The inaugural hat was like nothing so much as the broad-brimmed white hat Mrs. Trump wore during a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife in 2018, which likewise made waves and which she auctioned off in 2022 as an “iconic broad-brimmed one-of-a-kind hat.” Her reference was herself.

First lady Melania Trump gestures during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena on the inauguration day of U.S. President Donald Trump's second presidential term, in Washington, U.S. January 20,

As the world watches for the transition of power on Inauguration Day, the fashion industry eyes the ensembles of the first ladies