11 Hats That Ruined Melania Trump's Outfit

No matter your stance on the now-famous Melania Trump, you can't deny that the former model is a fashionista. It seems to come naturally to the Slovenian-born beauty as her mother worked in the industry. Back in 2016, she explained her innate style to People, sharing, "I always loved fashion. My mother was a fashion designer so it was always in my blood." The future first lady won second place in a Slovenian modeling contest in 1992, which kicked off her career, and eventually came to the United States on a work visa with a modeling contract.  And though she never reached supermodel status, it was a party during New York Fashion Week in 1998 that put her in Donald Trump's path.

Melania's style was best summarized by Vogue during her first term as first lady in 2017, calling it "conservative, yet opulent." From pale blue Ralph Lauren sets to tailored looks in "Nancy Red," alluding to a signature color worn by fellow Republican first lady Nancy Reagan, the former model has picked some stunning ensembles over the years. And while her shoe choices are typically on point and her jewelry is so stunning that she launched her own jewelry and watch line on QVC, her selections when it comes to headwear are a totally different story. From beanies to baseball caps with painfully obvious messaging, we're rounding up some of Melania's worst hat choices over the years.

Way back in 2007, when Melania Trump was Donald Trump's newly minted third wife who frequented plenty of fashion shows in the front row, the beauty rocked an absolutely bizarre headpiece. That year, Melania and her husband were on hand during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City for the Michael Kors show, where they were seated beside Sarah Ferguson. The former model wore an all-black ensemble, complete with a fur-trimmed cape and this bold Russian-style fur hat known as an ushanka. The tall headwear choice looked somewhat like a helmet from afar, albeit a fuzzy one.

Not only was the hat choice strange, but it was also highly controversial. The look was comprised of real fur, a fact that would go on to haunt her when she stepped into her role as first lady. The fashion decision was one she ended up regretting and staying away from — with the White House going so far as to distance her from it after her husband took office. In 2017, CNN reported that the East Wing Communications Director, Stephanie Grisham, made a firm statement a few months after she became first lady, stating via email, "She does not wear fur." That statement came shortly after actor Pamela Anderson, a renowned animal rights activist and PETA honorary director, took to X to share a thank-you note Melania sent her. The letter was in response to Anderson sending the first lady a faux lamb fur coat, as she had recently taken a stance against wearing the controversial animal fabric since stepping into the very public role.

In August 2017, Melania Trump accompanied her husband, President Donald Trump, to Corpus Christi, Texas, to survey the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. The occasion called for the usually glammed-up former model to dress a lot more casually, so once they touched down in Texas, she changed into a white button-down shirt, black jacket, and a pair of very accessible Adidas Stan Smith sneakers. The outfit was fine enough, though it was odd that she apparently made an outfit change while on board Air Force One before the plane landed. Yet, it was her on-the-nose hat choice that had eyes rolling. Aside from rocking her signature aviator shades, Melania rocked a black statement baseball hat emblazoned with the word "FLOTUS," which stands for First Lady of the United States.  She wore her current position emblazoned on her baseball hat ... maybe in case she forgot? One account on X instantly joked in a since-deleted tweet, "Melania Trump is now thoughtfully wearing a hat saying FLOTUS so we know who she is" (via Mashable).

Various reports were quick to note at the time that while her husband's USA hat was available for purchase on his website for $40, Melania's baseball hat surprisingly wasn't turned into merch — though savvy Etsy sellers did actually try to sell knockoffs of the hat for $19. It's unclear how many people were interested.  

Melania Trump and her husband, President Donald Trump, made a return visit to Texas in September 2017. They were again on hand to survey Hurricane Harvey damage, this time in the city of Houston. And just like her prior trip to the Lone Star State, Melania rocked an uncharacteristically dressed-down ensemble. The five-foot-eleven beauty stuck with her slicked back ponytail and baseball cap combo, this time pairing it with a button-down denim shirt, but the dark green hat had a bizarrely obvious statement emblazoned on it — just like the FLOTUS hat. This time, it simply read "Texas," showing some very literal support for the state she was visiting. 

