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Following a tense race to Nov. 5, former president Donald Trump secured the electoral votes to win the high stakes 2024 presidential race. Beating out Vice President Kamala Harris to return to the highest office in the country, this is now the second time a female Democratic presidential candidate has lost to Trump.
As Trump fans rejoice, a significant portion of the country is deeply dispirited by the results and concerned for the nation’s future as a convicted felon becomes President-elect. Beyond the presidency, conservative shifts have emerged across the United States as Republicans take control of the Senate and several items of liberal legislation fell short of their passing thresholds.
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While the vitality of democracy itself is top of mind for many Americans right now, fashion remains a facet of our broader political landscape, as sartorial decisions have the power to convey subliminal or overt messaging. Melania Trump, though not involved with much of her husband’s campaigning this year, was seen in her typical conservative dressing style the night of Nov. 5.
She wore a gray fitted double-breasted blazer with a matching straight skirt that fell past her knees, pairing this traditional ensemble with black Christian Louboutin pumps; the shoes featured a thin stiletto heel and pointed toe. Pumps from the French luxury brand are a popular footwear choice amongst women in the spotlight and have historically been the incoming first lady’s shoe of choice.
The couple cast their votes at a polling place in the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center on Election Day in Palm Beach, Florida. Melania arrived wearing a black and white polka-dot dress from Dior with large black sunglasses and paired it with another pair of leather, pointed toe Louboutins. Meanwhile, the now-president elect kept it more casual than usual, opting for a no tie look, along with a blue suit and a red Make America Great Again hat.
Melania also wore black pumps at Trump’s controversial rally held at Madison Square Garden in late October, which is remembered for racist and inappropriate remarks made by various speakers. It was an unsurprising shoe choice for her — like other women in the political sphere, pumps have long the former and future first lady’s go-to shoe, though she has also sported flats in the past.
While Melania Trump has not been the most outspoken or active First Lady in history, her fashion choices have often been the subject of scrutiny. For example, in 2018, she drew harsh backlash for wearing a jacket reading “I really don’t care, do u?” while visiting detained children at the U.S. and Mexico border who had been separated from their families. Read more about her fashion here.
