First lady Melania Trump vs. Michelle Obama fashion cost of clothing
Melania Trump
This week    Melania Trump  found  herself  in yet another fashion scandal.  The first lady  was spotted boarding a plane to Texas in sky-high stilettos  though  she  was heading to an area devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Public perception of  Trump  and  her  immediate predecessor  Michelle Obama  couldn't be more different. Fans of Obama paint  her  as a J. Crew-clad woman of the people. Meanwhile   Trump  was slammed for a photo shoot in which  she  twirled a string of diamonds like spaghetti. For fans of  Trump   glitzy designer clothing is part of  her  appeal. Instagram accounts with thousands of followers track her every outfit. The far-right website Breitbart News  which criticized Obama for wearing a $2 290 dress to meet the pope in 2015  wrote that  Trump  was the "breakout star" of President Donald Trump's first trip abroad  radiating "high fashion." To see how accurate  Melania Trump's  frivolous  filthy-rich reputation is in contrast to Obama's more down-to-earth image  we decided to re-create a theoretical "week in the life" of the two first ladies. We wanted to see whether  Trump  was actually spending more than Obama  or whether  she  was just a victim of bad press. We compared seven iconic looks that Obama and  Trump  wore to similar events  from vacationing to campaigning  as well as their price tags. Fashion can be a strategic way for the first lady to send a message to the American people — and  Trump  and Obama both have different reputations and messages to send. Here's how the two first ladies measure up and what it means for how Americans see them. View As: One Page Slides
Campaigning at political conventions  Melania Trump at the Republican National Convention: $2 190 Roksanda dress and $675 Christian Louboutin heels .  Trump  made headlines after buying a Roksanda "Margot" dress from Net-a-Porter. The $2 190 dress sold out less than an hour after her speech. She paired the dress with $675 Christian Louboutin heels. Michelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention: $995 dress by Christian Siriano and $675 metallic Jimmy Choo heels. Obama's blue dress was extremely similar to a $995 cobalt-blue dress made by Siriano  a designer who rose to prominence after appearing on "Project Runway." Siriano reportedly custom-made the dress Obama wore as she gave her "they go low  we go high" speech. Her silver Jimmy Choo heels  spotted by Footwear News  cost $675.
Meeting with  foreign leaders Melania Trump  at the G-7 summit: $53 130 Dolce & Gabbana outfit.  Trump  made headlines when  she  wore a $51 500 Dolce & Gabbana jacket to a meeting with the spouses of some of the most powerful world leaders at the annual G-7 summit in Catania  Italy  in May. While we couldn't identify the first lady's dress and shoes   her  bag was also Dolce & Gabbana and costs $1 630. The first lady has worn Dolce & Gabbana on numerous occasions. The designer Stefano Gabbana has been extremely receptive of the support  posting many pictures of Trump in Dolce & Gabbana outfits on his Instagram. Michelle Obama at the G-20 summit: $474 J. Crew outfit. Obama also made headlines on her first trip to the United Kingdom as the first lady in 2009  thanks to her casual yet fashionable looks. The Guardian described her outfits  many of which were from J. Crew  as "a pitch of sunny  homely optimism  rather than sparkling glamour." One of Obama's most memorable outfits of the trip was the one she wore to meet British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Fox News reported that the cardigan cost $298  the tank top $18  and the mint-green pencil skirt $158.
 Charity work Melania Trump at an abuse-prevention nonprofit: $1 150 pair of sandals to complete an otherwise low-key look . Footwear News reported (somewhat snarkily) that  Trump  wore a $1 150 pair of Rene Caovilla sandals to visit HomeSafe in April.  Trump  also wore a $225 pair of L'Agence Margot jeans and an unidentified khaki shirt. Michelle Obama at a food bank: $540 pair of sneakers to complete an otherwise low-key look. In 2009  Obama caused some controversy when she wore a $540 pair of Lanvin sneakers to volunteer at a food bank with Jill Biden. She paired them with a $188 J. Crew sweater.
