Melania Trump and Jill Biden both put their most fashionable foot forward in honor of Inauguration Day on Wednesday, with the two women striking very stylish, albeit very different, tones with their sartorial choices.
The outgoing and incoming First Ladies donned high-end designer ensembles for the last and first days in the role, with Melania, 51, going all out in an all-black outfit that featured a Chanel jacket priced at over $5,600, a pair of $795 Christian Louboutin heels, and a black crocodile Hermes Birkin worth more than $70,000.
But while Mrs. Trump struck a somber note with her look, Dr. Biden, 69, opted for a much more colorful ensemble, wearing a custom-made ocean blue jacket and dress designed by New York-based fashion label Markarian that was embellished with lace, chiffon, and Swarovski crystals.
Although a spokesperson for the fashion brand declined to share the cost of the outfit, similar dresses on the label’s website are priced at upwards of $2,700, while its jackets retail for around $2,800 a pop.
Melania opted to go without a face mask in her final moments as First Lady, although she added a pair of $440 Bottega Veneta shades to her look, however Jill modeled a blue face covering that was created especially for her by Markarian’s founder Alexandra O’Neill.
Fashion face off: Outgoing First Lady Melania Trump and her successor Dr. Jill Biden both put on a very stylish show on Inauguration Day, modeling very different, but equally chic ensembles
High fashion: 51-year-old Melania opted for a somber all-black ensemble that included a Chanel jacket priced at over $5,600, a black crocodile Hermes Birkin worth more than $70,000, $795 Christian Louboutin heels, and $440 Bottega Veneta shades
Unique: Jill, 69, went for a much more colorful look, donning a custom-made ocean blue dress and jacket from New York-based brand Markarian, which is believed to have cost more than $6,000
Melania’s all-black outfit struck a much more somber tone than Jill’s colorful blue ensemble, with the outgoing First Lady looking like a woman in mourning as she exited the White House with her husband for the final time.
Shortly after the mother-of-one was seen for the first time on Inauguration Day, Jill made her first appearance of the day alongside her husband, President-elect Joe Biden, when they attended a mass in Washington, D.C.
There, Jill debuted her bright blue outfit, which was made out of a wool tweed fabric that was covered in crystals in order to ‘subtly reflect the light’, the designer revealed. The collar of Jill’s dress was embellished with large crystals and pearls, which had been arranged in a floral pattern and made it look as though the incoming First Lady was modeling a statement necklace.
‘Dr. Biden is wearing a custom Markarian-designed matching coat and dress set made in an ocean blue, wool tweed with a matching silk Markarian face mask,’ a spokesperson for the brand shared.
‘The coat, with its dark blue velvet collar and cuffs, is worn over a tapered dress with a chiffon bodice and scalloped skirt. The neckline of the dress is hand embellished with Swarovski pearls and crystals in a delicate floral pattern. The same Swarovski crystals adorn the coat and dress, subtly reflecting the light.’
According to Markarian, the color blue was chosen to represent ‘trust, confidence, and stability’, with the designer – who said she was ‘incredibly humbled to be a part of such an historic moment’ – revealing that she pieced together the outfit by hand in her West Village studio.
Jill accessorized her look with a pair of matching blue leather gloves, and she also carried a $1,450 custom-dyed clutch bag from Tyler Ellis under her arm as she arrived at the Capitol for the inauguration ceremony, where she revealed her heels of choice for the day: a chic pair of $650 teal suede heels from Jimmy Choo.
Meanwhile, 51-year-old Melania held hands with her husband as he ended his time as President of the United States, with the couple walking side-by-side across the White House lawn, before boarding Marine One on their way to Air Force Base Andrews.
Melania made sure to cement her status as one of the country’s most fashionable First Ladies, donning a number of high-priced designer pieces for her final White House ensemble, including a very pricey crocodile handbag, a pair of matching $795 crocodile Christian Louboutin shoes, and long black gloves.
The mother-of-one chose a demure black dress, which fell to just below her knees, layering a chic jacket from Chanel over the top. Her long brunette locks were pulled back in a stylish updo, allowing her to show off bronzed cheekbones and a slick of nude lipstick.
Upon the couple’s arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Melania left her handbag with aides, and while she wore her large dark shades to head up to the stage with her husband, she removed them before taking to the podium herself.
While addressing the crowd of supporters, Trump praised his wife, paying tribute to her ‘beauty, grace, and popularity’.
‘Our First Lady has been a woman of great grace and beauty, and so popular with the people, so popular,’ he said, before welcoming Melania to the stage to share her final words.
‘Being your First Lady was my greatest honor,’ she said. ‘Thank you for your love and support. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. God bless you all, God bless your families and God bless this beautiful nation.’
Melania then watched on from a chair on-stage as her husband made his final speech as President, during which he listed some of his accomplishments, before mentioning the number of votes he received in the election.
He then briefly paid homage to those who have died of coronavirus, which dominated his last year in office. More than 400,000 American have died from the disease.
Following Trump’s final remarks, he and Melania greeted his children who had been watching on proudly during his speech – with his 39-year-old daughter Ivanka holding back tears as he spoke.
The first couple then climbed the stairs of Air Force One and waved goodbye to the waiting crowds. The Trump children followed them up the stairs.
It’s unclear what’s next for Melania and Donald who are bound for Florida, where they will take up residence at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort along with his children and grandchildren.
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