Melania Trump's Outdated Statement Belt Outfit Was One Of Her Worst Looks Of All Time

Maybe First Lady Melania Trump got confused and thought Ronald Reagan was still president when she threw on this super structured look that prominently featured a wide, statement belt to appear alongside President Donald Trump at the 2020 Republican National Convention. The belt featured a double buckle and cinched in the waist of her military-inspired jacket. Despite the drab color, it's giving '80s opulence — the kind of loud, formal look that conveyed wealth during the Reaganomics era. The only problem? She's about forty years too late.

These belted styles did see a style resurgence in the early '00s, as did all things '80s. Still, by 2020, this look was totally outdated. The ensemble might have been Alexander McQueen but it's still among Melania's list of outfits that missed the mark. Someone should tell her that wearing a designer head-to-toe designer straight of the rack like this is seriously gauche. It's another lavish Melania look with a jaw-dropping price tag, but money can't buy good style — even if it can buy a stylist like Hervé Pierre Braillard, who helps dress her. If she wanted to look memorable on the RNC stage, she certainly succeeded, but probably not in the way she hoped.

The Alexander McQueen belt might have been a bad look, but it wasn't totally out of character for Melania Trump. A former fashion model with real fashion cred, she definitely gravitates toward the bold colors and strong shapes of '80s fashion. The zebra-esque print that she donned for President Donald Trump's October 2024 rally at Madison Square Garden had all the sharpness and outrageousness of Bret Easton Ellis novel, as does the red plaid top she mysteriously donned for a 2017 gardening event at the White House. She looks a big gold button, big shoulders, and large, tailored suits.

So why, despite Melania being caught in so many outdated trends, does she insist on staying stuck in this retro fashion era? Ostentatious wealth is key to the Trump brand — and political platform — so it's certainly on message for this public figure. A pastiche of the '80s calls back perfectly to the ascendant Trump era. But, even amid the fashion misses, these über-polished looks bestow a signature look on Melania, whose dramatic, feminine style choices now constitute a recognizable, consistent brand. When it comes to fashion, that's an undeniable win.