How Melania Trump's style has evolved, from her modeling days to first lady life

When Melania first began making public appearances in the late 1990s, her style was similar to that of other models of the day.

At a "Celebrity" party in 1998, Melania chose a figure-hugging silk dress in periwinkle. Its neckline scooped gently.

At an awards show in June 1999, she embraced sparkles.

Melania arrived at the 1999 Annual Fragrance Foundation Fifi Awards in a form-fitting dress covered entirely in pink sparkles.

The gown's subtle slit was sexy without being over the top.

Melania also experimented with sheer fabric in the early days of her career, as she did at a film premiere in October 2000.

She attended the New York premiere of "Charlie's Angels" in a white skirt suit, but added a daring edge to the look with a sheer lace top.

Strappy heels completed her outfit.

The daring neckline on her dress for the March 2001 Academy Awards wasn't uncommon for Melania at the time.

When she accompanied Donald Trump to the Oscars, Melania wore a form-fitting white dress embellished with sparkly sequins.

The gown had a V-neckline, which mirrored the slit running up the center of the dress.

In September 2002, Melania showed off a more laid-back style during New York Fashion Week.

Before her life had political ties, Melania was often spotted in casual looks, like this all-orange ensemble she wore to a Fashion Week show.

She paired the silk off-the-shoulder top with wide-legged pants that featured a striped pattern and sparkles.

The gown she wore to the Angel Ball in October 2003 featured a strapless neckline.

A full skirt accented the gown's form-fitting bodice.

The black-and-tan dress had a feathered skirt with sheer detailing, and she paired it with coordinating shoes.

The night she got engaged, Melania wore a semi-sheer dress to the Met Gala.

Trump proposed to Melania on April 26, 2004, the evening of the Met Gala.

She paired her 15-carat engagement ring with a black ball gown, which had a corset covered in cutouts.

A few months after she got engaged, Melania once again showed off her casual style.

Attending a Fashion Week event, Melania paired fitted jeans with a sheer pink babydoll top. High heels completed the look.

Melania still leaned into daring looks while pregnant in October 2005.

Melania attended the Night of Stars party in October 2005 when she was expecting Barron Trump.

She wore an empire-waist black gown to the event, which featured sheer fabric on the neckline and sparkly embellishments.

See-through fabric and lace remained staples for Melania in September 2006.

Black dresses with sheer detailing became a bit of a uniform for Melania in the early 2000s, as she showed with her dress for the Metropolitan Opera Opening Night Dinner in 2006.

The silk dress had lace detailing on the sheer bodice and the neckline. Crisscross straps and lace paneling on the skirt added to the sexy gown.

She still looked every bit the model at the 2007 Met Gala.

At the 2007 Met Gala, Melania wore a shiny gold minidress with fabric tassels that swayed as she walked. She paired the look with coordinating gold shoes.

In February 2007, Melania showed off a chicer side of her style at a Fashion Week event.

Melania was photographed attending a Fashion Week event in 2007 alongside Donald Trump.

She wore all-black, and her hat and wrap featured fuzzy detailing. Knee-high boots completed the wintry ensemble.

Her dress for the 2008 Met Gala was hot pink.

Melania kept up her streak of eye-catching Met Gala looks in 2008, arriving in a bright-pink, strapless Vera Wang dress.

The dress had a bow on the neckline and ruffle detailing on its mermaid skirt.

Melania seemed to still be a fan of sparkles in December 2009.

At the premiere of "Nine," Melania wore a short, long-sleeved dress embroidered with sparkles, which she paired with pointed-toe shoes.

Melania's style was simple but chic at a November 2010 event.

Melania's black cocktail dress had a form-fitting bodice with a subtle sweetheart neckline and spaghetti straps. The dress hit her knees, and she paired it with open-toe shoes.

But when she appeared at a SiriusXM event in September 2011, Melania showed off a more professional side of her style.

Melania's black suit was simple, featuring flared pants and a fitted jacket. The top buttons of her white blouse were open, and the sleeves poked out from under the jacket.

Black, pointed heels complemented the ensemble.

Melania donned a more modest dress for an August 2012 appearance on "Good Afternoon America."

Melania's gray dress for her "Good Afternoon America" appearance had a professional feel.

The fitted dress had a V-neckline and covered her knees, and a black belt cinched her waist. She also wore black heels.

She wore an all-white look to a golf event at Mar-a-Lago in January 2013.

When Trump hosted an Invitational Grand Prix at Mar-a-Lago in January 2013, Melania showed that she could nail a dress code.

