Melania’s flat-brimmed Eric Javits hat — along with her matching navy-and-white coat ensemble — has caused quite the stir on the internet. Kim Kardashian posted a photo of the first lady’s (second) inaugural outfit to Instagram. X users are debating which character she most represents: Carmen Sandiego? Jim Carrey from The Mask? The bad guy from Westworld? Michael Jackson in the “Smooth Criminal” music video?
No. Melania’s striking outfit is a clear reference to Princess Diana’s black-and-white numbers. Melania is back, and she isn’t taking crap from anyone — especially the liberal media. For years, she watched her family get picked apart by tabloids, politicians, and celebrities alike. Her outfit states, “I can’t be bothered,” in the cool tones of an icy vodka martini.
With her eyes in full shadow, only her steely jaw protrudes from under the black brim. Her mile-high Louboutin stilettos are primed to impale anyone who comes too close. (Not even her husband can give her a peck on the cheek — the hat acts as a radial shield.) Showing no emotion, she has condescended to serve as first lady yet again as a Russian novelist might condescend to exile in Siberia.
Melania’s edgy femininity fuses together corporate feminism with something more ancient — like the raw womanhood of Cleopatra or Dido. In an era of “tradwives” and “girlbosses,” Melania’s femininity remains enigmatic, defiant, and sultry. Clothed with the armor of a perfectly tailored outfit, Melania has sent a message to the next four years: “Come and take it.”
While her outfit may have receive mixed reviews from the internet gremlins, I am certain it will go down in history as a defining look for 21st-century women.