Melania Trump's choice of Christmas decorations for the White House were quite a shock. In December 2017, for example – her first holiday season as first lady – she opted for icy, underlit branches that turned the East Colonnade into what some likened to a barren, dystopian landscape. The blood-red trees of 2018 could have come straight out of The Handmaid's Tale.
The White House has been decked out with about 2,000m of ribbon, more than 300 candles, more than 10,000 ornaments and almost 80,000 holiday lights – with 41 Christmas trees around the building
This year, with the White House now occupied by the Bidens, the look is far more down to earth – even if there are still an awful lot of decorations. According to Jill Biden’s office, the building has been decked out with about 2,000m of ribbon, more than 300 candles, more than 10,000 ornaments and almost 80,000 holiday lights – with 41 Christmas trees around the White House.
In many ways the Biden Christmas look is unremarkable – which is itself worth remarking on, according to Vanessa Friedman, the fashion director of the New York Times. "It's a hard balancing act to pull off, walking the fine line between fancy and folksy, between representing the republic to the most polished degree, and relating to the republic. Not just politically but visually," she says.
