Marla Maples' Post-Divorce Style Transformation After Her Split From Donald Trump

The '90s was an era of fashion trends that would echo ever onward, setting the scene for style icons to emerge and movements to be born. Marla Maples spent most of this decade in a relationship with Donald Trump, and her wardrobe during that marriage reflected the times. The two wed in 1993 not long after daughter Tiffany Trump was born, and until their divorce was finalized in 1999, Maples was often decked in the glamour you'd expect of a Trump wife — but with a '90s twist. 

Her wardrobe was characterized by muted, understated tones, glamorous gowns, and matching sets that almost carried a regal feel, and like many women of the era, Maples seemed to be influenced by the late Princess Diana. Along with opting for the feathered bixie-style cut, which the princess turned into one of the most iconic hairstyles of the '90s, Maples rocked her share of power suits, not to mention a $2 million tiara to accompany her wedding dress. She and Donald separated in 1997, with Maples later telling People that she wasn't comfortable with the lavish lifestyle that came with being Mrs. Trump, adding, "We differed on how we looked at the world and how we wanted to raise our child." 

After the divorce was finalized in 1999, Maples began the gradual move away from her lavish wardrobe toward an aesthetic that was more her. As we saw over the next two decades, she gravitated toward brighter colors and patterns, simple accessories that made a statement, and bigger hair, while never truly giving up some of her old favorites (read: sheer tights and form-fitting dresses). Looking back, it's safe to say she's found a renewed sense of fun in her post-divorce rotations — and maybe even a new sense of herself.

Donald Trump and Marla Maples' divorce was set in stone in 1999, which also marked the end of a definitive fashion era, but Maples wasn't ready to let go of all that the decade had taught her, at least from a sartorial point of view. Minimal slip dresses (which can be elevated for any occasion) made frequent appearances in her wardrobe, helping her to nail the aesthetic of the decade's icons, though she also wasn't opposed to trendy accessories and outerwear, including the classic leather jacket.

At the end of her marriage, Maples had cut her hair into a pixie, which grew out into a piecey bixie not unlike that of the most famous woman of the '90s. Between the blond color of her cropped mane, the minimal slip dresses, and the understated clutches, we had to do a double take to make sure we weren't looking at Princess Diana herself. But by the end of the millennium, Maples experimented with hair extensions, perhaps seeking a new look to kick off the noughties with a bang. In 2000, we started to see her incorporate more pops of color, getting away from the muted feel of the '90s. Once she said goodbye to the bixie, she never looked back, having started the journey toward the bigger, curlier, more volumized hair that would become a style staple for her over the next 20 years.

By 2001, Marla Maples was starting to find her Y2K groove. All traces of her Diana-inspired hair were gone, and she was confidently rocking the noughties side bangs. She continued to infuse more color into her wardrobe, opting for a coral-red sleeveless T-shirt paired with white pants and a trendy chain belt at the Karma — A Showing of India's 5 Top Designers event. These pops of color would continue to feature in Maples' rotations, but that doesn't mean she abandoned the monochrome looks that had been such a huge part of her marriage style. 

At the 2003 LA Confidential Emmy/Fall Fashion Cover Party, Maples was back in black, going for a sleek top-and-pants combo, which she paired with sleek hair. Black continued to feature in her wardrobe that year: At a Beverly Hills film gala in March, she went for a sheer, mushroom-toned dress with a black overlay. It was around this time that we also saw her experiment more with patterns, wearing a multi-colored patterned top while posing for photos at a Beverly Hills luncheon that November. 

The noughties era was marked by flowy tops, particularly of the babydoll variety, crystal and beaded embellishments, and cowl necks, all of which Marla Maples took to like a model to a runway. She was still having fun with her look in a very '00s way, finding the balance between sexy and stylish with the sheer brown cowl-neck top she wore to the "One Night for India" AIDS concert in the summer of 2004. To the New York premiere of "Little Black Book" that summer, Maples was giving breezy Y2K with a pale-green babydoll top and straight-leg denim. But if there's one piece that she kept from the '90s, it was the midi slip dress, which she wore numerous iterations of over the year in colors ranging from lavender to chocolate brown.

The following year, she continued to reach for those fun and flirty looks, matching that energy with increased volume and curls as part of her hair game. Attending Los Angeles Fashion Week, she donned a bold, azure embellished flowy top over her jeans, complete with almond-toe leather boots. We saw the ongoing sense of playfulness at a Beverly Hills luncheon that November, when she wore a low-cut floral halter-neck midi. But interestingly, she teamed the carefree look with an unexpected pair of skin-color tights, and we can't help but wonder if this was a lingering tribute to Princess Diana. 

