This week, Melania Trump found herself in yet another fashion scandal.
The first lady was spotted boarding a plane to Texas in sky-high stilettos, despite the fact that she was heading to an area devastated by Hurricane Harvey.
Public perception of Trump and the previous first lady, Michelle Obama, couldn't be more different. Fans of Obama paint her as a J. Crew-clad woman of the people. Meanwhile, Trump was slammed for a photoshoot in which she twirled a string of diamonds like spaghetti.
For fans of Trump, glitzy designer clothing is part of her appeal. Instagrams with thousands of followers track her every outfit. Far-right website Breitbart (which criticized Obama for wearing a $2,290 dress to meet the pope in 2015) wrote Trump was the "breakout star" of President Trump's first trip abroad, radiating "high fashion."
In an effort to see how accurate Trump's frivolous, filthy-rich reputation is in contrast to Obama's more down-to-earth image, we decided to recreate a theoretical "week in the life" of the two first ladies. We wanted to see if Trump was actually spending more than Obama, or if she was just a victim of bad press.
We compared seven iconic looks that Obama and Trump wore to similar events, from vacationing to campaigning, as well as their price tags. Here's how the two first ladies measure up and what it means for how Americans see them.
Campaigning at political conventions
Melania at the RNC: $2,190 Roksanda dress and $675 Christian Louboutin heels
Trump made headlines after buying a Roksanda "Margot" dress herself from Net-a-Porter. The $2,190 dress sold out less than an hour after her speech.
She paired the dress with $675 nude Christian Louboutin heels.
Michelle at the DNC: $995 dress by Christian Siriano and $675 metallic Jimmy Choo heels
Obama's blue dress was extremely similar to a $995 cobalt blue dress made by Christian Siriano, a designer that rose to prominence after appearing on "Project Runway." However, Siriano reportedly custom-made the dress that the then-first lady wore as she gave her "they go low, we go high" speech.
Her silver Jimmy Choos heels, spotted by Footwear News, cost $675.
Meeting with foreign leaders
Melania at the G-7 Summit: $53,130 Dolce & Gabbana outfit
Trump made headlines when she wore a $51,500 Dolce & Gabbana jacket to a meeting with the spouses of some of the most powerful world leaders at the annual G-7 summit in Catania, Italy in May. While we couldn't identify the first lady's dress and shoes, her bag was also Dolce & Gabbana and costs $1,630.
The first lady has worn Dolce & Gabbana on numerous occassions. Designer Stefano Gabbana has been extremely receptive of the support, posting many pictures of Trump in Dolce & Gabbana outfits on his Instagram.
Michelle at the G-20 Summit: $474 J. Crew outfit
Obama made headlines on her first trip to the United Kingdom as FLOTUS in 2009, thanks to her casual yet fashionable looks. The Guardian described her outfits, many of which were purchased from J. Crew, as "a pitch of sunny, homely optimism, rather than sparkling glamour."
One of Obama's most memorable outfits of the trip was the one she wore to meet British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Fox News reported that the cardigan cost $298, tank top $18, and a mint green pencil skirt was priced at $158.
Charity work
Melania at an abuse prevention nonprofit: $1,150 pair of sandals to complete an otherwise low-key look
Footwear News reported (somewhat snarkily) that Trump wore a $1,150 pair of Rene Caovilla sandals to visit HomeSafe in April. Trump also wore a $225 pair of L'Agence Margot jeans and an unidentified khaki shirt.
Michelle at a food bank: $540 pair of sneakers to complete an otherwise low-key look
In 2009, Obama caused some controversy when she wore a $540 pair of Lanvin sneakers to volunteer at a food bank with Second Lady Jill Biden. She paired the sneakers with a $188 J. Crew sweater.
Around the White House
Melania's move-in outfit: $14,270
While Barron got most of the press coverage when he and his mother officially moved into the White House in June, Melania wore $575 Bally wide-legged trousers, $595 pair of Manolo Blahnik pumps, and a Dolce & Gabbana tank that probably cost at least a hundred dollars. She finished the look with a Hermès Birkin bag, estimated to cost $13,000.
Michelle's J. Crew in the garden: $257.50
"Throughout the book, the First Lady, always beautifully coiffed, wears a different J.Crew sweater to match the season (marigold yellow for summer, argyle for fall)," Vogue noted in its review of Obama's 2012 book "American Grown."
A $29.50 shirt and a $228 jacket are just two of the many examples of the first lady wearing J. Crew in the garden.
Joint addresses to Congress
Melania at the 2017 Joint Address to Congress: $5,000 Michael Kors suit jacket
Trump's Michael Kors look for the 2017 State of the Union cost an estimated $9,600, combining a black blazer that cost $5,000 and a matching skirt priced at $4,600.
Michelle at 2015 State of the Union: $1,595 Michael Kors suit jacket
In 2015, Obama wore a suit that had been previously featured on CBS's political drama "The Good Wife." The $1,595 jacket quickly sold out after the first lady wore to the State of the Union address.
Inauguration — and why the numbers don't tell the full story
Trump's fashion picks undeniably tend to be more expensive than Obama's. But, that's not the full story.
First, there's the question of custom-made dresses.
For the last three inauguration, the first lady had worn a custom-made look (Obama wore Jason Wu both times and Trump wore a Herve Pierre gown). Trump has reportedly struggled to find designers willing to work with her. Meanwhile, many of Obama's most iconic looks are made specifically for her and literally priceless, such as a custom-made Versace gown with a theoretical price tag of $12,000.
Then, there's the question of why it even matters. First ladies' outfits are not paid for with tax payer dollars. You could be horrified that anyone could buy a coat that costs more than the average American makes in a year.
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