On Friday, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump touched down in West Palm Beach, Florida along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, Ake. Melania was outfitted in a black collared blouse, white palazzo pants, and oversized sunglasses. The ensemble was Michael Kors, WWD reported, which is a designer she wore during the campaign trail. What was more remarkable to some, however, was how Mrs. Trump's outfit seemingly mirrored what Jackie Kennedy Onassis wore to travel to the very same airport, more than four decades earlier.
Town & Country noted the similarity between the First Ladies' outfits, juxtaposing the image of Mrs. Trump descending Air Force One in 2017 with that of Mrs. Kennedy from 1973, a decade after Jackie O. had left the White House. The parallels in color and clothing silhouette are perhaps more noticeable (or at least intriguing) considering Melania's powder blue Inauguration ensemble by Ralph Lauren, which also reminded many of the former First Lady. After all, this is the same person who, in an often-cited 1999 interview with The New York Times, said, should she ever reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, she "would be very traditional. Like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy." Based on her public appearances since becoming FLOTUS, it seems like that's still the plan.
While highly contested, the comparisons between Mrs. Trump and Mrs. Kennedy as First Ladies have extended beyond the sartorial realm, even before the new administration took office. Still, whether this style nod was intentional or not, the outfit resemblance is certainly uncanny.
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