No matter the decade or whom you're married to, a little black dress is a must. We saw Marla Maples wear ultra-glamorous versions of this staple during her Trump days, and once the mid-noughties were firmly underway, she elevated her game. In the summer of 2006, Maples attended Chrysalis' 5th Annual Butterfly Ball dressed to the nines in a one-shoulder black mini, brought to life by vibrant turquoise jewelry and strappy embellished sandals. Vibrant accessories are one of the most effective yet casual ways to style your favorite LBD, so we were here for it.

That's not to say she'd abandoned color, though. Maples definitely understood the assignment at the Lupus LA Presents An Evening of Love, Light, and Laughter event, where she wore a multicolored low-cut midi with sequin details. She toned it down that fall with a sleek, all-white look for a Screen Actors Guild event and still continued to have fun with sheer tops and knee-length skirts. Forever balancing the sultry with the appropriate, her trusty skin-toned tights were never far away.

The following February, she went for a new LBD style at the "Music and Lyrics" premiere, this time mixing textures. The black theme was updated yet again at a winter charity event, when she teamed an all-black sheer 'fit with knee-high studded black boots.

After a few years of prioritizing volume in her tresses, Marla Maples seemed to pull back on that "big hair" energy by 2008. As a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars" that year, she had noticeably sleeker hair, and while her bold dresses on the show were costumey, they probably wouldn't have been that out of place in her everyday wardrobe. While attending the Elevate Film Festival that October, she went for a bright, colorful halter dress, gathered under the bust. She finished it off with a bulky necklace, and her lean toward statement jewelry wasn't exactly new. That January, she'd posed for a photo with daughter Tiffany Trump wearing a muted beige midi dress, which may have been boring without the draping beaded necklace that fell down to her stomach. Then, to the February premiere of "The Hottie & The Nottie," she'd livened up her all-black 'fit with another chunky necklace that looked to be made of precious stones.

Those eye-catching accessories continued into 2009, when she wore coordinated coral and turquoise bracelets and a necklace with a white belted shirt to the "Dirty Dancing" premiere. One event where she did ditch the jewels was the BraveHeart Awards for Brave Hearts that October, but her deep-red satin peplum dress, sheer black tights, and platform heels spoke for themselves.

After a decade of exploring Y2K trends, Marla Maples was ready for a change. Enter the 2010s: an era of skinny jeans, platform heels, and, of course, sequins and metallics. The first January of the new decade, Maples answered the call with a showstopping sequined minidress, which she wore to a Haiti charity benefit in West Hollywood. The metallic finish of the dress was trendy for the era, but Maples hadn't completely let go of her old ways, still wearing sheer black tights to fend off the winter cold. The 2010s also popularized casual street style, and Maples embraced this with staples like the classic combo of jeans, a tank, and a leather jacket.

Meanwhile, the old pillars of her wardrobe got an update, too. She traded in her signature low-cut dresses for those with more interesting and unexpected necklines in 2011. When she did go for a plunging neck, she typically kept it intentional with stylish cutouts and angular lines rather than the tired noughties halter silhouette. She further brought her bodycon dresses into the 2010s by opting for sparkly finishes and the super-trendy cold-shoulder look.

As the mid-2010s approached, skinny jeans were officially the denim du jour. Along with leaning into this look, Marla Maples continued to update her dresses for the times. One of her boldest styles of 2013 was the leather-look mini she wore to the opening night of the "Jekyll & Hyde" musical, and while she still had her trusty sheer tights, she further pushed the boundaries by wearing fur-trimmed boots. 

Though Maples has leaned toward bright hues and patterns over the years, white was made for her. In the summer of 2013, she looked celestial in an off-the-shoulder white mini at benefit event, followed by several stellar white moments in 2014. She outfit-repeated a sheer flowy white shirt a few times (there's zero shame in this sustainable fashion move), pairing it with leather-look skinny pants on one occasion for the ultimate 2010s 'fit. But the height of her white looks came in December that year at a Christmas luncheon held by the British American Business Council Los Angeles. Maples stunned in a one-shoulder jumpsuit with minimal jewelry and gold shoes.

Continuing to ride the skinny-jean wave, Maples went for a breezy white pair in the Hamptons in the summer of 2015, but otherwise stuck with classic black. She was starting to lean even more into patterns and prints, too, going for multi-patterned silk blouses and fun printed capri jumpsuits.

Hints of Marla Maples' taste for patterns had been emerging since her divorce from Donald Trump, but her wardrobe really came alive with prints in the second half of the 2010s. The standout piece was the black embroidered, long-sleeved dress she wore to the after-party of the opening night of Broadway's "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" in November. Expertly styled for winter, the frock was finished with closed-toe pumps, and Maples wore her hair up to balance the high neck. The following month, she attended a ball in New York City in a similarly stunning dress, this time gray with shimmery sparkles.

