Melania Trump turned heads as she attended a state banquet at Windsor Castle in a yellow, off-the-shoulder gown on Wednesday evening.
But as images surfaced of the First Lady standing next to her husband, President Donald Trump, and alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla, people couldn’t help but raise eyebrows at the daring fashion choice.
For starters, the floor-length gown left many fashion watchers puzzled, as it appeared vibrant yellow in some photos but a muted butter-yellow in others.
And then there was the issue of the belt: Is it baby pink – or purple?
Thankfully, insiders have now weighed in to clarify.
A source close to the First Lady revealed to the Daily Mail that the dress, designed by Carolina Herrera, was indeed buttercream yellow with an ‘Easter purple’ belt.
Melania’s daring off-the-shoulder yellow and pink dress sparked a frenzy online as fans noticed that the buttercream yellow dress appeared vibrant yellow in photos
In some shots the gown appeared bright yellow, while the belt was a lilac (left). In others, the dress was more of a baby yellow shade, with a complimentary baby pink belt (right)
Of course, the confusion surrounding the color of the gown was likely caused by flash photography or pre-publication Photoshop manipulation.
‘Photographers always play with saturation, curves and contrast in their photos, and I do believe that her dress was tweaked to look a bit bolder than it actually is, judging by the saturation of all of the other colors in the image,’ said New York-based personal stylist Liz Teich.
Teich added that yellow is often associated with optimism – noting that the Princess of Wales also wore a gold lace long sleeve gown, designed by Phillipa Lepley, for the banquet dinner.
‘Perhaps she was seeking something cheerful for this visit, especially as her husband’s mother is from Scotland, where the Royal Family regularly visits, as well as to stand up against the protesters of their visit,’ Teich said.
However, some critics sniped that Melania’s ensemble appeared quite distracting and busy, what with her bold yellow dress mixing with the lavender belt and her emerald earrings.
‘I find the styling distracting with the addition of a pink belt and emerald chandeliers. There are too many touch-points here, and we should be looking at her first and the dress second,’ said celebrity stylist Samantha Brown, who added that the off-the-shoulder dress was a bold choice to make amidst a sea of gold lace, royal tiaras and stately tuxedos.
It’s also no surprise to fashion experts that butter yellow was one of the most popular trends of the summer season, but between the gloomy English weather and the approaching autumn season, Brown said that the dress ‘feels like a summery choice, and not quite right for the season.
A source close to the First Lady has confirmed to the Daily Mail that her Carolina Herrera dress was ‘buttercream yellow’ with an ‘Easter purple’ belt
Pictured: The First Lady famously wore yellow for the couple’s last state visit to the UK in 2018, where they were greeted by Queen Elizabeth II
‘Melania typically makes strong, informed wardrobe choices, this dress doesn’t rank with her best looks,’ she added.
This isn’t the first time Melania has divided opinion for her daring fashion choices.
She similarly wore yellow for the couple’s last state dinner in the UK during Trump’s first term in 2018, opting for a pale yellow cape-sleeved gown designed by J. Mendel.
Melania famously caused quite the stir in January, when she wore a large navy wide-brimmed hat designed by Eric Javits to her husband’s inauguration ceremony.
The accessory quickly gained viral fame with many jokingly speculating that she wore it to avoid kissing Trump, particularly as when he leaned in for a peck, he was unable to even get to her cheek as the hat blocked him.
It seems the First Lady has a penchant for hats, as she once again wore an extraordinarily large wide-brimmed purple wool hat, designed by Christian Dior, during today’s state visit.
‘Kate looks amazing. Melania looks ridiculous,’ one X user wrote in response to Melania’s hat on Wednesday.
Another user took to X to share their reaction to Melania’s yellow gown, writing: ‘The photographer has messed with the exposure to ruin Melania’s dress. It’s a beautiful, vibrant yellow but he has turned it bilious yellow!’
Earlier in the day, Melania wore a Christian Dior haute couture dark gray skirt suit
Pictured at St. George’s Chapel: Melania paired the designer suit with a pair of black heels
‘Melania looks beautiful in yellow,’ a third person said.
Carolina Herrera has been known to dress several First Ladies over the years. Most notably, Melania wore a black sequined skirt from the Venezuelan-American designer earlier this year during her husband’s inauguration festivities.
She also wore a white Carolina Herrera dress with colorful stripes during a two-day state visit to India in February 2020.
This evening’s banquet marks the second time President Trump and the First Lady have traveled to the UK for a state dinner. Their first state visit to the UK was in 2019, when they were hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Earlier today, Trump was invited by King Charles to walk in front of him during the ceremonial welcome. The US president seemed delighted at the pageantry, and even shared a joke and a hearty laugh with the monarch.
Before the state dinner, Trump also laid a wreath at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II – who died in September 2022 – in St. George’s Chapel in Windsor.
The Trumps are scheduled to be in the UK until Thursday, September 18.
