Melania Trump Flashes Back To One Of Her Most Notable Fashion Fails For Inauguration

Melania Trump was bringing the Mafiosa back for her visit to St. John's Church in Washington, D.C., on January 20. The 47th FLOTUS was all business in a hat, pulled down to cover her eyes, resulting in a look reminiscent of "The Godfather" capomandamento Don Vito Corleone. It wasn't the first time that she committed this particular fashion fail. Melania previously channeled her inner mob boss with a similar straw hat that she wore to attend Barron Trump's graduation ceremony in May 2024.

This time, she matched her navy wide-brim Eric Javits hat with a double-breasted navy coat by Adam Lippes, black gloves, and navy pumps. Melania trailed behind Donald Trump as he strode down the aisle, appearing to be far from happy about returning to the presidential limelight. It was an appropriate look, given reports that Melania is reluctant to return to the White House and less than thrilled to resume her First Lady duties. Instead, Melania purportedly plans to divide her time between Barron in New York and Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

Many believe that Melania often sends a message with her choice of outfits. Sometimes, the statement is blatant, such as her infamous "I Really Don't Care, Do U?" jacket. Other times, it's more subtle. Either way, it's little surprise that people spend an inordinate amount of time studying Melania's clothing in an attempt to decipher what she's trying to say.

With her wide-brimmed hat pulled down low to cover her eyes, Melania Trump looked like she was ready to make somebody an offer they couldn't refuse when she rolled up to St. John's Church with Donald Trump for a pre-inauguration ceremony. It was an unusual and interesting look, seemingly more befitting of a summit at the Bada Bing! rather than a sit down in a pew.

Melania's ensemble set social media on fire as the fashion police poured over the look and delivered their verdict on what message it was sending. "Questionable take: I do not care even a little bit about fashion, but even I like Melanie [sic] Trumps hat. It's definitely a bad ass look, she's oozing confidence and it's a clear statement: we mean business," one critic wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Melania's 1920s style Gatsby hat is smoke show. She's sending a message here to 'the untouchables,'" another surmised. "Melania is donning the Flying Guillotine hat in case Antifa shows up so that she can fling it and decapitate their heads," a third quipped.

Regardless of the message Melania was attempting to send with the outfit — if any — one thing's for sure: by wearing it she provided Eric Javits, who created the hat, and Adam Lippes, who made the overcoat, a level of press coverage and publicity that money could never buy.

Fashion designers Eric Javits and Adam Lippes became the talk of X thanks to Melania Trump's decision to wear their creations to attend a pre-inauguration ceremony at St. John's Church. Not surprisingly, they were both thrilled to be given the opportunity to dress Melania for the monumental occasion. "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, a New York-based designer who previously worked for Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta, 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."

However, not everybody in the fashion world is so eager to work with Melania. Several high-profile designers were vocal about their refusal to dress the former model during her first tenure as First Lady due to Donald Trump's polarizing politics and rhetoric.

"I have no interest whatsoever in dressing Melania Trump," Marc Jacobs told WWD in November 2016. "Personally, I'd rather put my energy into helping out those who will be hurt by [Donald] Trump and his supporters." Derek Lam concurred, albeit with reticence. "I find it challenging to be personally involved in dressing the new first lady," he said. "I would rather concentrate my energies on efforts towards a more just, honorable, and mutually respectful world."