Melania Trump returns to her post as first lady in a smart, severe Adam Lippes ensemble

Elizabeth Wellington, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Jan 20, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

First lady Melania Trump cut a fine figure at Monday’s presidential swearing-in ceremony in an uber-tailored navy double-breasted coat by New York designer Adam Lippes.

A pleated high-necked ivory blouse peaked demurely from underneath the swank outerwear, an exact match to the headband of her chapeau. That hat, from Eric Javits, was by far the chicest element of the first lady’s ensemble. It sat squarely on her head, over a tight bun, its generous brim covering her eyes. She appeared classy, yet on-brand Melania-Trump-mysterious.

Lippes is well-known in New York fashion circles. His airy, feminine pieces are available in Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue and his eponymous boutiques are in New York, Houston, and Miami. Jill Biden wore a navy Adam Lippes suit when she went to the Vatican in 2021.

While Lippes is the reported designer behind the first lady’s austere look, the ensemble was very Christian Dior. Knowing what I know about this particular first lady’s pointed sense of style, the Dior vibes were likely intentional.

The French designer rose to fashion prominence in the mid-1940s with the severely tailored New Look. Feminine, yet stern, its jackets were structured, often outfitted with shoulders pads. (Fashion fact: Dior’s New Look is a precursor to Dynasty’s over-the-top ensembles in the 1980s.) The silhouette nipped the waist, accenting a woman’s figure. The skirts were respectably mid-calf. And following the mid-20th century’s strict fashion rules, New Look outfits were accessorized to the nines, with dramatic hats as well as gloves, pocketbooks, and pumps.

Dior’s New Look debuted in 1947, two years after the end of World War II. The end of the war, coupled with economic gains from Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, placed America in an era of new prosperity, marked by the rise of white-collar workers and home ownership. It was also a time when women knew their place was firmly behind men. America was at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement, which led to the 1964 signing of the Civil Rights Act, which gave Black people equal rights under the law. Only two genders were recognized: male and female.

“The golden age of America begins right now,” said President Donald Trump, in his inaugural address during which he promised to bring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s dream of a color-blind America to fruition yet eliminate DEI programs, promising that all Americans would be judged on their merit.

“From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation and not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of,” Trump said triumphantly.

Eight years ago, when Melania Trump appeared at her husband’s side at his first inauguration, she wore a powder blue Ralph Lauren suit nearly identical to the one Jacqueline Kennedy wore in 1961.

Melania Trump’s outfit on Monday speaks to a time before even then, when women were well-dressed on planes, in restaurants, and at church — a time when we walked behind our husbands and lowered our eyes.

_____