Melania Trump made her first fashion statement as the new First Lady of the United States as her husband Donald Trump was inaugurated into his second term as president.
The politician's wife seemed to take style cues from a royal style icon as she witnessed the inauguration parade at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. Melania, 54, was seen wearing a navy hat by Eric Javits with a white ribbon around the band.
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The hat, which was so large and worn so low it almost covered her entire face, was of a similar proportion to the green number the Princess of Wales wore in 2023 to the monarch's birthday parade, otherwise known as Trooping the Colour.

Kate's enormous saucer-like hat by Philip Treacy was teamed with an Andrew Gn straight-cut dress adorned with oversized bejewelled buttons.

Melania's hat mishap
The former model almost didn't wear her Kate-coded headwear. "It arrived all crushed," revealed Eric Javits, the designer and expert milliner, recalling the results of the hat being shipped from his Miami office to New York. "It looked like it had been sitting in snow drifts for about a week. It couldn’t really be repaired, because of the construction of it."

The hat was remade by Eric and hand-delivered to Melania via a car that was put on by her stylist Hervé Pierre. "No other hands touched it, nor did any other eyes see the hat prior to Hervé and the First Lady receiving it," Eric told WWD.
The hand-crafted hat was paired with a structured coat by Adam Lippes and a white neck scarf.

Melania's gown
After the inauguration parade, Melania joined her husband at the Commander-in-Chief inaugural ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. She wore a custom Hervé Pierre gown featuring an unusual strapless neckline and leg-split skirt.

The gown featured a built-in choker and she wore her hair in loose waves.

A different inauguration look
Melania wore a totally different look in 2017 when she stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol during the inauguration ceremony that made her businessman husband the 45th president of the United States.

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The mother of one chose a cornflower blue coat dress by Ralph Lauren with matching pumps and gloves.
5 surprising Donald Trump facts

1. Pet hates
He is one of only three US presidents never to have had any presidential pets. When he assumed office in 2016, he was the first in 100 years not to have pets in the White House, with only James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson abstaining before then.
2. Man of convictions
He is the first ever convicted felon to become president of the United States after being sentenced on 34 different charges pertaining to his hush money case in New York City in 2024.
3. Till divorce do us part
He has been married three times: to Ivana Trump from 1977 to 1990, Marla Maples from 1993 to 1999, and current wife Melania Trump in 2005.
4. Lights, cameos, action
He has made a slew of cameos on popular TV shows and movies, such as Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Sex and the City, Two Weeks Notice, Zoolander, and The Nanny, among others.
5. Alcohol free
He claims never to have drunk alcohol in his life, inspired by older brother Fred “Freddy” Trump Jr who was an alcoholic and died in 1981 aged 42 from a heart attack linked to years of alcohol abuse.