Not one to shy away from a controversial fashion moment, first lady Melania Trump once again outdid herself while attending the funeral for the late President Jimmy Carter. When it comes to the Carter family, Melania has a penchant for throwing some strange shade their way. First, there was the head-turning attire Melania wore to Rosalynn Carter’s funeral. Then there was the fact that Melania smiled while on her way to pay her respects to President Carter’s casket on January 8. But the outfit she ultimately wore to the 39th president’s funeral on January 9 really had people in a tizzy.
Donning a somber black dress reminiscent of a graduation gown, the giant white lapels were a jarring fashion statement. Careening out and away from her, it was giving more “Madeline” than funeral, and the internet took note. One user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote, “Melania was going for the Pennsylvania Amish look today as she scowled and pretended to listen.” (We’ll take a scowl over a strange, self-serving smirk any day.) However, when it comes to Melania, it’s often hard to know if she’s trying to course correct or throwing a temper tantrum with her fashion pick.
Melania has used fashion to send a message in the past
With a closet brimming with inappropriate outfits, Melania Trump often uses her fashion choices to send a message, the most infamous of which would be the time she visited the Southern border in a cheap green jacket that read: “I don’t really care, do you?” Quite the choice while witnessing children being separated from their families. Since then, the first lady has only ramped up the subliminal (and possibly overt) messages with her outfits.
Even though she was mostly absent from her husband Donald Trump’s campaign trail, when Melania did make an appearance, she was sure to coordinate her mood with her outfit. There was the time she stuck to her stripes at Madison Square Garden, or on Election Day, when Melania sent conspiracy theories into overdrive by sporting some rather large sunglasses (and a look more somber than she gave at Jimmy Carter’s funeral). It could be that Melania has no ill will toward the Carter family, and simply does not want to be first lady again. Although, only time will tell if she pulls another mysterious disappearing act while her husband is in office.