Joint addresses to  Congress Melania Trump  at a 2017 joint address to Congress: $5 000 Michael Kors suit jacket.  Trump 's Michael Kors look cost an estimated $9 600  combining a black blazer that cost $5 000 and a matching skirt priced at $4 600. Michelle Obama at the 2015 State of the Union: $1 595 Michael Kors suit jacket. In 2015  Obama wore a suit that had been featured on CBS's political drama "The Good Wife." The $1 595 jacket quickly sold out after the first lady wore it to the State of the Union address.
 Vacation Melania Trump 's return from Camp David: $303 J. Crew and J Brand.  Trump  recently proved that Obama wasn't the only first lady getting clothes from J. Crew. In late August   she  returned from Camp David wearing a $75 pink top from the retailer. Yahoo Style reported that  she  paired the top with $228 pink J Brand jeans and pink patent-leather flats that we couldn't trace (though Vanity Fair reports they're Manolo Blahniks). Michelle Obama exiting Air Force One in shorts: ? Obama faced serious backlash after being spotted leaving Air Force One for a hike of the Grand Canyon in 2009 wearing shorts. Four years later  Obama called the shorts incident one of her biggest fashion regrets. While Time notes that no brand ever "stepped forward" to claim the "unflattering" shorts  the entire outfit looks very J. Crew. In any case  it's safe to say it wasn't too expensive.
Inauguration — and why the numbers don't tell the full story  Trump 's fashion picks tend to be more expensive than Obama's. But that's not the full story. First  there's the question of custom-made dresses. For the past three inaugurations  the first lady wore a custom-made look. (Obama wore Jason Wu both times  and  Trump  wore a Herve Pierre gown.)  Trump  has reportedly struggled to find designers willing to work with  her . Meanwhile  many of Obama's most iconic looks are made specifically for  her  and are priceless  such as a custom-made Versace gown with a theoretical price tag of $12 000. Then there's the question of why it even matters. First ladies' outfits are not paid for with taxpayer dollars. You could be horrified that anyone could buy a coat that costs more than the average American makes in a year. But if you're going to criticize  Trump  for wearing $1 000 shoes  you have to criticize Obama as well.  Melania Trump's  2017 Inauguration Ball gown: priceless  custom-made Herve Pierre. Michelle Obama's 2013 Inauguration Ball gown: priceless  custom-made Jason Wu.
This week    [TGT]found  [TGT]  in yet another fashion scandal.  The first lady  was spotted boarding a plane to Texas in sky-high stilettos  though  she  was heading to an area devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Public perception of  Trump  and  her  immediate predecessor  Michelle Obama  couldn't be more different. Fans of Obama paint  her  as a J. Crew-clad woman of the people. Meanwhile   Trump  was slammed for a photo shoot in which  she  twirled a string of diamonds like spaghetti. For fans of  Trump   glitzy designer clothing is part of  her  appeal. Instagram accounts with thousands of followers track her every outfit. The far-right website Breitbart News  which criticized Obama for wearing a $2 290 dress to meet the pope in 2015  wrote that  Trump  was the "breakout star" of President Donald Trump's first trip abroad  radiating "high fashion." To see how accurate  Melania Trump's  frivolous  filthy-rich reputation is in contrast to Obama's more down-to-earth image  we decided to re-create a theoretical "week in the life" of the two first ladies. We wanted to see whether  Trump  was actually spending more than Obama  or whether  she  was just a victim of bad press. We compared seven iconic looks that Obama and  Trump  wore to similar events  from vacationing to campaigning  as well as their price tags. Fashion can be a strategic way for the first lady to send a message to the American people — and  Trump  and Obama both have different reputations and messages to send. Here's how the two first ladies measure up and what it means for how Americans see them. View As: One Page Slides
Campaigning at political conventions  Melania Trump at the Republican National Convention: $2 190 Roksanda dress and $675 Christian Louboutin heels .  Trump  made headlines after buying a Roksanda "Margot" dress from Net-a-Porter. The $2 190 dress sold out less than an hour after her speech. She paired the dress with $675 Christian Louboutin heels. Michelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention: $995 dress by Christian Siriano and $675 metallic Jimmy Choo heels. Obama's blue dress was extremely similar to a $995 cobalt-blue dress made by Siriano  a designer who rose to prominence after appearing on "Project Runway." Siriano reportedly custom-made the dress Obama wore as she gave her "they go low  we go high" speech. Her silver Jimmy Choo heels  spotted by Footwear News  cost $675.
