…in Dior to hear her husband speak before the joint session of Congress. As tariffs on goods coming from U.S. neighbours Canada and Mexico go into immediate effect, wearing a French label was the way to go

A few hours after Dior showed their autumn/winter 2025 collection in Paris, the elusive Melania Trump made a rare public appearance to support her husband in the U.S. capitol for his speech before the joint session of Congress. She wore a Dior skirt suit so that no one would be in doubt that she owns tailored garments suitable for any event that is attended by the president. The dark, greenish-grey Dior costume looked appropriate for the occasion, but with a fringed shawl-as-lapel, appeared less stuffy, less ceremonial. A slim black belt that could have been nicked from her husband’s wardrobe cinched the waist; its longer end tied to yield a fashionable knot and and hanging tail. If she was not ready for business, she certainly was ready for the cameras.

It is not known if Mrs Trump’s fitting choice was deliberate. With a very public humiliation that a recent guest at the White House received for not selecting to wear a suit to meet the president, it is likely that she preferred to be especially cautious, to appear in the right clothes, to not embarrass her spouse showily selling his agenda on Capitol Hill. She would not—cannot—be as defiant as some thought she could be, choosing to wear the army green jacket in 2018 with the cryptic message in the back that read “I really don’t care, do you?” But that would be beautifully gutsy in the presence of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. And an eff-off to the likes of Brian Glenn. But, Mrs Trump probably preferred to Be Best.

Her choice of Dior is also interesting in the wake of the tariffs imposed on goods from America’s immediate neighbours Canada and Mexico and, further away, China. One of the main goals of the steep taxes is to keep—even generate—jobs in the U.S.. Companies and brands have been told to come to America to manufacture and sell if they wish to avoid the penalty-as-tarrif. It did not occur to her that an American label would be more patriotic. Europe, although not yet taxed, is under threat: the current administration has intimidated the EU with a similar 25 percent on European imports. Has Melania Trump been stocking up before that becomes a reality? Or was she just playing the dutiful wife with a penchant for those brands owned by America-friendly conglomerates?

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