Side By Side Pics Show The Stark Style Differences Between Melania Trump And Usha Vance

Similar to the dynamic Melania Trump played with the second lady during her first time in the White House, the new Second Lady, Usha Vance, is completely opposite of her — especially on the fashion front. During Trump's first term, Second Lady Karen Pence, wife of Mike Pence, mastered the art of frumpiness, which meant Trump usually shined when the two were side by side. But things are different these days between the First and Second Ladies.

Now, four years later, Trump has another Second Lady who, again, is completely opposite of her — but in different ways. Vance is a former Democrat, received both her BA and doctor of law degree from Yale, and whereas Pence was older than Trump, Vance is younger by 15 years. These two also differ in their take on fashion. However, the distinction this time around isn't just that Vance and Trump are stylistically incompatible. Whereas Pence's ensembles may have been the inspiration behind Karoline Leavitt's frumpiest work outfits, but each of the first ladies seems to be figuring out what they want to convey through their looks.

While Vance has showcased some outdated outfits and Trump has a slew of looks that totally missed the mark in 2025, whenever these two attend an event together, they're like night and day in their style. Even obligatory attendances for Vance and Trump that are years apart, like their first meetings with the Pope, reveal these two couldn't be more different if they tried. Which is probably a good thing for Vance. In September 2025, Trump's UK dinner dresses was one of her worst choices ever — meaning no one will ever forget that lemon yellow abomination and its tacky pink belt. 

On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was sworn into round two of his presidency. While some celebrated and others grieved, the biggest standout of the day was Melania Trump and that hat. Designed by Eric Javits, the wide-brim navy hat almost completely covered her face, made it difficult for her husband to kiss her cheek (perhaps, intentional?), and was immediately compared to the hat of Zorro and, of all characters, the Hamburglar. In contrast, Usha Vance wore a beautiful rose-colored coat by Oscar de la Renta in a shade that was very reminiscent of Jackie Kennedy's iconic pink suit. It was clear from day one, Trump and Vance are very different.

In March 2025, Donald Trump held his first address of his second term to the joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol. Naturally, both Melania Trump and Usha Vance were in attendance, and again, their outfit choices were worlds apart. While Vance opted for a pale peach oversized blazer and cream top, a business-casual ensemble that'll keep you looking trendy day-into-night, Trump saw this as an opportunity to keep things dark and moody, with a belted grey blazer — that looks like it might have a bit of peplum going on, although it's hard to say for sure — and a matching skirt.

For a November 2025 trip to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina to visit the military and their families, Melania Trump and Usha Vance took completely different roads in their attire. Vance wore a fitted turtleneck, tea-length dress in burgundy with matching low heels, while Trump went ultra-casual in slim-fitted pants, a jacket, and ankle-high boots. Perhaps, Trump learned her lesson from wearing "I really don't care, do you?" to a migrant detention center in October 2018, because this particular jacket didn't have any lettering on the back. Or at least none that the paparazzi caught on film.

Melania Trump being the darkness to Usha Vance's light again? You better believe it. Granted, Vance is by no means innocent as she stands by and watches the Trump Administration enact some of the cruelest restrictions and policies the US has ever seen, but this isn't about that. For the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral on January 21, 2025, in which icon Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde pretty much dragged Donald Trump for those aforementioned policies, Trump wore head-to-toe black and Vance wore a white blouse and matching skirt. Vance — Usha, not her husband — also seemed to be the only one of the four of them who appeared moved by the bishop's words.

What's so great about this picture is that you not only see two women who are extremely different in their sense of style, but also in their approach to where they are in life in this very moment. Melania Trump, who's basically wearing a been-there-done-that face to match her Herve Pierre black and white strapless gown and choker, is giving off some fairly negative energy, something that she's pretty much mastered. On the other hand, Usha Vance, looks a bit starry-eyed and optimistic, a vibe that perfectly coincides with her softened and almost whimsical looking full-length blue sparkly gown by Reem Acra.

To no surprise, both Melania Trump and Usha Vance wore red to the 2024 RNC in Milwaukee, because similar to gang affiliations, it's important to show what side you're on — or in this case, what side of history you're on. As we can see, Trump has gone for a red power suit, a look that was one of Hillary Clinton's chicest First Lady style moments in 1993, while Vance wore a simple red sheath dress with capped sleeves. Neither one of these outfits is anything to write home about, as the saying goes, but Trump opting for a power suit is a bit humorous, because let's be honest: she's no Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, or even Kate Middleton.

When visiting the Pope, there are rules for what women can wear, because of course there are. "Per Vatican protocol, women who have an audience with the Pope are required to wear long sleeves, formal black clothing, and a veil to cover the head," the First Lady's communications director, Stephanie Grisham, told CNN in 2017, regarding Melania Trump's meeting with Pope Francis. Although Trump did exactly this, the fact that she wore a fitted lace dress by Dolce & Gabbana just seemed excessive. After all, it's the Vatican, not high tea at the Ritz Paris. In contrast, when Usha Vance met Pope Leo in 2025, she took a more humble approach, similarly to other First and Second Ladies, which was far more appropriate.

Like meeting the Pope, attending a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery doesn't call for couture, but that doesn't appear to apply to Melania Trump. During a January 2025 wreath-laying ceremony, Trump was in head-to-toe black, including a black Dior coat, and black Christian Louboutin boots. For the event, Usha Vance took the lighter, less dark route (again), wearing all white, including a Sergio Hudson coat and brown slouchy boots. While all black would be fitting for a funeral, the laying of the wreath honors all those who gave their life for the country, making Vance's attire the most suitable for the occasion. Considering how her husband has spoken about US veterans, one can't be surprised that Trump is treating the ceremony like a fashion show.

When it came to campaigning for their respective husbands, it was another opportunity to see just how different Melania Trump and Usha Vance are in their style. In October 2024, Trump took the stage at Madison Square Garden to tout her husband's presidential qualities while wearing a zebra print Michael Kors coat, which was delivering more mob wife aesthetic energy than First Lady of the United States. Just a few months before, during the RNC in July, Vance did her part to play the role of a supportive and doting wife by singing the praises of her husband. Vance did this in an off-the-rack cobalt blue Badgley Mischka dress, according to WWD, while Trump's look was curated by her longtime stylist, Herve Pierre.

Although President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, are one of those political couples that have a major age gap, in being French, Brigitte is also known for her fashion sense. So, naturally, when you're going to meet the Macrons, you want to be bring you A-game, fashionably speaking. When Melania Trump met Macron in 2018, she definitely dressed the part in a Dior gray dress and matching overcoat. However, when it was Usha Vance's turn to meet the First Lady of France in 2025, she went with a very boring, almost frumpy, ankle-length blue dress by Favorite Daughter. If ever there was a time that Vance should have taken fashion tips from Trump, this was it. Instead, Vance's looks like she's confirming the stereotype that Americans can't dress.