First lady’s jacket asks a pointed question
Reporting from McALLEN, Texas — Melania Trump went to Texas to show she cared about migrant children. Her fashion choice carried a baffling counter-message.
The first lady wore a green, hooded military jacket from Zara that read “I Really Don’t Care, Do U?” both as she departed and returned to Washington. The words were printed in white, graffiti-style, on the jacket’s back.
When asked what message the first lady’s jacket intended to send, spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said: “It’s a jacket. There was no hidden message. After today’s important visit to Texas, I hope the media isn’t going to choose to focus on her wardrobe.”
Grisham underscored that message in a tweet with the hashtags #SheCares and #ItsJustAJacket.
But President Trump offered his own interpretation in a tweet, saying it “refers to the Fake News Media. Melania has learned how dishonest they are, and she truly no longer cares!”
Melania Trump changed into a pale yellow jacket before the plane landed in McAllen for a visit to the Upbring New Hope Children’s Center, which houses 55 migrant children. But even after questions arose about her attire, Trump was back in the green jacket when she returned to Washington in 80-degree weather.
Like it or not, Trump’s jacket had her trending on Twitter. One user borrowed an image of the back of the jacket to promote groups working on behalf of immigrant children.
Zara, a Spanish-based company with a large presence in the United States and around the world, had no comment on the uproar. The jacket belongs to the company’s spring-summer 2016 season.
The youthful jacket sharply contrasts with the first lady’s typically bold, foreign-flavored wardrobe. In public appearances, she has worn designs by Dolce & Gabbana, Del Pozo, Christian Dior, Emilio Pucci, Givenchy and Valentino, often with daringly high Christian Louboutin heels.
It’s not the first time the first lady’s fashion choices have caused a stir.
In August, a pair of Trump’s signature spike heels earned her a round of bafflement as she boarded Air Force One bound for Texas to tour devastation after Hurricane Harvey. She had changed into white sneakers by the time she and the president landed.
At one of the 2016 presidential debates, Melania Trump showed up in a bright pink silk blouse with a large bow at the neck, long known as a “pussy bow blouse.” That was just days after reports surfaced that her husband had made lewd remarks years earlier about grabbing women by the genitals.
On the other side of the political aisle, former First Lady Michelle Obama routinely caught grief from some critics for going sleeveless. And her husband, President Obama, was the talk of a 24-hour news cycle when he donned a tan suit in 2014 for a media briefing.
UPDATES:
2:59 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from President Trump.
3:20 p.m.: This article was updated with additional reporting from the Associated Press.
This article was originally published at 1:50 p.m.
