The Rare Times Melania Trump Pulled Off A Pantsuit Better Than Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris has always loved a pantsuit, but just as she's ditched them on the odd occasion, every now and then, another well-known woman in Washington, D.C., has been able to pull off a suit in her own way. Okay, so the amount of time Melania Trump actually spends in D.C. is debatable, but you get the idea.
As a former model, it's not exactly surprising that Trump can pull off a ton of styles, and though she's often pictured in dresses or skirts, she's been known to rock a suit on occasion, too. In fact, she made headlines in January 2025 when she donned a Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo complete with a cummerbund but sans bowtie for her official portrait. Of course, some critics slammed Trump's portrait, saying it looked like AI. We won't deny that the newly minted FLOTUS looked a little unreal (we say that in the literal sense of the word), but there's no question that she looked stunning, too.
Forget Kamala, Melania's tux was better than Donald's
Perhaps in a bid to show those who believed her portrait was AI-generated, when she and Donald Trump attended the Governor's Dinner a month after it was released, Melania Trump wore a similar style. Still a tux, still no bowtie, still Dolce & Gabbana, but this time, the jacket was velvet.
Suffice to say, Melania proved she could rock the style IRL and without any AI or photoshopping scandals. In fact, FLOTUS looked significantly more polished in her tux than her husband did in his. We're not shocked. We're just saying.
Melania went all-out in a three-piece suit
A few days after being best (dressed) at the Governor's Dinner, Melania Trump wore yet another pantsuit. This time, it was for a roundtable discussion for the Take it Down Act — and we're going to kick this one off by saying she looked sensational.
Trump finished off her Ralph Lauren blazer, pants, and vest lewk with a navy tie. In doing so, she completely differentiated herself from the kinds of suits Kamala Harris is known for, and for that, we're giving her major props.
Melania wore a few pantsuits during her first term, too
Like we said, Melania Trump hasn't been seen in the White House all that much since returning as FLOTUS, but luckily for those who love a suit moment from her, she wore some during her first term, too. In fact, her first official portrait was also in a Dolce & Gabbana suit.
Back then, instead of a tux without a bowtie, she wore a twilly scarf without a shirt (props for always keeping things interesting). TBH, it does kind of have us thinking of Kamala Harris' own black pantsuit and pussybow look a few years later. Coincidence? Probably.
Melania's houndstooth Dior pantsuit was both chic and fun
Sticking with the early days of Melania Trump's first term as FLOTUS, in another pantsuit that couldn't have been more different from Kamala Harris' go-to styles, she wore a houndstooth culotte pantsuit by Christian Dior for the 2017 Invictus Games.
TBD if the fun and unexpected choice was meant to distract from any awkward moments with Prince Harry, but the look managed to be low-key enough for a sporting event while still formal enough for an official appearance. Aka, the opposite of her husband's head-scratching suit for the Miami Grand Prix a few years later.
Melania looked chic in a gray suit to meet the Trudeaus
Also in 2017, Melania Trump memorably picked a gray pinstripe suit for her official meeting with Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire. Though the suit itself isn't too far off from something we could see Kamala Harris wearing, Trump spiced things up by adding an untied tie.
Chicness aside, we can't help but wonder if the tie was a little too informal for the occasion. That said, everyone seemed to be in good spirits, so maybe the then-Canadian first couple didn't think her lewk qualified for the list of Trump's most inappropriate outfits.
Melania looked the most Kamala-esque on election night 2020
Election night 2020 is remembered by most for Donald Trump's refusal to concede to Joe Biden, so if you're a little fuzzy on what Melania Trump wore that night, you're not alone. Sure enough, though, she donned a pantsuit — and we dare say it was the most similar to something Kamala Harris would wear, albeit a little more laidback. TBH, we kind of loved the unexpected look for her.
One of the perks of being first lady is that while there certainly are some expectations for what to wear, those expectations are dramatically different from what we'd want from a president or candidate. Ultimately, Harris' suits tend to be a little more formal than Melania's. That said, FLOTUS has certainly given us some great suit moments over the years, and we'd be lying if we said we weren't here for it.