Dressing for the ocassion: What will Melania Trump wear at the inauguration?

Melania Trump is no stranger to making headlines with her fashion choices, and as she prepares to step into the role of First Lady once again, her wardrobe will undoubtedly steal the spotlight.

The Slovenia-born former fashion model made statements before. From her unforgettable, eye-popping powder-blue Ralph Lauren coat dress in 2017 to her curated pre-inauguration couture, First Lady-to-be has always set the bar high with her lavish style choices.

The presidential inauguration has long been a moment for First Ladies to make a lasting impression. Each look has its own story, often symbolising something more than just personal style, and setting the tone for what’s to come in their tenure.

With just hours to go before Donald Trump’s second inauguration, all eyes are now on Melania and what she’ll wear to mark this monumental event. Here’s what we know.

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‘Some rules are going to be rewritten’

For first ladies, fashion has always been a key communication tool, showcasing their individuality and what they stand for.

Since leaving the White House in 2021, sightings of Melania Trump have been few and far between. This trend is expected to continue, even with her return to the public eye following her husband’s second inauguration. The 54-year-old mother of 18-year-old Barron Trump will be splitting her time between New York and Florida, indicating that her public appearances and professional duties will remain limited.

And this shift starts with her style. And at an event of the century like the inauguration ceremony, Melania is expected to send a message of patriotism and confidence, setting the tone for her next chapter, reports USA Today.

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“I do think some rules are going to be rewritten, and I think that she is taking advantage of that in a positive way, to rewrite her own script of how she shows up,” style strategist Lauren A Rothman told the American news outlet.

Rothman adds, “That may include more looks of the moving mom, getting her kid through college and continuing to protect his privacy, and not always doing that in a skirt suit.”

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Nichola D Gutgold, a professor and member-at-large of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE) — a university-affiliated initiative analysing the impact and legacies of first ladies — told CNN that Melania maybe “won’t need as large a wardrobe as a very active first lady”.

“She is very aloof. I think (events) will be carefully chosen and the schedule will be much lighter, Gutgold said.

Once shunned, now swamped by offers from big fashion houses

This time around, Melania Trump has far more choices when it comes to her wardrobe for the inauguration.

According to the Daily Mail, Melania is being “swamped” with offers of free designer clothing from nearly every major US fashion house and iconic European couture brands, including Versace and Christian Dior, ahead of her husband’s inauguration on January 20.

This marks a significant change from 2017, when Donald Trump was first sworn in. At that time, Melania was reportedly shunned by many high-profile designers who were hesitant to associate with her husband’s controversial politics.

Ralph Lauren was one of the few designers willing to dress her out of respect for the office of the presidency. The then-First Lady debuted a powder-blue cashmere dress paired with matching suede gloves, heels, and a bolero.

For the Inaugural Ball, her stylist, French-American designer Hervé Pierre, created a custom off-the-shoulder vanilla gown with a high slit and a red silk belt.

However, according to Toni Holt Kramer, founder of the Trumpettes support group and a close friend of the couple, things have changed dramatically.

“When President Trump was first elected back in 2016, Melania was treated very badly indeed,” Kramer said. “People spoke out against her and refused to dress her. She was shunned and treated appallingly but acted with nothing but class. It must have been hard for her. Now people are begging to dress her."

What we know of her inauguration day outfit

Reports suggest Melania’s wardrobe for the inauguration was finalised at Mar-a-Lago with input from her sister, Ines. While specifics remain a mystery, style strategist Lauren Rothman predicts it will be “powerful.”

Melania arrived in wintry Washington, D.C, on Saturday, wearing a Dior charcoal-grey coat with black buttons and a Dolce & Gabbana white jacquard Baroque-inspired pantsuit. Her husband and son matched in dark suits, white shirts, and gold cufflinks, presenting an all-business appearance.

_"_There is an aspirational quality to Melania that Trump voters, I think, see her as this perfect, ideal woman, and so for her, she has some pressure to project that image,” USA Today quoted Kate Andersen Brower, author of ‘First Women: The Grace and Power of American’s Modern First Ladies’ as saying.

With input from agencies