Melania Trump's bold fashion choices are proof she's confident of positioning herself as 'elegant and sexy'
Fashion has been an important element of both Melania Trump's career as well as her personality. As FLOTUS, her image has evolved over the years and so has her sense of style. Although she took a more conservative fashion route while her husband ran for the highest office in the country, she never gave up elegance, vibrancy and boldness in her fashion statements.
When Melania originally met her husband at a party in New York in 1998, her style mimicked that of a partygoer, partly due to her young age and partly due to the fact that she was working as a model at the time. Soon they began dating and in 2005 got married. However, according to Gianni Casagrande, digital marketing manager at Moda in Pelle, the mother-of-one only started making alterations to her style choices after the then-business mogul started showing a keen interest in politics. This happened in 2000 and Melania was seen transforming from a party girl to an elegant woman who can be taken seriously.
"We’ve seen a distinct change in Melania’s style since Trump was inaugurated in early 2017, though the transformation began much earlier," Casagrande told Express. "Donald’s bid for political office began way back in 2000. Since then Melania’s style has been moving away from fun-loving party girl to (a) serious political figure, but still keeping to a few of her signature features. For example, form-fitting materials, bright colors and glamorous accessories."
Despite consciously adopting a more conservative style, the FLOTUS still made an effort to stand out in the crowd through the use of bright hues in her outfit choices and appealing silhouettes ever since her husband's inauguration as the president of the United States in 2017.
"Melania is a fan of bold colors and tailoring, and isn't afraid to stand out and wear something eye-catching," Casagrande continued. "Melania's style choices demonstrate that she isn't someone happy to fade into the background and that she is confident in her position. She is not afraid to strike a balance between elegant and sexy, always pairing any outfit with smoldering eye make-up and glamorous waves."
For inspiration for her first-lady look, Melania has often looked to her predecessors. However, she has never tried to blindly copy anyone's style and kept her signature look genuinely her own.
"When Melania first became involved in the political world it’s clear she went straight for the conservative elegance of predecessors like Jackie O," Casagrande said. "Her style is certainly more conservative and elegant. She favors designers including Dolce & Gabbana, Roksanda Ilincic, and Ralph Lauren. But she still often goes for an off-the-shoulder look or a thigh split, giving a nod to her previous wardrobe."
Melania is now well-known for her sense of style and even how she sometimes chooses to express what's on her mind through the outfits that she wears. As a result, she often faces a lot of praise or criticism from people when she makes certain fashion choices. One of the recent ones was when she got trolled for the Alexander McQueen dress she wore on July 3 for an event in Mount Rushmore, celebrating Independence Day.
Melania was seen wearing a white sleeveless dress paired with a black belt, featuring a pattern with random lines all over. On noticing the first lady's attire for the evening, Internet users quickly took to Twitter to mock her. A majority of them used the opportunity to make fun of Trump, saying he is responsible for the lines on Melania’s dress.