Following her visit, the website TX Threads sold an identical baseball cap. And while it isn't clear if it's the exact version Melania rocked on her visit, they did allude to the first lady on their website, writing in the description of the $25 hat, "Love her or hate her ... Melania Trump has great taste when it comes to picking out a Texas hat!"

When in London! The Trumps' visit to London in 2019 was anything but a casual vacation. The trip was an official visit, one that included spending time with the late Queen Elizabeth herself. Melania Trump accompanied President Donald Trump for the occasion, where she, of course, dressed to impress. In lieu of wearing a British designer, or even an American one, Melania selected a custom look from Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana. The white long-sleeved, knee-length frock included dashes of navy blue via a bold collar and thin belt at the waist, but it was another accessory that really made headlines — her slightly tilted white and navy hat, which was made by her personal style adviser, Hervé Pierre. The designer took to Instagram to share a sketch of the design, which showed how it was designed to be worn slanted to the right.

The wide-brimmed hat's askew placement and bold size eclipsed the otherwise glamorous look. And while it does make sense to rock wild headpieces in the place known for insane fascinators, the royal-ready look could have done without it. Outlets like Today likened the hat to the fictional character Eliza Doolittle in the film "My Fair Lady," while also pointing out that it looked like it could have been an homage to Princess Diana, who "wore a similar combo during her own visit to Washington, D.C., in 1985."

Every now and then, Melania Trump wears a hat that is not only unfortunate but also offensive. In October 2018, the first lady made her first solo trip abroad, spending time in four African countries, including Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt. During her time in Kenya, Trump went on a safari. Her white button-down shirt and khakis seemed like appropriate safari garb, but she chose a white pith helmet to complete her look. 

While the hat may have looked innocent enough, the pith helmet is actually symbolic of the colonial rule across Africa — something that made headlines and drew a lot of criticism. University of Toronto PhD student Jacqueline Scott summarized the concerns well, explaining to University of Toronto News, "Melania Trump's pith helmet was never just a hat to keep off the sun. It is a symbol of how race and colonialism ghosts shape the African landscape when it comes to safari, poaching and trophy hunting." 

Melania wasn't happy with all the uproar over her headwear selection. At the end of her trip, she told reporters (via Business Insider), "We just completed an amazing trip. We went to Ghana, we went to Malawi, we went to Kenya, here we are in Egypt. I want to talk about my trip, not what I wear ... That's very important, what we do, what we [are] doing with U.S. aid, and what I do in my initiatives, and I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear."

For the last stop on Melania Trump's first solo trip abroad in Africa, she spent some time in Egypt. It was there that she visited the Great Sphinx and donned a sharp ensemble that, while at least not offensive, still managed to make headlines stateside. The first lady stepped out in a cream suit that matched the Egyptian sand, pairing it with a white button-down and black tie. But once again, it was her hat that attracted all the attention — this time sparking plenty of fodder on social media.

Trump donned a white fedora for the occasion, which seemed innocent enough, but the internet had some pretty hilarious opinions on some other famous faces that the hat reminded them of. USA Today compiled some of the best commentary from X. One user, who has since deleted their account, tweeted, "Where in the world is Melania San Diego?" comparing her to the fictional character Carmen San Diego, known for her wide-brimmed hat. Another tweeted, "Melania Trump or smooth criminal?", likening her hat choice to Michael Jackson's in his "Smooth Criminal" music video. Perhaps the wildest take? One user tweeted, "Today's dog whistle: Melania Trump dressed as one of the Nazis from Raiders of the Lost Ark." The X user was alluding to a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" character, Rene Belloq, who is a Nazi collaborator in the 1981 film. 

It's hard to believe, but Melania Trump has worn hats that got her compared to late musician Michael Jackson not just once, but twice. She was once again likened to Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" look in January 2025, at her husband's inauguration, with X users noting that her dramatic wide-brimmed black hat looked a lot like the late pop star's headwear. It was also compared to Zorro by one user on X and McDonald's The Hamburglar by another. 

