The Fashion Fumble That Nearly Changed Melania's Inauguration Look Was A Blessing In Disguise

If you, like many folks on the internet, thought you spotted the Hamburglar at Donald Trump's inauguration, fear not — for now, the president's beloved McDonald's hamburgers are safe from fast food bandits. Instead, the figure ominously lurking in the shadows and holding the Bible that Donald did not put his hand on when taking the oath of office was, in fact, first lady Melania Trump. Of all the first ladies who have broken fashion rules throughout history, it's hard to remember a first lady fashion statement that was a head-scratcher quite like Melania's inauguration attire. And, apparently, the hat at the center of it all almost got ditched at the last second.

The hat in question blocked Melania's eyes for most of her husband's inauguration. While previously, it may have felt impossible for Melania to appear more mysterious and less accessible or relatable than she already did, the hat somehow achieved it. Eric Javits designed the hat to coordinate with Melania's Adam Lippes coat. And, according to Javits, it was damaged in transit while being shipped from Miami to New York for Melania's fitting. Javits told WWD: "It looked like it had been sitting in snow drifts for about a week," adding, "Obviously, I had to scramble to redo it. It couldn't really be repaired, because of the construction of it." While he pulled out all the stops to remake the hat, the damage may have been a sign from the universe to leave it out of the mix.

As it turns out, Melania Trump's inauguration hat wasn't actually the original version; it was the remake. According to Eric Javits, he remade the damaged hat from scratch, and Melania's stylist Herve Pierre ensured that there were no more hat-related mishaps. "He had a driver, and Herve took it back to her by hand to minimize any other disasters that could possibly happen," Javits explained. Unfortunately for Melania, though, had they simply accepted the hat's demise, she likely wouldn't have been one of the worst-dressed attendees at Donald Trump's inauguration.

Unsurprisingly, some folks on the internet praised Melania's unique fashion statement, while others consider her inauguration look to be one of her most notable fashion fails to date. "Now why does Melania Trump have the mask hat on," one X, formerly known as Twitter-user joked with side-by-side photos of Melania and Jim Carrey's titular character from "The Mask." Many X-users also joked about the moment when Melania's hat's wide brim seemingly prevented Donald Trump from being able to kiss her on the cheek. "Oh, now it makes sense. Melania wore the hat as a barrier to Trump's lips. Got it," another X-user wrote, raking in 12,000 likes. Evidently, the hat wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but if Melania's view on her Inauguration Day ensemble was "all press is good press," then she definitely got her wish.