First lady Melania Trump just revealed the new White House decorations over the weekend. As we've come to expect, she has again turned 1600 Penn into a Winter Wonderland. This year's theme is "The Spirit of America."
“The Spirit of America” is shining in the @WhiteHouse! I am delighted to share this beautiful exhibit of patriotism for all to see, and excited for everyone to experience the beauty of the #Christmas season! pic.twitter.com/qGxxl9qBrd
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) December 2, 2019
But, the media had a few familiar hangups that prevented them from truly enjoying the snowy scene. For one Washington Post contributor, she did not enjoy the first lady's tour because she could not avert her eyes from Melania's "ridiculous" coat.
"More than a silly fashion folly, the coat is a distraction - a discomforting affectation taken to a ludicrous extreme," WaPo's fashion critic Robin Givhan writes. "In a video intended to celebrate the welcoming spirit of the holiday season, that simple flourish exudes cold, dismissive aloofness."
If only it was parody.
Other supposed fashion critics have called the first lady's wardrobe "macabre."
This is terrifying. Trump and Melania exude coldness to Conan the hero dog. Melania, whose coat is slightly macabre (to me, but others may find it lovely), moves away from Conan multiple times. 1/3 https://t.co/s9T3Y4ZYTn
— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) November 25, 2019
Again, are we looking at the same outfits?
Her coats aren't the only fashion faux pas, according to many of the same outlets. The media have also been outraged by Melania's footwear while touring the destruction left by Hurricane Harvey, you'll remember, or for wearing a pith helmet in Kenya. Others have analyzed her State of the Union style ad nauseam. Would it be different if Melania was first lady in a Democratic administration?
"Where are all the women's magazines who used to to have first ladies on the cover?" former Bush White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer asked. "They don't grace their covers with Melania, do they?"
Not everyone agreed with the WaPo's fashion take.
Melania Trump would be on the cover of Vogue if she was a Democrat. Her wardrobe is impeccable and she looks fierce in this jacket.
— Lisa Boothe (@LisaMarieBoothe) December 3, 2019
Perspective: Melania’s coat is stunning and this story makes @washingtonpost look ridiculous. https://t.co/65GANprM24
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) December 3, 2019
I personally love the coat (and don't get why the @washingtonpost is devoting so much space to ripping on the First Lady's fashion, but whatever...): https://t.co/fgTOBOEPKJ
— Matt Laslo (@MattLaslo) December 2, 2019
We don't get it either! And, in my personal opinion, if Melania apparently can't get fashion right, there's no hope for the rest of us.
As Mrs. Trump once said, “I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear.”