Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were on the road this past weekend, first in Argentina at the G20 summit and then in Mexico celebrating the inauguration of president Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Between Jared winning an award for his contributions to U.S.-Mexico relations and Ivanka wearing a shiny, white pantsuit designed by Gabriela Hearst, an outspoken Trump critic who has refused to dress Melania (and whose 2017 line was designed with women like Sens. Kamala Harris and Tammy Duckworth in mind), it was quite an eventful trip for the two.
Since we don't see them traveling together much, we decided to call up our body language expert Patti Wood, author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma, to ask whether anything is different about their on-the-road style. She gave us the lowdown, ahead.
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Posing At G20
Ivanka's body language: "Usually I read Instagram photos of them in their living room," says Wood. "Having looked at a lot of those photos, there are a few subtle differences. Look at how close together her feet are; less than 2 inches apart. This is a freeze posture, as in 'fight-flight-freeze.' Usually she does the foot-forward, debutante-model pose. I've seen Melania in this pose when she's standing with 45 many times. If you go all the way up her body, you'll see her knees are together, her legs are together, and her arm is straight down at her side and very close to her body, not relaxed at all. You see tension all throughout, all the way to her face, where you see a tight smile. Her hold around him is very formal and doll-like, rather than relaxed or super-affectionate, which is appropriate for the event."
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I've seen Melania in this pose when she's standing with 45 many times.
Patti Wood, body language expert
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Jared's body language: "His smile is tight, like a sealed envelope. This is very subtle, but if you look at the space between his right arm and his hips, you'll see that he's ever-so-slightly leaning away from her. His head is toward her, but his body and shoulders are not. It may just be that he wants to be seen as his own person at this event. I see that all the time in celebrity photos."
Verdict: "They're not finding comfort in each other. It may be because the spotlight is on them, and the formality of the event itself is creating that body language."
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Walking In Argentina
Ivanka's body language: "Her lips are slightly pursed and soured. That was interesting to me. There's a lot of tension: Look how close together her feet are, even while walking. Her arms are also close to her body. That's not how I always see her; usually she holds out her elbows slightly. It's a tension that I often see in Melania."
Jared's body language: "He's leading. Her feet are a step ahead, but her upper body is positioned behind him."
Verdict: Ivanka usually leads, but here they are on an almost equal plane, with Jared leading slightly.
At The Colón Theatre In Buenos Aires For A Gala (In A Pantsuit Designed By Someone Who Hates Trump)
Ivanka's body language: "There's a lack of symmetry in the mouth, which tells me there's something she's holding back. She's showing different amounts of teeth on different sides of the mouth. Her look is a little glazed over, with a slight, subtle discomfort. She's not feeling that moment. It could just be jet lag."
Jared's body language: "This is pretty much the norm for him. I just see a little bit of fatigue. His baseline is a bit of tension and formality, so there's nothing unusual here for him."
Verdict: Stunning pantsuit.
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