Melania Trump's Bold Wide-Brimmed Hats Continue To Steal The Spotlight

In many ways, Melania Trump's style has changed during her second time as first lady. For example, she's leaning much more into menswear-inspired looks this term, heavily favoring designer suits and structured outfits. These looks contrast with the dresses she wore more often during her first run in the White House. But in other ways, she's remained consistent in her fashion: Melania Trump's favorite shoe brands continue to remind us of her expensive taste; she still relies on stylist Hervé Pierre to come up with outfits for her appearances; and she's still wearing bold wide-brimmed hats, despite a fair amount of criticism.

Why are people critiquing the first lady's hats? Well, that's largely because they tend to obscure her face and prevent anyone, including husband President Donald Trump, from getting too close to her. Are they a fashion statement or a cunning way to maintain personal space? We'll provide the evidence, and you can be the judge.

In September 2025, Melania Trump accompanied the president on a state visit to the U.K. Upon arriving, fashion followers looked to see what the first lady wore to Windsor, where she was set to meet with members of the royal family. Was it a success? We'd say that one loud fashion accessory may always haunt Melania Trump's 2025 U.K. trip. The first lady's purple wide-brimmed hat obscured her face, and whether it was her intention or not, covering part of your face can lead people to feel like you're hiding something. In contrast, you can see that Princess Catherine of Wales' fascinator was petite, showing her face, and Queen Camilla's large hat was tilted upward, revealing hers as well.

A fashion expert who spoke to the BBC was kinder, however, offering the theory that Melania might've been hiding her face to take the focus off of herself. "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," celebrity stylist Marian Kwei told the outlet. Unfortunately, the large disc hat by Dior had the opposite effect: It became a major topic of conversation. It also served to reignite the theory that Melania has a body double that appears at the president's side for public engagements when the first lady isn't in the mood.

We wouldn't necessarily rate it as one of Melania Trump's best looks of 2025, but her Inauguration outfit has certainly been one of her most-talked-about looks of the year. As her husband took the oath of office in January, Melania looked on, wearing an Eric Javits navy-and-white wide-brimmed hat. Media outlets and social media followers went wild on the look, and there was abundant speculation about why she didn't want to show her face.

And then there was the kiss that collectively made the world cringe. President Donald Trump tried to lean in to peck his wife, but her big hat made the connection sloppy. One X user wrote, "Oh, now it makes sense. Melania wore the hat as a barrier to Trump's lips. Got it." Once again, if she was trying to look discreet, the wide-brimmed hat didn't support the goal.

Just as she did on her second state visit to the U.K., Melania Trump selected a bold statement hat for her first turn visiting the nation as first lady. In June 2019, she and President Donald Trump attended a D-Day commemorative event in Portsmouth, England, flanked by Queen Elizabeth II and Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos. For the outing, Melania chose a hat by English milliner Philip Treacy — a favorite of royals, socialites, and celebrities alike — which paired beautifully with her cream coat from The Row.

Unlike the purple hat she wore on her second U.K visit, however, this choice felt much more open, approachable, and appropriate because it sat at an angle, making Melania's face visible. While some believed her outfit to be a sensitive political move –- pairing American and British brands –- we suspect the fact that the hat and jacket looked stunning and polished together ultimately drove the decision to wear the cream outfit.

To kick off their first State visit to the U.K. in June 2019, Donald and Melania Trump landed in Marine One on the Buckingham Palace lawn, where they proceeded across the green grass and up the steps of the palace to meet Queen Elizabeth II. They later toured Westminster Abbey with a small entourage that included Prince Andrew, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner. 

For the events, Melania wore a white Dolce & Gabbana dress with navy accents on the collar and belt, which she paired with a custom hat by Hervé Pierre that echoed the same navy trim. The outfit was crisp and conservative, while maintaining Melania's high-end aesthetic. The hat, though it did look overly large, felt like an elegant way to finish off the outfit and make it subdued yet attention-grabbing at the same time.

Before she hit the shores of the U.K., Melania Trump hosted French President Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte Macron in Washington, D.C. for a state visit in April 2018. Naturally, she wore a wide-brimmed hat, and boy did it cause a stir. Everything about the hat was dissected, from its designer (Hervé Pierre again), to the price tag on the Michael Kors suit she paired it with ($2,195) and speculations that it was channeling Beyoncé's "Formation" hat.

In 2022, the white hat made headlines again when Melania announced she was auctioning off the topper. Bids had to be made in Solana, a cryptocurrency platform, and a press release about the auction said that "a portion of the proceeds" would go toward benefitting foster children. The listed opening bid (with the rate of the cryptocurrency at the time) was $250,000. A measly five bids were made, with the winning bid sitting at about $170,000 because the value of Solana had dropped by the time the hat hit the auction block. Now, we're just wondering if the winner ever wears the autographed hat. It certainly would be a conversation piece.