5 Times Melania's Clothes Had Everyone Talking For The Wrong Reasons

Melania Trump has frequently skipped public appearances with Donald Trump, including during his 2024 presidential campaign. But she can't avoid the spotlight entirely, especially since the former model is once again (reluctantly) acting as the first lady. That means we'll get four more chances to see Melania's White House Christmas decorations, traditionally the task of the first lady. We'll also get another four years of analyzing the interactions, both large and small, between the Trumps — who could forget when Melania very publicly slapped Donald's hand away back in 2017? 

And of course, we'll be getting another four years of Melania's outfits as first lady too. The bestselling author's style has ranged from classic elegance to surprisingly outdated to downright controversial. Some of her most talked about ensembles are those that crossed the line, as far as commentators were concerned. Many of them came during Donald's first term, and Melania has given no indication that she'll hold back this time around, considering her inauguration day look had tongues wagging too. These are just some of Melania's most contentious outfits that really got people talking.

Any discussion of Melania Trump's most infamous outfits simply has to include her "I really don't care, do u?" jacket. In June 2018, the first lady donned the army-green coat while boarding a flight down to the Texas-Mexico border, to visit a shelter for detained migrant children in the midst of Donald Trump's "zero tolerance" immigration policy, which resulted in children being separated from their parents. Her choice of outerwear definitely got people talking, to say the very least, with many commentators decrying it as beyond insensitive given the circumstances of her trip.

In an October 2018 interview with ABC News, she was understandably asked about the headline-grabbing jacket. As Melania clarified, "It was for the people and for the left-wing media who are criticizing me. I want to show them I don't care. You could criticize whatever you want to say. But it will not stop me to do what I feel is right." Melania wearing the inappropriate jacket reportedly caused some major tension with her husband Donald. And yet, the message on the coat could arguably apply to that situation too. Melania seems to do what she wants without caring about what others think.

Melania Trump made our list of the worst dressed celebrities and politicians at Donald Trump's second inauguration and, sadly, there's really no question as to why. It was a strangely solemn outfit complete with a wide brimmed hat that she wore low over her eyes. As one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, quipped, "She looks like a mobster at a funeral." Others compared the outfit to Michael Jackson's iconic look in the "Smooth Criminal" music video. Late-night host Jimmy Fallon also got in on the action by joking on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," "We're going to play who wore it better: Me, Melania, or the Hamburglar." 

There were also those who asserted that Melania purposely chose her hat as a way to keep her husband away from her, which was potentially yet another sign that Melania and Donald's marriage is on the rocks. Footage circulated on X showing the couple sharing an air kiss at the inauguration but even while pursing his lips, he couldn't actually get to her cheek, seemingly because Melania's big hat was in the way.

Notably, Donald Trump's 2025 presidential inauguration wasn't the first time that Melania Trump's hat choice drew unfavorable comparisons to Michael Jackson. In October 2018, she made her first solo trip as first lady, to Africa, and one of her outfits on an outing in Egypt, in particular, gave onlookers major "Smooth Criminal" vibes. It featured a white fedora with a black band along with a menswear style jacket, wide leg pants, and a black tie. Alongside getting compared to the King of Pop, her offbeat look also led to unflattering comparisons to villains from the "Indiana Jones" movies. 

One person joked on X, "Why does Melania Trump look like she's about to steal the Ark of the Covenant?" Another wrote, "Meanwhile in Egypt, Melania is searching for the Holy Grail." There was clearly some underlying anger at how she was dressed too. "Colonialism, Imperialism — c'mon, Melania — please give us a hint that there's some independent person with positive human values," one critic pleaded.

Melania Trump's October 2018 trip gave us not one, but two questionable and much talked about ensembles. During her time in Kenya, she was pictured wearing a white pith helmet while on a short safari expedition. Suffice it to say that pundits weren't exactly happy about it. As one X user wrote, "Melania completes the stereotype trifecta — elephants, orphans and even the pith helmet." Another argued, "It was effin' stunning & difficult to understand why the US First Lady chose to dress up in the costume of a colonial settler."

For some context as to the outrage that certain commentators felt about her look, the pith helmet can be seen as a symbol of colonial power and white imperialism on the continent of Africa, according to the American Historical Association. Meanwhile, the first lady's response to the uproar about her choice of headwear was simply, "I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear," per Women's Wear Daily. 

She said this in Egypt while wearing the aforementioned "Indiana Jones" villain outfit. So it's reasonable to assume that if she didn't want people to focus on and talk about her outfits, maybe Melania should take more time to consider the optics of what she's wearing. Or, on the flip side, realize that no matter what she wears, as someone in the public eye who's married to a polarizing politician, people are going to talk.

In early October 2016, the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape was unleashed upon the world. The recording was from 2005, and on it, Donald Trump can be heard making vile comments about women, including bragging that when you're as well known as he is, you can "grab them by the p***y," (via BBC News). It was just a few days before the second presidential debate opposite his opponent Hillary Clinton. Melania Trump attended the event, of course, and she wore a bright pink Gucci blouse with a floppy bow at the neck for the occasion. But it's worth noting that style just so happens to be widely ​​known as a "pussy bow" or "pussy-cat bow." 

Was it a random coincidence, or some next level trolling by the bestselling "Melania" author? We may never know, but it certainly got people talking. Some X users felt it wasn't really that big of a deal, since those outside of the fashion world wouldn't know the name of the blouse style. Others thought it was clearly on purpose. "Someone on the styling team has [a] sense of humor," one person posted. And then there were those who reckoned it was next level offensive. "You can't make this up," one person wrote on X. Another critic said, "Just shows their total contempt for women and any moral objection to his repugnant behaviour. Disgraceful."