From beanies to baker boy, panama to boaters, we’ve cycled through every hat trend recently. But, for spring, there is a new hat of choice, and it’s unmissable.
Thanks to designers like Missoni, Awake and Jacquemus, hats have received the supersize treatment, but the topped-off look from the season came far from the runway and instead turned up on Melania Trump.
Donald and Melania Trump held their first state dinner on Tuesday evening, welcoming French president and First Lady Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron to the White House. In preparation for the occasion, Melania Trump welcomed her guests, choosing a €1798 belted asymmetric crepe blazer and skirt suit by Michael Kors Collection complete with a statement-making, broad-brimmed stark white hat, specially designed and commissioned by Herve Pierre.
“I know I’ve been an absentee dad and a horrible husband - including flagrant affairs while you were pregnant - but let’s just hold hands at this event...” pic.twitter.com/gLDCs40iCk
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) April 24, 2018
The hat has already taken over twitter with some online commentators comparing the style to Beyonce in the Formation video, while others compared Trump to Jude Law as the young Pope. The striking ensemble also drew other pop culture comparisons from the wardrobe of Scandal’s Oliva Pope - a character played by Kerry Washington.
The First Lady’s style has taken a sophisticated turn of late, favouring strict unfussy silhouettes. White has also been a favourite colour of the first lady, memorably wearing a Dior white suit to this year’s State of the Union address, which happened to be her first high-profile appearance with the President after the Stormy Daniels scandal broke.
The colour is also a symbol of women’s suffrage. Joining the Macron’s for dinner on Monday evening, Mrs Trump dressed in diplomatic fashion, paying homage to French fashion, wearing a wool cape dress by Givenchy, heels by Christian Louboutin and black clutch by Dior.
The only thing more discussed than Melania’s hat on Tuesday was a video making its way around the internet where the First Lady rebuffs Trump’s reach for her hand, before, eventually giving in, visibly grimacing.
Her refusal to give into public PDAs and lovey-dovey political gestures is not only apparent in the exchanges with her husband but also her stiff and protective wardrobe choices.
The XL hat also allowed her to keep her distance from the President, once more, when greeting him, imposing an obstacle and instead ending in an awkwardly exchanged air kiss. But there was no love-lost between Trump and Macron, with awkward displays of bromance.
Firstly Trump exercised dandruff diplomacy, making a very public show of brushing invisible dandruff of Macron’s shoulders, and then after he grabbed Macron’s hand - continuing to hold it as he led him away from reporters.
But back to hats. Here are four head-turners to help you stand out in the crowd:
