All products are independently selected by our editors.
If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
First lady Melania Trump in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025.
Bloomberg/Getty Images
But for the most part, the hat has become a fashion statement.
Looking back, no FLOTUS mastered the statement-making hat quite like Jacqueline Kennedy.
It really put him on the map.
First lady Melania Trump in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025.
American first ladies donthaveto wear hats, but what the royal family wears factors in.
And as for how Trumps now infamous white hat will stand the test of history?
Herve has impeccable understated taste…[and she] balanced style and protocol for someone of her position.
I wouldnt be surprised if she practiced doing a double cheek kiss with that hat on.
And she really she pulled it off.
Its ironic because hats hide your face and they call attention to you, Chrisman-Campbell adds.
Shes hiding under the hat, but then everybody is looking at the giant hat.
Its much easier to be remembered negatively, Charleston said.
Melania will be remembered for wearing heels to get on Air Force One to go to a flood zone.
Michelle Obama was criticized for wearing Lanvin sneakers to go work at a soup kitchen.
America wants to see its first ladies in a certain way, she continued.
Her hat choices as first lady were more aligned with etiquette than with fashion trends or making a statement.
(She even hada shade named after her.)
It helped her stand out in the crowd and allowed people to see her from far away.
Being ladylike does not require silence.
For one of those occasionsthe Queen Mothers funeral, in 2002she too opted for an Eric Javits style.
(Her whole ensemble, from skirt to veil, was Moschino.)
There is a lot of protocol that goes into visits with the Pope, Chrisman-Campbell explains.
However, she was not one for gratuitous headgear.
However, it was the hat that made the biggest impact, at least among commentators.