Meeting with  foreign leaders Melania Trump  at the G-7 summit: $53 130 Dolce & Gabbana outfit.  Trump  made headlines when  she  wore a $51 500 Dolce & Gabbana jacket to a meeting with the spouses of some of the most powerful world leaders at the annual G-7 summit in Catania  Italy  in May. While we couldn't identify the first lady's dress and shoes   her  bag was also Dolce & Gabbana and costs $1 630. The first lady has worn Dolce & Gabbana on numerous occasions. The designer Stefano Gabbana has been extremely receptive of the support  posting many pictures of Trump in Dolce & Gabbana outfits on his Instagram. Michelle Obama at the G-20 summit: $474 J. Crew outfit. Obama also made headlines on her first trip to the United Kingdom as the first lady in 2009  thanks to her casual yet fashionable looks. The Guardian described her outfits  many of which were from J. Crew  as "a pitch of sunny  homely optimism  rather than sparkling glamour." One of Obama's most memorable outfits of the trip was the one she wore to meet British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Fox News reported that the cardigan cost $298  the tank top $18  and the mint-green pencil skirt $158.
 Charity work Melania Trump at an abuse-prevention nonprofit: $1 150 pair of sandals to complete an otherwise low-key look . Footwear News reported (somewhat snarkily) that  Trump  wore a $1 150 pair of Rene Caovilla sandals to visit HomeSafe in April.  Trump  also wore a $225 pair of L'Agence Margot jeans and an unidentified khaki shirt. Michelle Obama at a food bank: $540 pair of sneakers to complete an otherwise low-key look. In 2009  Obama caused some controversy when she wore a $540 pair of Lanvin sneakers to volunteer at a food bank with Jill Biden. She paired them with a $188 J. Crew sweater.
Joint addresses to  Congress Melania Trump  at a 2017 joint address to Congress: $5 000 Michael Kors suit jacket.  Trump 's Michael Kors look cost an estimated $9 600  combining a black blazer that cost $5 000 and a matching skirt priced at $4 600. Michelle Obama at the 2015 State of the Union: $1 595 Michael Kors suit jacket. In 2015  Obama wore a suit that had been featured on CBS's political drama "The Good Wife." The $1 595 jacket quickly sold out after the first lady wore it to the State of the Union address.
 Vacation Melania Trump 's return from Camp David: $303 J. Crew and J Brand.  Trump  recently proved that Obama wasn't the only first lady getting clothes from J. Crew. In late August   she  returned from Camp David wearing a $75 pink top from the retailer. Yahoo Style reported that  she  paired the top with $228 pink J Brand jeans and pink patent-leather flats that we couldn't trace (though Vanity Fair reports they're Manolo Blahniks). Michelle Obama exiting Air Force One in shorts: ? Obama faced serious backlash after being spotted leaving Air Force One for a hike of the Grand Canyon in 2009 wearing shorts. Four years later  Obama called the shorts incident one of her biggest fashion regrets. While Time notes that no brand ever "stepped forward" to claim the "unflattering" shorts  the entire outfit looks very J. Crew. In any case  it's safe to say it wasn't too expensive.
Inauguration — and why the numbers don't tell the full story  [TGT] 's fashion picks tend to be more expensive than Obama's. But that's not the full story. First  there's the question of custom-made dresses. For the past three inaugurations  the first lady wore a custom-made look. (Obama wore Jason Wu both times  and  [TGT]  wore a Herve Pierre gown.)  [TGT]has reportedly struggled to find designers willing to work with  [TGT] . Meanwhile  many of Obama's most iconic looks are made specifically for  [TGT]  and are priceless  such as a custom-made Versace gown with a theoretical price tag of $12 000. Then there's the question of why it even matters. First ladies' outfits are not paid for with taxpayer dollars. You could be horrified that anyone could buy a coat that costs more than the average American makes in a year. But if you're going to criticize  [TGT]  for wearing $1 000 shoes  you have to criticize Obama as well.  [TGT]2017 Inauguration Ball gown: priceless  custom-made Herve Pierre. Michelle Obama's 2013 Inauguration Ball gown: priceless  custom-made Jason Wu.