Melania Trump’s outfit changes for hurricane visits reflect a fashion trend

Sept. 15--As First Lady, Melania Trump has always faced scrutiny for her fashion choices. But the scrutiny has been especially intense as she's accompanied President Donald Trump to visit southern American cities ravaged by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

The former model and wife of a self-proclaimed billionaire sparked a Twitter frenzy on Aug. 29 when she left the White House wearing towering stiletto pumps to visit Harvey-stricken areas of Texas. Vogues said the shoes were "more suited to a ladies lunch at La Grenoille."

Melania's fans rushed to defend her by correctly pointing out that when Air Force One touched down in Corpus Christi, Texas several hours later she was more appropriately attired to visit a disaster zone in slacks, sneakers and a ball cap.

Since then, Melania has accompanied the president two more times to hurricane- and flood-struck communities. The most recent visit was Thursday when she showed up in Fort Myers and Naples, Florida, wearing Converse low-tops, white jeans, and an olive button down blouse.

Thursday's sneakers-and-jeans outfit was similar to what she wore to Corpus Christi on Aug. 29 and to visit a relief shelter for flood survivors in Houston, Texas on Sept. 2.

But what's curious -- or curiously on trend -- is that Melania has sported multiple outfits for these disaster zone visits, evidently changing on the plane ride south.

Her apparent need to have at least two outfits for these visits is in keeping with a fashion trend that you also see these days in female celebrities going to awards shows or brides at high-end weddings.

It's become the case that for women of a certain status, one outfit simply isn't enough for an important occasion, whether it's an awards show, a wedding or, in Melania's case, a high-profile White House-related event.

For each of Melania's hurricane visits, there has been what she has worn when she walks out of the White House in Washington D.C. to cross the lawn and board Marine One. Then there is what she turns up in when she and the president deplane a few hours later in the disaster zone.

The president, of course, appears to wear the same outfit throughout each day's visit: slacks, windbreaker, logo-ed baseball cap.

Maybe he can get away with that because he's a man. But Melania doesn't seem to want to be seen leaving the White House in more utilitarian sneakers and jeans.

She's always a bit dressed up and probably intent on making some kind of fashion statement. Of course, it's not surprising that a former model and Manhattan socialite would be particular about how she looks whenever she steps out in public.

For what you can call her White House departure outfits, she's worn stillettos twice, including the snakeskin stilettos she wore with a dress on Sept. 2 to head off to Houston.

On Thursday, she traded in stilettos for more casual but no less elegant Chanel ballet flats to make the short walk to Marine One.

For that walk, she also wore a structured black jacket and cream-cuffed slacks, which she would appear to replace with bright white skinny jeans by the time she arrived in Florida. She was also seen leaving the White House carrying a Hermes bag, Vogue reported.

Photographers snapping images of these White House departures have also caught White House aides rushing behind the first couple to load designer luggage into the Marine One helicopter. That luggage may very well contain Melania's carefully chosen outfit changes.

But, as said before, Melania is not the first high-profile American woman to decide that one outfit isn't enough for an important occasion. Katy Perry reportedly changed gowns 10 times while hosting the MTV Video Music Awards last month.

For female celebrities turning up at major awards shows, like Emma Stone at this past year's Academy Awards, they often wear a fancy gown to walk the red carpet, to present or to accept an award.

After the show, it's become common for them to change into a short dress or slacks that are more comfortable for schmoozing at after-parties. Meanwhile, male celebrities can of course get away with just wearing the one tuxedo at those events.

Similarly, for brides at high-end weddings, it's becoming increasingly common to buy and wear two dresses on their wedding day, the New York Times has reported last year.

Brides don the more traditional, formal dress for the ceremony, then change into something that's more comfortable for a reception where there will be dancing.

Actually, before her lavish country wedding in May, Pippa Middleton reportedly ticked off some of her 350 guests by asking them to get into the spirit of this multiple-outfit trend.

She wanted them to follow her lead and bring two outfits to wear to her big day when she married wealthy hedge fund manager James Matthews. For the ceremony, Pippa wore a traditional gown but was expected to change into a short, flirty dress for the reception.

As for Melania, she actually stayed in her casual jeans-and-sneakers outfit when she returned to the White House later Thursday.

But then she had one more big outfit change for the day.

For the White House Historical Association dinner and reception, she appeared in a shimmering $8,000 Monique Lhuillier gown, the Daily Mail reported.

Melania, as ever, was the "picture of style" in the sparkling silver design, the Daily Mail.

The dress featured a simple slip-style floor length dress underneath a sheer chiffon-and-sequin overlay which fell all the way down to the floor, the Daily Mail noted. It was certainly a contrast to her more casual clothing earlier in the day.

During the dinner, Melania showed she was still thinking about her Florida experience a few hours earlier. She paid tribute to the bravery and resilience of the people she had met in Florida, praising their "unwavering commitment to overcome and rebuild."

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