Melania Trump and Princess Kate each told their own story through fashion during the State Visit, beginning with a British-inspired welcome and ending in American style.
On Thursday morning, the stylish duo quite literally met in the middle, both stepping out in Ralph Lauren, but every look they chose over the week carried its own clear message.
Tuesday — Melania Trump’s Burberry arrival
Landing in a floor-sweeping Burberry trench with Dior riding boots, Mrs Trump had unmistakably arrived on British soil.
Burberry is London’s rain-soaked icon; choosing it read as deference to the host culture and a nod to practicality and tradition.
The boots kept the outfit sleek but sturdy and set a respectful tone before the politics began.
Mrs Trump’s choice framed her as a deferential guest stepping into the host’s story, rather than eclipsing it.
Melania Trump and Princess Kate reach a fashion détente as President Trump and Keir Starmer face off
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REUTERS
Wednesday morning — Dior and Emilia Wickstead
Mrs Trump shifted to a tailored grey Dior skirt suit topped with a broad purple hat to greet the Waleses and the King and Queen in Windsor. Dior is French, but the purple hat provided a visual link to Mr Trump’s purple tie.
Meanwhile, Princess Kate welcomed the Trumps in an Emilia Wickstead coat dress in deep burgundy.
Ms Wickstead is a New Zealand-born designer with her business based in London. The label is now synonymous with Kate’s polished daywear.
Together, the looks showed formality, stability, and respect for the Commonwealth.
Mrs Trump and Kate wearing Dior and Emilia Wickstead, respectively
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REUTERS
Wednesday evening — State Banquet
For the State Banquet at Windsor Castle, Kate wore a stunning Phillipa Lepley number. Gold lace over cream silk, alongside Princess Diana’s favourite Lover’s Knot tiara, and Queen Elizabeth II’s earrings, placed her firmly in the continuity story of the monarchy.
Mrs Trump countered with a high-impact Carolina Herrera gown in luminous yellow with a pink belt, choosing to champion a Venezuelan-American designer.
The saturated yellow with pink belt commanded attention in St George’s Hall. Love it or not, the outfit dominated the pictures, which is a valid strategy at a global event.
Where Kate’s message was lineage and longevity, Mrs Trump’s was visibility and modern First Lady glamour.
Mrs Trump and Kate wearing Phillipa Lepley and Carolina Herrera, respectively
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REUTERS
Thursday — Twinning in Ralph Lauren
Mrs Trump, in a suede safari-style jacket by Ralph Lauren and Kate, in a brown Ralph Lauren skirt, created a neat US-UK bridge. Ralph Lauren is an American heritage brand.
Kate wearing the label seemed to be a deliberate salute to the guests’ nationality; Mrs Trump wearing it likely showed American ease after two days of intense ceremony.
Side by side, the pairing suggested alignment and civility, even as Donald Trump headed to Chequers with Keir Starmer.
In optics terms, the women handled the détente while the men did the politics. Putting both women in Ralph Lauren today built an image of common ground and cultural kinship.
Mrs Trump and Kate twinned with their Ralph Lauren choices today
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REUTERS
Fashion message while politics played out
Mrs Trump toggled between assimilation and assertion—wearing the host country’s iconic brand on arrival, then claiming a bold American aesthetic at night, and finally meeting in the middle with Kate via Ralph Lauren.
The Princess of Wales’s progression was the monarchy’s greatest hits album—Commonwealth-rooted daywear, then Princess Diana’s and Queen Elizabeth II’s jewels, and finally a diplomatic nod to the guests’ fashion heritage.
With Mr Trump and Mr Starmer firmly in the political frame at Chequers, the fashion choreography at Frogmore Gardens ran a parallel script.
Mr and Mrs Trump with Keir Starmer and his wife, Victoria Starmer
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REUTERS