INAUGURAL FASHION

Highly regarded fashion journalist Laura Craik gives her verdict on the Trump women who dressed to impress as they witnessed Donald's return to the White House

- LAURA CRAIK

Any woman in the public eye is all too painfully aware that her wardrobe choices will be scrutinised. When that woman is Melania Trump, the stakes are indubitably higher. Which is likely to be why her inauguration day outfits were so carefully chosen to act as sophisticated shields, combining glamour with armour.

For the inauguration ceremony itself, she eschewed her beloved European favourites Dior and Valentino for a double-breasted navy coat by New York-based designer Adam Lippes, a patriotic choice that affirmed her husband's America First ethos. However, the coat surely owed a debt of gratitude to Dior, since it shared similarly covered buttons and gently padded hips with the house's fabled Bar jacket.

The First Lady teamed her coat with a matching navy boater by Eric Javits, its white ribbon echoing her white shawl-collared blouse.