Trump donned the wild hat, which was custom-made for her by Eric Javits. It served as an over-the-top accessory to her fitted navy coat and matching pencil skirt, paired with a silky white blouse, which were all pieces designed for her by American designer Adam Lippes, according to Women's Wear Daily. And while the whole look head-to-toe was actually a very dark navy, those watching assumed it was black, which made one user's tweet feel appropriate as he wrote, "Looks like Melania is appropriately dressed for America's funeral today."

Aside from comparing her to figures in pop culture, some social media commentators pointed out that the hat may have actually been to thwart her husband's attempted kisses. Another user tweeted, "Oh, now it makes sense. Melania wore the hat as a barrier to Trump's lips. Got it," alongside an awkward video of the president attempting to kiss the first lady and hitting the brim of her hat in the process. 

Fresh off her bold hat at her husband Donald Trump's presidential inauguration, Melania Trump decided to change things up when it came to headwear. After sporting such an over-the-top, dressy piece on the big day, she stepped out on the White House lawn in what must be the exact opposite of a wide-brimmed hat: a beanie. 

While most people rock knitted or slouchy beanies, the first lady's was truly bizarre. Her black beanie was extremely tight and fit more like a skullcap. She rocked the casual headwear with an equally low-key getup, an olive-green puffer jacket by Rag & Bone, black jeans — not by a big designer but simply from Levi's — and black boots. The first lady was photographed in the look prior to joining her husband on Marine One to head to Asheville, North Carolina, to survey the damage made by Hurricane Helene. And while nothing can excuse the weirdly tight beanie, the ensemble makes a little more sense when you consider what Melania herself once told Elle way back in 2016, "My style has stayed pretty consistent over the years. I always wear what I like and what is appropriate for the occasion." 

Perhaps no hat worn by Melania Trump made more headlines than the massive white one she wore back in 2018. It was worn when the Trumps held their first official state visit with France that April. The blindingly white hat, a chapeau style designed by her go-to hatmaker, Herve Pierre, included a dramatically wide brim and white ribbon detail, and was paired with a matching white blazer and skirt suit by Michael Kors. 

The hat made headlines again in 2022, when Trump announced she would sign it and auction it off, alongside a watercolor and an NFT. The auction had some strange stipulations — there would be an opening bid of $250,000, only Solana, a type of cryptocurrency, would be accepted, and only a portion of the proceeds would go to the charity "Fostering the Future." These facts were heavily criticized by the media, but there was one person thrilled by the auction: the hat's designer, Pierre, who told Women's Wear Daily, "I'm really happy that this hat that was for the state visit for France is having a second life. I'm really hoping that it will be successful and they will be able to raise money for all the causes, whether it is foster care or whatever it is that she's doing ... if it supports a good cause, good for her." 

According to Business Insider, the hat did eventually sell — but not for $250,000. The hat ultimately went for $162,144, with no word on how much went to charity.

Another day, another wide-brimmed hat! When Melania Trump accompanied her husband, President Donald Trump, to London for their official visit in September 2025, she once again got into the British spirit with a bold hat choice. And while Melania typically at least makes sure her wild headwear matches the rest of her getup, this time she went rogue. She paired the dramatic purple accessory, which was flat and featured a curved brim that seemed to obscure her vision, with a dark grey Dior skirt suit. It made a serious statement as the president and first lady were greeted by Prince William and Princess Catherine upon landing on the lawn of Windsor Castle.

Marian Kwei, a celebrity stylist and contributor to Vogue, weighed in on the odd choice to the BBC, sharing, "Melania's hat is not by chance. The hat with the wide brim that hides her face is pointing to a stance where she wants all eyes on her husband and his agenda while here." Kwei also pointed out that Melania's hat matched Donald's tie perfectly, calling it "a nod to her support for her husband's agenda during this state visit. She also seemed to find significance in Melania wearing Dior, noting that it could be "a nod to America's support for Europe."