Usha Vance & Melania Trump's Styles Couldn't Be More Different

The world could probably draw a lot of comparisons between Melania Trump and Usha Vance. After all, they're married to the two most-powerful Republican men in the U.S. Still, though, one area where they're chalk and cheese is styling. 

Melania's style has become easily recognizable, as she's been on the global stage for nearly a decade. Now in her second term as first lady, she's become known for her lavish and elegant fashion sense, sparing no expense to look sophisticated and perfectly tailored. This overarching style ethos has come through at all points in her life, from her extravagant wedding dress in 2005 to her stunning ball gowns as the president's wife — and even the sky-high stilettos she typically opts for while on Air Force One. Her stylist, Hervé Pierre, has also worked with Michelle Obama and Laura Bush, so it's no surprise that her signature wardrobe has become more presidential as the years have gone on. 

On the opposite end of the scale, we have Usha, who told Meghan McCain on the "Citizen McCain" podcast that she's "never been really chasing looking like the most fashionable person out there." Rather than working with a high-profile stylist, Usha Vance's method for picking out her clothes is super relatable. She told McCain that she has a group chat with friends — one of them likely being unofficial stylist Isabella Nardone — who help her to pick out her clothes. Usha looks no less beautiful than Melania, but her attitude toward fashion is completely different, with the SLOTUS favoring practicality over opulence. But even with these aesthetics established, both women have been branching out into new areas of their own styles, so we could be in for some big fashion changes from both of them in the future.

As far as first-lady fashion goes, Melania Trump has certainly left her mark on the White House. Her wardrobe has transformed since her modeling days, now taking on the sophistication of a traditional high-society woman. The clothes are all about opulence, elegance, and old-money vibes — think neutral colors, trenchcoats, blazers draped over the shoulders, lavish ball gowns, and a collection of Birkin bags worth more than many Americans' life savings. 

The second lady is as much a part of public life as the first lady, but Usha Vance's wardrobe is considerably less extravagant. Her general style is more down-to-earth, consisting of staples like jeans and trousers, office-casual dresses, high-quality tanks and bodysuits, and a resounding lack of statement pieces. "I've always tried to have a pretty small wardrobe and to wear things basically until they wear out," Usha explained to Meghan McCain of her rotations. 

Now, both women can dress up and down, but their aesthetics in general seem to carry these directly opposing vibes. Usha can wear high-end designer gowns when the moment calls for it, but we doubt we'd ever see her in a $51,000 floral Dolce & Gabbana coat, which was one of Melania Trump's most expensive outfits ever. "There are moments where they're very high profile and it's really exciting to get to work with someone to wear something that's special and different from anything I've ever worn before, with the inauguration being a great example," Usha explained on "Citizen McCain," adding, "And then there are a lot of other times where my attitude is I have a closet, let's just mix and match what's in it and find something that's appropriate for the occasion without having to constantly go out and buy new things and make that the priority in my life."

The major differences between Melania Trump and Usha Vance's wardrobes carry through to their hair and beauty games, too. While Melania is all about traditional glamor, very in line with what she would have been into as a working model in the '90s, the SLOTUS takes a more natural approach. 

Melania Trump has been through a style transformation since jumping from model and real-estate mogul's girlfriend to first lady, but her hair and makeup hasn't changed that much. She still loves an ultra-glam look, complete with false lashes, heavy eyeliner, smokey eyeshadow, filled-in brows, shiny lips, contouring, and bronzer, not to mention a perfect set of white teeth. Her hair style has evolved over the years, playing with the tone, length, cut, part line, and bangs of her honey-colored mane, but it always looks like a lot of effort has gone in. 

Usha hasn't been in the public eye as long as the first lady has, but she's already made it clear that she's less worried about the glam factor. Instead, she typically opts for natural makeup in shades that perfectly complement her skin undertones, and she doesn't rely on false lashes or much eye makeup at all. Sometimes, she covers her grays and goes for an updo, but other times, she leaves her regrowth intact, clearly far less concerned with an airbrushed finished. "I wouldn't be buying a new outfit for every event," she told Meghan McCain of how she'd be styling herself if she weren't the second lady. "I wouldn't necessarily have my hair done and my makeup done." On the other hand, we knew Melania when she wasn't FLOTUS, and she definitely had a glam squad back then, too.

Melania Trump and Usha Vance have made it clear that their styles are worlds apart, but they're both slowly transforming on the fashion front during their first term together. Both are capable of pulling off both masculine and feminine sartorial elements, but in 2025, the first lady has leaned more masculine than she ever has before. She's not necessarily swapping her stilettos for low-key white sneakers à la Usha, but rather exploring high-end menswear looks, including three-piece suits from Ralph Lauren and twinning tuxedos with Donald Trump. 

During her first year as second lady, Usha has become more traditionally feminine in many of her looks, though that might also come down to her simply reaching for dressier styles as part of the new role. We saw her in baby pink at the January 2025 inauguration, and she's also worn her share of pretty gowns — namely the metallic-blue Reem Acra dress she wore to the Commander-in-Chief Inaugural Ball and the velvet Oscar de la Renta number with the sweetheart neckline that she donned for the Vice President's Dinner. Since J.D. took up politics, Usha Vance's style transformation has been less about elevated street style and more about refined SLOTUS fashion, complete with an array of skirts and dresses that have taken the place of her beloved jeans. For a better idea of her style journey, here are Usha Vance's best outfits so far.