Her white, sleeveless dress had a scooped neckline and a pleated skirt that felt like an elevated version of a golf ensemble. She added white heels to the look.

Melania's outfit for the New York Ball in November 2014 blended her love of sheer with a professional edge.

The jumpsuit featured long sleeves, subtly flared pants, and semi-sheer paneling on the bodice adorned with black lace.

Black heels accented the ensemble.

When she appeared on a Barbara Walters special in 2015, Melania looked every bit the politician's wife.

After Trump announced he was running for president in the summer of 2015, he and Melania appeared on "Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2015."

Melania chose a simple pink dress with short sleeves and a modest neckline for the interview. Her pink, pointed shoes matched the dress.

Her white dress for the July 2016 Republican National Convention was simple, aside from its playful sleeves.

Lauren A. Rothman, a style strategist and image coach, told Business Insider that Melania seemed to be telling "two narratives" with fashion throughout her life, leaning into glamour and slightly more daring looks when she was first in the public eye.

But after Trump entered politics, Rothman said Melania's looks became more intentional because "she was trying to say something with more storytelling" about her identity and her husband through her fashion, as she showed at the 2016 RNC.

For the RNC, Melania wore the "Margot" dress from Roksanda, which she bought from Net-a-Porter, according to Vanity Fair. The modest white dress had a high neckline, a knee-length hem, and quarter-length sleeves that ended in ruffles.

The dress was simple and elegant, striking a similar tone to first ladies of years past.

Melania nodded to Jackie Kennedy with her outfit for Trump's inauguration in January 2017.

Melania attended her husband's inauguration in a powder-blue dress designed by Ralph Lauren Collection. The dress was paired with a matching shrug and gloves.

The silhouette was reminiscent of Jackie Kennedy's outfits during her time as first lady.

"It was so curated," Rothman said of the look. "It was an instant revival of that Jackie memory."

Rothman said the nostalgia in the look lent Melania some of the power Jackie Kennedy held in the American mind, striking the right tone for the beginning of her tenure as first lady.

Ralph Lauren is also a classic American designer, though Melania would go on to wear European designers throughout Trump's presidency.

Her dress for a 2017 inaugural ball was custom-made.

Melania changed into a gown custom-designed by Hervé Pierre Braillard for his Hervé Pierre line.

The form-fitting, cream dress had off-the-shoulder sleeves made of the same fabric as a three-dimensional swath that cut across the bodice, creating volume. The same fabric flowed on the skirt, creating a train on one side, and a red belt cinched her waist.

Braillard became Melania's stylist and strategy consultant throughout Trump's first term.

Melania didn't always send the right message after she became first lady.

In 2018, Melania visited the Texas-Mexico border to speak to child migrants wearing a green jacket that said "I really don't care, do u?" on the back.

The Zara jacket instantly became controversial, leading people to speculate that the first lady was sending a message to the president or migrants at the border.

In her book "I'll Take Your Questions Now," Stephanie Grisham, Melania's former aide, wrote that Trump yelled at Melania for wearing the jacket, though he later told media outlets she wore it to send a message to "fake news" outlets. Melania later repeated Trump's comments on the jacket, CNN reported.

She dressed for the occasion when she had dinner with the royal family in June 2019.

Melania dined with members of the royal family at Winfield House in June 2019.

She wore a red Givenchy cape dress, a silhouette favored by royals like Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.

She leaned into a professional look to accompany Trump to a September 2020 presidential debate.

Melania accompanied Trump to the debate in a pinstripe Dolce & Gabbana suit.

She wore the jacket open over a white blouse with no tie and completed her look with Christian Louboutin heels.

Melania wore contrasting looks on Inauguration Day 2021, sending two different messages.

When the Trumps left the White House on January 20, 2021, Melania wore an all-black outfit comprising a Chanel jacket with gold button detailing, a Dolce & Gabbana dress, and Christian Louboutin heels. Black gloves and sunglasses completed the somber but chic ensemble.

But when they arrived at Mar-a-Lago later that day, Melania exited Air Force One in a $3,700 Gucci dress, though she wore the same sunglasses she had on earlier that day. Her loose gown featured quarter-length sleeves and an orange-and-navy print.

"Like anyone, sometimes we take off our work clothes, and we put on our play clothes," Rothman said. "She went from wearing something super fitted to something loose that is right out of Palm Beach."

Her public appearances became less frequent in 2022, but Melania wore sparkles for a New Year's Eve party.

Melania kept her public appearances more limited after Trump left office, but she appeared alongside him at a New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago in December 2022.

For the occasion, she wore another Dolce & Gabbana dress. The knee-length, silver gown had long sleeves. It was covered in sparkles, as were her pointed-toe shoes.

