Melania Trump seems to march to the beat of her own drum as First Lady – and it is something that appears to apply to her wardrobe too.
Since husband President Donald Trump took office for the second time, Melania has gone bigger and bolder with her fashion choices, which have frequently grabbed the attention of the public in a major way.
She made headlines for wearing bold silver trousers to the black-tie Governors Dinner earlier this month, with some fashion critics branding the look ‘disgraceful.’
But the mom, 55, has been undeterred from sticking to her penchant for pants.
On Tuesday evening, she stepped out hand-in-hand with Trump for the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C.
Melania emulated business chic in a dark gray Dolce & Gabbana pantsuit with flared trousers, an ensemble that she paired with a white button-down shirt and black Manolo Blahnik heels.
And according to San Diego-based personal stylist and image consultant Cynthia Kennedy, the pantsuits and loud pants that Melania has been sporting lately are to send a clear message that the First Lady is ‘independent’ and ‘rebellious.’
‘She’s not doing what people expect. She’s not wearing safe, dull, traditional First Lady fashion,’ Kennedy explained to the Daily Mail.
Melania Trump seems to march to the beat of her own drum as First Lady – and it is something that appears to apply to her wardrobe too
On Tuesday evening, she stepped out hand-in-hand with Trump for the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C.
‘She’s wearing what SHE wants, from her favorite designers – mostly European luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana – and she’s making it clear that this job is something she’s doing on her own terms,’ Kennedy continued.
‘What she’s doing may not necessarily be modern, but it is strategic.’
The personal stylist shared that Melania is definitely not trying to be relatable, either, as she dons expensive pants to various public events.
‘She’s not trying to be relatable at all with pants that cost over $2,000,’ Kennedy said.
‘She’s showing that she’s on a completely different playing field and follows her own rules. She’s not interested in dressing for any role,’ she said.
And that definitely seems to be the case.
Melania recently made headlines for her choice of trousers at the Governor’s Dinner on February 21, a black-tie event that was held at The White House.
The First Lady wore $2,395 metallic silver trousers by Dolce & Gabbana, one of her favorite designers, for the occasion, pairing the cigarette-style brocade pants with a long-sleeve, black tie-neck blouse from the same brand.
She made headlines for wearing bold silver trousers to the black-tie Governors Dinner earlier this month, with some fashion critics branding the look ‘disgraceful’
The First Lady wore $2,395 metallic silver trousers by Dolce & Gabbana, one of her favorite designers, for the occasion, pairing the cigarette-style brocade pants with a long-sleeve, black tie-neck blouse from the same brand
An event with a black-tie dress code usually constitutes a floor-length gown for women, according to Vogue.
Some fans criticized her choice of ensemble, with some calling the move ‘inappropriate’ and ‘disgraceful.’
But according to Kennedy, this is nothing new for Melania.
Her style has always been something that the First Lady has seemed to care about, as she even took viewers behind-the-scenes of the fitting for her various inauguration outfits in her recent documentary filmed, titled Melania.
‘She wore pants to the same dinner in 2025 – a D&G tuxedo suit – so this is becoming a pattern, it’s not accidental,’ the personal stylist told the Daily Mail.
‘She KNOWS pants at a black-tie dinner are not the usual thing. She KNOWS people will talk about it. And she does it anyway,’ she shared.
‘Some people loved it and said it was “modern” and “classy.” Others thought it was completely wrong for the occasion,’ she said.
And this chatter is exactly what the First Lady wants, Kennedy said.
She created a similar buzz when she rocked a pair of brown leather pants in November, while visiting service members at Camp Lejune in North Carolina
The First Lady also sported a black pair of pants in mid-February as she celebrated the installation of her second inauguration gown’s exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
She created a similar buzz when she rocked a pair of brown leather pants in November, while visiting service members at Camp Lejune in North Carolina.
Melania paired the look with a safari-style jacket from Blazé Milano, featuring various pockets of different sizes and tortoise-shell button detailing.
The First Lady also sported a black pair of pants in mid-February as she celebrated the installation of her second inauguration gown’s exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
‘Melania has always loved leather, and that isn’t anything new,’ Kennedy told the Daily Mail.
It’s true – she caused quite a stir in 2018, during Trump’s first term, when she sported a pair of skin-colored leather leggings from Ralph Lauren when she and her husband returned from a visit to troops in Iraq.
‘She pretty much lived in leather pants, leather skirts, and leather coats during her husband’s first term,’ Kennedy said.
‘Now, she’s bringing it back for her second round as First Lady, and this time it feels really deliberate.’
The image consultant called the First Lady’s outfit at the Smithsonian ‘chic,’ as she said it had a ‘European feel’ to it.
She caused quite a stir in 2018, during Trump’s first term, when she sported a pair of skin-colored leather leggings from Ralph Lauren and she and her husband returned from a visit to troops in Iraq
Besides the leather and shiny brocade, Melania has also sported bold floral-pattern trousers, like the peony-print Dolce & Gabbana pair she wore in June to the Congressional Picnic
Kennedy said it sends a message that she’s not trying to fit the typical mold.
‘I don’t think Melania has ever really conformed to what First Ladies are “supposed” to wear, and leather is her way of saying that loud and clear,’ Kennedy shared.
‘It’s daring, it’s all about fashion, it’s a little bit rock and roll, and it certainly separates her from the pearls-and-pastels women who usually hold this role,’ she said.
Besides the leather and shiny brocade, Melania has also sported bold floral-pattern trousers, like the peony-print Dolce & Gabbana pair she wore in June to the Congressional Picnic, or the multi-colored slacks from Erdem she sported in 2018.
‘It’s a power move,’ Kennedy said of her bold pant choices. ‘She’s showing people that she can ignore normal dress codes, wear untraditional outfits to these formal events, and still have half the people in the room think she looks elegant and classy.’
‘There’s also a feeling underneath it all that she doesn’t need anyone’s approval,’ she continued.
‘Melania has never really tried to be loved by everyone as First Lady. She’s creating an image of being above it all, untouchable, doing her own thing,’ Kennedy added.
‘The bold pants choices are part of that story.’
