A body language expert told the Daily Mail that Melania Trump's choice of an unusually wide-brimmed hat during the couple's state visit to the United Kingdom signaled a wish to keep a low profile rather than to draw attention.
Melania Trump arrived at Windsor Castle alongside President Donald Trump and members of the British royal family wearing a Christian Dior Haute Couture dark gray skirt suit and a large purple wool wide-brimmed hat that largely hid her eyes. Judi James, identified by the Daily Mail as a body language expert, said the hat’s shape — similar to the style the former First Lady wore to the presidential inauguration earlier this year — suggested "a desire to hide" and to project a more "mysterious aura." James added that the look indicated Melania was likely aiming to "support and even help choreograph her husband rather than being the star herself."
On arrival, Melania did not remove the hat when the party moved indoors. She wore her hair in a slick bun and walked with poised steps beside President Trump and members of the royal party, including Prince William and the Princess of Wales, during a short walk through the Walled Garden to meet King Charles III and Queen Camilla outside Victoria House to launch the visit. Observers noted that President Trump’s tie echoed his wife’s color palette.
Social media users responded quickly to the accessory, with several posts on X — formerly Twitter — commenting that the hat obscured much of Melania Trump’s face. One post said, "You literally can't see half of Melania's face in that hat. All she can see is the brim and everyone else is talking to her chin." Another user wrote, "It's hard to see her face."
The wide-brimmed style drew comparisons to the navy, flat-topped boater Melania Trump wore at her husband’s inauguration in January. That piece, designed by Eric Javits, prompted similar public reaction at the time. Javits told ABC News the inaugural hat was intended to be "simple," "understated" and "classic," and he described its handmade construction. He also suggested the look was aligned with a tone of protocol and restraint.
James said the hat’s angle — which left the First Lady’s face largely in shadow — contrasted with convention among royal women, who typically wear large hats at an acute angle to keep their faces fully visible. The expert interpreted Melania’s styling as a choice to convey discretion during the formal arrival sequence.
Photographs and commentary from the arrival show the Trump party moving through the ceremonial route at Windsor ahead of a series of official events scheduled for the state visit. The appearance and public reaction to the First Lady’s hat add to a broader public conversation about sartorial signaling at high-profile diplomacy and state occasions, where wardrobe choices are often read for protocol, personal messaging and deference to hosts.
Neither Melania Trump nor White House officials offered an on-the-record explanation for the hat during the arrival. The designer of the earlier navy hat and the body language expert each provided their perspectives to news outlets following the events in January and the September visit, respectively.