Melania Trump's Outdated UK Dinner Dress Is One Of Her Worst Style Choices To Date
It's not easy to steal attention away from the royal family, yet First Lady Melania Trump managed to do so during her and President Donald Trump's latest state visit to the U.K. On September 17, the two were joined by the likes of King Charles, Queen Camilla, William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales for a state banquet at Windsor Castle, but we were almost too distracted by Melania's odd fashion choice even to notice the royals in all their finery.
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Her yellow, shoulder-exposing Carolina Herrera gown with a chunky, satin pink belt and dangly emerald earrings was a strange choice for such a formal event. Melania (or her stylist) may have been aiming to bring the butter yellow trend that ruled spring and summer into autumn, but the shade was too bright to fit the bill. The odd mixture of colors also gave us '80s vibes in a bad way, as they clashed and made her look woefully outdated. The dress was too plain for rubbing shoulders with royalty as well, because if you can't wear a little sparkle and classy, ornate detail when meeting the king and queen, when can you? Compared to Kate Middleton (who wore a high-neck, white gown with ornate, gold lace that stretched over her arms and down her legs), Melania stood out in all the wrong ways. We're not the only ones who think so, either.
"Hmm Melania looked beautiful but that belt seems odd in that color against the bright yellow dress. Not [to] mention the emerald earrings," one X user wrote. "Melania didn't get the memo about the dress code!" another quipped.
This isn't the first time Melania mixed bright yellow and pinkish purple to schmooze with the royals
Melania Trump's bold state banquet look may have been a nod to one of her previous outfits from visiting the U.K. In 2019, she wore a similar mix of colors via her bright yellow, Valentino caped coat with a fuchsia long-sleeved top underneath and matching Christian Louboutin shoes. The striking outfit may have cost her a pretty penny, as it was one of Melania's most lavish outfits ever, with a price tag of $7,700. That time, the powerful couple was meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla (then known as Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla) at Clarence House for tea.
Seeing as that royal gathering wasn't quite as formal as a state banquet, Melania's previous attempt at a yellow and pink/purple aesthetic went down much better than her most recent. "LOVE the purple and yellow," one X user gushed of the vibrant number. "I love Melanias over coat!!! Stunning!" a second wrote.
But not all of Melania's ensembles during her 2025 visit to the U.K. were missteps. On September 16, the Trumps were snapped walking alongside William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, outside Windsor Castle, and Melania wore a structured, dark jacket and pencil skirt with matching pumps. Instead of assaulting our eyes with an explosion of bright hues like at the state banquet, she added a more understated pop of color via a wide-brimmed, purple hat. Melania's lavish look proved that a simple 'fit can be so stunning, a mantra she should maybe consider more often following her outdated pink and yellow disaster.