we inch closer to November, the presidential race is gaining momentum. All eyes are on the candidates and also naturally on their better halves. Republican incumbent President Donald Trump is set to lock horns with his Democratic challenger Joe Biden in the race to the White House. Meanwhile, their wives are also facing similar, if not more scrutiny, for their roles behind the scenes.
Melania Trump, a popular yet controversial FLOTUS, stands in the proverbial red corner. Meanwhile, in the blue corner, former Second Lady Jill Biden (a title she purportedly hates) stands firmly by her husband of 40 years. Political pundits are definitely outlining their own character drafts and analyzing how these hopeful first ladies square off in front of the public eye. However, it's worth noting that both women share quite a few common interests.
For instance, both Melania and Jill have had a love of fashion from an early age. In fact, the FLOTUS began her modeling career as early as at the age of five. After appearing in a series of local fashion shows, Melania took up design and architecture at the University of Ljubljana. However, she had to drop out after a year as her modeling career skyrocketed and moved to the US in 1996. Melania Knauss would go on to become one of the best-known supermodels of the nineties.
Jill, on the other hand, always wanted to study fashion merchandising, but she dropped out of college after realizing she didn't enjoy it. Just like Melania, she also turned to modeling but did not take it seriously as a career choice. "I might’ve done five jobs where you get paid, like, 20 bucks," she once told Vogue, but soon realized that she "wasn’t a model" and went back to college. There, she found her calling in teaching and went on to complete two master's degrees and ultimately achieved a doctorate in education. As her husband was sworn in as vice president in 2008, Jill continued teaching. She intends to continue the same even if her husband is elected to the highest office in the country.
When it comes to relationships, the women, however, have had markedly different journeys. Real estate mogul Donald Trump was still in the process of divorcing his second wife Marla Maples when he met Melania at a fashion event in 1998. The pair immediately clicked and eventually tied the knot in 2005, when Melania stole the show as she walked down the aisle in a stunning $200,000 John Galiano dress. Their son Barron Trump was born the following year.
On the other hand, Jill caught the attention of the recently widowed then-Senator Biden. However, he failed to make the best first impression after showing up in a sports coat and loafers for their date. "God, this is never going to work, not in a million years," she remembered thinking at the time. "He was nine years older than I am!" Nonetheless, Biden's "good manners" apparently won her over. Later that night, she called her mother to say she'd finally "found a gentleman."
In terms of fashion, Melania frequently grabs headlines for her impeccable dressing sense. Even after becoming First Lady, she did not give up on her love of designer apparel and expensive bags. Experts in the fashion industry estimated her collection of Birkin bags alone as being worth over a whopping $114,000, according to a 2018 report by InStyle. Interestingly, however, she also loves "the odd Zara bargain" from time to time.
Jill, in contrast, isn't known for her outfit so much. She prefers to keep it simple — favoring smartly tailored suits on a day-to-day basis — but does bring the glam on occasion. One of her appearances on the Seth Meyer show sent several jaws dropping as she famously showed up in a figure-hugging leather dress coupled with bright blue stilettos.
It is safe to say that both Jill and Melania are highly accomplished individuals in their own rights. Prior to becoming first lady, Melania launched her own successful high-end skincare line as well as a jewelry line for QVC. At the White House, she spearheaded the widely-popular 'Be Best' campaign — an initiative aimed at mitigating the opioid crisis as well as to ensure the well-being and online safety of young people. Jill, apart from her stellar educational career, founded the Biden Breast Health Initiative in 1993, aimed at providing free breast health awareness programs in schools across Delaware. In 2007, Jill played a key role in the Book Buddies scheme, which sought to provide books to underprivileged families. To top it off, Jill has also authored two children's books and a biography of her relationship with Joe, titled 'Where The Light Enters.' What's more? She is also an accomplished marathon runner.