Maples' fashion experimentation continued in 2017 at The American Turkish Society 2017 Gala Dinner, where she was a showstopper in a patterned gray jumpsuit with a sheer skirt overlay, embellished with metallic and mesh pieces. Maples attended New York Fashion Week that year with daughter Tiffany Trump, so we can only assume that a spiked interest in fashion led to these more exciting choices. With her ex-husband now the president of the United States, Maples' public profile was also rising, earning her an invite to the Capitol File 58th Presidential Inauguration Reception, where she turned heads in a striking red satin midi with a shiny, snakeskin-like finish.

If the 2010s were about street style and leather finishes, fashion in the 2020s was the antithesis of that with its quiet-luxury movement. Marla Maples seemed to be ahead of the trend as early as 2018, when she attended The Hollywood Reporter's Most Powerful People in Media event. Maples channeled Kate Middleton with a high-end muted ensemble featuring a turtleneck and matching coat, worn with camel trousers. Even when she was in more casual looks, there was a sense of refinement about her as she began wearing different hairdos and opted for pieces like trendy suede jackets and velvet-embellished sleeveless numbers.

There was also an air of self-empowerment surrounding Maples as she leaned into stronger, more masculine pieces. Her power suit, worn with a white shirt underneath, helped her own the stage at the NOVUS #WeThePlanet forum held by the United Nations. Of course, Maples hadn't completely left her fun and feminine looks behind, with several of her 2019 New York Fashion Week looks putting her on the radar. Attending the event with Tiffany Trump and Kimberly Guilfoyle, Maples was certainly a head-turner in an all-white lacy bustier complete with an angular blazer. She also wowed in another all-white look that featured a one-shoulder top with a frilly sleeve, standout flared pants, and a studded belt.

To her credit, Marla Maples kicked off 2020 with a fashion bang, paying tribute to her post-divorce beginnings with a silky slip at the premiere of "I Am You" in New York City. It might have been a fun fashion year for Maples in another life, but like everyone else, the COVID-19 pandemic forced her indoors, where there was no need for red-carpet dresses. We did get a few glimpses of her style during the lockdown era, and it was unsurprisingly cozy. Maples had officially traded her bodycon dresses for sweats and a tank, and her statement jewelry for sheepskin boots.

Throughout 2021, Maples' style remained comfy. Athleisure became a new staple as she turned to outdoor exercise, frequently posting Instagram photos of herself in running leggings and sneakers. She also shared some snaps of her go-to yoga 'fits, with one April post showing patterned yoga leggings, a tank, and to keep it fancy, some layered necklaces. That summer, Maples took to Instagram again to share that she had returned to New York City, where she had "access" to her daughter's closet. "Lovin' the hand me ups @tiffanytrump as its always fun to feel 27 again!" she captioned the post, which saw her coordinating with skinny pants, a military-style jacket, and a pink top. This time, her main accessory was fittingly a face mask.

For Marla Maples at least, 2022 brought the formality back into her sartorial rotations. The main event of the year was undoubtedly Tiffany Trump's November wedding, where the bride wowed in a sparkly Elie Saab number with a flowing train. Maples looked beautiful as the mother of the bride, opting for a periwinkle corset-style gown with material trailing over one shoulder. This is one of her most regal looks, and appropriately so, but her other ensembles from the year seemed to focus more on fun. In October, she posted a photo to Instagram showing her in a skin-tight white dress that seemed to be completely backless. By December, she was back to her carefree self in a sheer one-shoulder dress printed with butterflies. "We can bring heaven to earth so spread your wings, rise up and fly," she captioned the post.

With no weddings on the horizon for 2023, Maples returned to her sporty style. In April, she posted a carousel of images showing off simple black running leggings and a black sweater with the word "Pray" printed on the front in white. The following month, she shared footage from a golf day where she played the part with a golfing dress and polo, complete with a cap.

After the pandemic, Marla Maples returned to the styles she's loved for years, including satin slip dresses and muted sets complemented with draping necklaces. But still, hints of the new and exciting peeked through, including darker lowlights in her blond hair, velvet outerwear, and baggy satin cargo pants that took her right into "I don't care what you think of me" territory.

Now, 2025 brought the chance for Maples to don more of her beloved prints, notably wearing a floral dress for Tiffany Trump's July baby shower. Also that month, she posted a photo of her white-and-yellow leafy set with bell sleeves, before continuing the patterned theme with an August post where she wore a vibrant blue-and-orange kaftan over denim shorts and a white leotard with cutouts. While Marla Maples' outdated outfit at the 2025 Grammys might have missed the mark, the purple frock was a sign that she was returning to her days of red-carpet glamour. She nailed it at an Academy Awards viewing party that March, where she owned the carpet in a purple-toned goddess-style column dress complete with a flowing Watteau train over one shoulder. While Jennifer Lopez's post-divorce style may suggest she's dressing for revenge, Maples is clearly having the time of her life dressing for herself.