Although she was called out for the hypocrisy in her dress choices, Karoline Leavitt won’t change her mind about Made in China, not anytime soon

Karoline Leavitt taking press questions on the grounds of the White House three days ago in a Self-Portrait dress. Screen shot: forbes/YouTube

You’d think that after it was revealed that she wore a Made-in-China dress despite her no-to-China stand on bilateral trade, Karoline Leavitt would not want to be seen in clothes from Zhongguo (中国), at least for a while or until the “deals” her boss promised are done. Yet, she continues to don what can be discerned as one of her favourite imported labels, Self-Portrait. Three days ago, in an informal meeting with members of the press corp outside the White House to answer questions regarding the president’s response to the passing of Pope Francis, Ms Leavitt walked down the driveway with a spirited gait, sporting a summery, light blue dress from the English label, founded by a Penangite. She looked every bit the MAGA miss that she is. And as if she was ready to attend a garden party somewhere in Miami.

The 100% polyester floral lace dress is no longer available on the Self-Portrait online store, but can be found on reseller platforms such as Wish Upon. Here, one secondhand piece of the ‘Embellished Lace Diamante Midi Dress” can still be had for £220 (or about S$385). A similar style on the Self-Portrait website was asking for £420. The frock came with a square neckline to frame her décolletage (on which Ms Leavitt’s often-seen pendant of a cross laid) and unlined, set-in, gently-puffed sleeves that bracketed her upper chest. It was hard not to see that there was a mother-of-the-bride frumpiness about her styling that morning. It could be her version of pay-serious-attention-to-me dress.

She looked every bit the MAGA miss that she is. And as if she was ready to attend a garden party somewhere in Miami

But it was hard to take her seriously, not especially after her clothing choice made the news for their seeming hypocrisy. It is possible that she was not aware of where that dress was made, but it is unlikely that she continued to remain in the dark after the news broke and social media was agog with excitement when Netizens were made aware of the production source of her dress, which contradicted glaringly with an administration that has taken a hard stance on trade with China. In one of her White House press briefings, Ms Leavitt said, “the president is is trying to renegotiate the global trade agenda that has ripped off American for far too long”, adding “he wants consumers to trust in him and they should trust in him.”

It is not evident how her trust in the president squares with his censure of Americans buying more from China and Ms Leavitt does, fervently. Continuing to choose clothing produced in China contradicts her public statements, undermining the message she’s trying to convey on behalf of a pugnacious president. If his policy is to reduce reliance on the Chinese-made, and Ms Leavitt is demonstrably wearing them, it can potentially create a trust gap between she and the press corp or the public. There is, of course, the possibility that she is restricted by choice and the prices she is willing to pay. As a very young White House staffer, it is likely that Ms Leavitt is not that well paid and she, therefore, can’t afford to dress in, say, custom Oscar de la Renta. Even the significantly cheaper Michael Kors clothes are made in China and elsewhere. If she goes lower than that, there is Everlane or Madewell, but both also rely on China to fill their racks. America First is Donald Trump’s dream, Made in China is Karoline Leavitt’s fate.