“You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl”

I absolutely love this song, but would I say I have a thing for material items? Occasionally, but oftentimes fashion can seem superficial. But I do have a good eye after years of flipping through Vogue and Bazaar magazines during my lunch and fantasizing about fancy dresses I may never be able to afford. So when I saw Melania Trump donning this dress on the Trumps’ visit to London two years ago, a Gucci designed dress priced tag £2560 with famous London landmarks (and the Statue of Liberty) to supposedly pay homage to the host country, I instantly knew it wasn’t the best choice.

While taste in fashion varies from person to person, many viewed the First Lady’s appearance to be tacky for a state visit. Could Melania have chosen a dress designed by an upcoming British designer, found inspiration from an iconic outfit worn by a famous Brit, or used color symbolism to her advantage? While the dress, objectively, is stunning on the First Lady, for female diplomatic figures, the scrutiny of their fashion choices plays a larger role in diplomacy than most believe. On this particular visit, many considered this dress “[to do] nothing for either brand (Michele’s or her own). It’s lazy and it’s trite.”

Fashion diplomacy refers to the subtle, sartorial choices made by world leaders (or their spouses) and is used as a form of non-verbal communication: express attitudes towards certain foreign policy issues, other notable leaders, communicate an administration’s priorities or send some kind of political message. Especially with an image-obsessed media and women having more leeway with their attire, dignitaries in these roles must pay careful attention to their clothing/accessory choices to align with how they wish to present themselves to the world. I admit, the concept of fashion diplomacy does have a bit of a sexist undertone in that women are scrutinized enough for their appearance, but it does show that fashion, as an art form, can be more than just popular color/patterns and trendy designs. Fashion and style have the ability to connect states through cultural and economic ties, convey respect to host nations, underscore political agendas, and send messages to various social communities.

With all the attention on the Royal Family right now, it’s only appropriate that I talk about Queen Elizabeth’s fashion choices, particularly during President Trump’s meeting with HRH. The brooch is a staple accessory for the Queen for nearly every occasion and she often matches it to the theme of the day. A Twitter user pointed out that on the first day of the Trump visit, the Queen wore a simple green brooch given to her by the Obamas. On the second day, she wore a brooch given to her by Canada in the shape of a snowflake (a term commonly employed by the right). And, for the last day, she chose a brooch the Queen Mother wore to the funeral of her father, King George VI. Given that her role does not allow her to dictate foreign policy, a subtle accessory like a brooch can communicate her disapproval of President Trump and his administration.

Or take Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, for example. After imposing sanctions on Iraq following the Gulf War, a poem appeared in the Baghdad Press referring to her as an “unparalleled serpent”. During her next meeting with Iraqi leaders, Albright reclaimed the serpent image in retaliation with an elegant pin. In her book, Read My Pins, the Secretary of State explains how she used her jewelry and pins as a diplomatic tool during the years she served under the Clinton Administration.

Now back to Melania Trump. Many fashion experts point out the First Lady’s complete disregard for the kind of messaging conveyed by her fashion choices, blaming her for the death of fashion diplomacy for American leaders. On a visit to McAllen, Texas, the center of the family separation crisis at the border, she wore an army-green jacket ($39 Zara) with these words written on the back in white: “I really don’t care. Do U?” Whether these words were intended for her husband or to clearly express her lack of concern for the issue to political opposition or the American public is unclear and stirred up controversy in the media. It’s also very off-brand for the First Lady to wear anything worth less $100 given her tendency to wear expensive off-rack designer items.

It’s fascinating that fashion could communicate such significant political messages beyond expressing our individual identities. Therefore, these subtle choices require much planning by a leader’s wardrobe consultant. If you’re into fashion like I am, I hope this encourages you to pay close attention to a leader’s fashion choices at major political and diplomatic events and ceremonies (assuming Melania Trump hasn’t completely killed it).