When photographed entering Trump Tower in June 2023, she wore a more casual look.

Melania paired a black long-sleeved top with a high-waisted, midi-length brown skirt from Martin Grant, which was belted with a bow at her waist. Her Chanel ballet flats featured both colors.

A black Chanel bag completed her look.

When she attended the July 2024 RNC, Melania had returned to the first lady playbook.

Melania appeared at the Republican National Convention in July after being largely absent from Trump's campaign.

She attended in a blazer and coordinating skirt designed by Christian Dior. The entire outfit was red, the color of the republican party, even down to her pointed-toe, red heels.

Rothman said the outfit struck the perfect tone for the occasion because it seemed to send a specific message.

"There's more intention," she said. "From the red shoe to the red suit to the brighter hair on the stage, there's just more of a power punch of intention with that story than what she was wearing before she was in that role and was in her 20s."

"She understood the assignment," Rothman added.

Before her husband took office again, Melania wore a more daring look for New Year's Eve 2024.

Melania stepped out at Mar-a-Lago in a black Versace dress for the last day of 2024.

The gown had an asymmetrical neckline that scooped low, hugged Melania's figure, then formed a slit on one leg.

It was glamorous and more reminiscent of her looks before Trump entered politics.

Her navy ensemble for the 2025 inauguration struck a different tone than her 2017 look.

Melania arrived at the 2025 inauguration in a custom navy coat designed by Adam Lippes.

The double-breasted jacket was elegant, and Melania paired it with navy pumps and a white scarf. However, the standout element of her look was her Eric Javits hat, which was also navy and white.

"It's a huge fashion moment," Rothman said of Melania's hat. She said the summery shape of the hat nodded to Melania's day-to-day life at Mar-a-Lago, while the wool texture and dark colors spoke to the role she was stepping back into.

"She wore a hat that bridges her worlds together," she added.

Melania changed into a black-and-white gown for the 2025 inaugural balls.

Melania again turned to Hervé Pierre for her evening look at Donald Trump's inaugural balls, donning a strapless white dress. Black fabric crisscrossed the bodice and skirt, creating a slit on one side.

A black choker made of the same fabric tied the look together.

She embraced menswear in the early days of Trump round two, like a taupe suit in March 2025.

The first lady wore a slew of menswear looks in early 2025, including a Ralph Lauren suit she wore to support the Take It Down Act at the US Capitol in March 2025.

The camel-toned, three-piece suit included a jacket, fitted trousers, and a vest. She paired it with a white blouse, black tie, and coordinating pumps, giving the look a distinctly formal feel.

Melania switched from neutral looks to brighter ones in September 2025.

In September 2025, Melania joined her husband on a state visit to the UK, spending time with King Charles III and Queen Camilla, as well as Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.

For a white-tie dinner at Windsor Castle, Melania wore a bright-yellow gown designed by Carolina Herrera. The off-the-shoulder dress had long sleeves and a floor-length skirt, and it cinched at Melania's waist with a wide purple belt.

The gown's bright color was a bold choice for the royal dinner and a marked change from the neutral looks Melania had been wearing for much of 2025.

Some of her colorful looks held symbolic meaning, like a green gown she wore in November 2025.

The Trumps hosted Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, for dinner at the White House in November 2025.

The first lady wore a strapless, green gown for the dinner. Designed by Elie Saab, the $3,350 dress featured ruching on the bodice and skirt, with a slit running up the center.

The dress was pretty, but it also radiated a warm welcome for Salman, as the deep-green fabric resembled the colors of the Saudi flag. Likewise, Elie Saab held a historic fashion show in Saudi Arabia in 2024, so the choice of designer seemed to nod to Salman's country as well.

Likewise, a colorful touch to an outfit she wore the same month brought a festive flair to her look.

When the 2025 Christmas tree arrived at the White House, Melania donned a knee-length white coat. The high-neck, wide-sleeved coat was typical for the first lady, but her accessories were more colorful than she might have worn in years past.

She wore red leather gloves from Max Mara, which brought drama to the look, as well as tartan pumps from Manolo Blahnik. The look was festive but still felt authentic to Melania's style.

The first lady returned to her neutral style as she promoted her documentary, "Melania."

At the start of 2026, the first lady returned to her more neutral-toned wardrobe in a Dolce & Gabbana look while promoting "Melania."

Her high-neck suit jacket was buttoned down the center and belted at the waist. Her midi-length skirt was column-style, and she paired the set with black pumps.

The outfit struck a professional, restrained tone, particularly compared to the colorful looks she wore in the second half of 2025.