Even some people who tend to appreciate First Lady Melania Trump’s style did not love the dress she chose to wear for the UK State Banquet at Windsor Castle. Given that the Trumps were attending a lavish banquet, people expected Melania to wear something more formal. For some reason, Melania chose to wear a yellow off-the-shoulder dress that had people comparing her to a banana, a bottle of mustard, and even the yellow Teletubby.
Across social media, reactions to Melania’s dress were pretty negative, with people calling the look “cringe” and “horrific.” To some critics, the dress choice made it seem like Melania didn’t quite understand the nature of the event. “Sorry but I thought Melania’s dress was totally inappropriate for a Royal Banquet!” one critic on X wrote. “Did no one give her the memo! The colour for a start and the off the shoulders finished it!” That same critic suggested that Melania should’ve taken style inspiration from Kate Middleton, who looked elegant for the special occasion.
Another critic compared Melania’s look to Queen Camilla’s and asserted that Camilla’s outfit actually looked better than Melania’s did. “Can someone PLEASE tell me what Melania was thinking with this gown?” they questioned. “She can do so much better than this! It’s horrid. When you’re a former model but Camilla dresses better than you do… you’ve got a problem.”
Though not everyone found the dress “hideous,” they didn’t necessarily think it was the right choice for the occasion. “It’s a cute dress for a Casino opening not a state dinner,” someone wrote on Reddit. “I’m shocked her outfit was that bad. It was cute but I expected more from her.” On X, another person wrote, “Will be TOTALLY honest: didn’t like Melania’s dress. It’s more Oscars than Windsor Castle.”
Say what you will about the dress, but it did stand out. And before Melania showed up for the dinner in her bright yellow look, people had just called her out for dressing like she’s “in a constant state of mourning” since she often chooses darker colors and interesting hats that cover her face. The yellow dress was… different, if nothing else. And some people actually liked it, or at the very least, did not hate it. One X user commented that Melania looked “radiant in yellow,” while another said “she could make a paper sack look elegant.”
