Vanity Fair just released its annual International Best Dressed List, but there’s one name in particular that’s missing and people have taken notice.
First Lady Melania Trump didn’t make the cut, although her predecessor, Michelle Obama, did (not for the first time). But while no Trump family members are on the list, the Washington Post points out that Melania’s go-to stylist, Hervé Pierre – who dressed the First Lady for her husband’s inaugural ball, along with several other high-profile events – was named.
In addition to Obama, who appears in the “couples” section of the list alongside former president Barack Obama, a small group of other politicians made the cut, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron (along with his wife, Brigitte).
Trump’s wardrobe has been discussed by Vanity Fair in the past — recent topics include her penchant for pink, and her decision to board a flight to flood-ravaged Houston in stiletto heels — but the site has also reported on her more innocuous fashion choices, too. In late August, the site ran an article titled, “Melania Trump Takes a Fashion Cue from Michelle Obama,” which likened Trump’s more affordable ensemble to the J.Crew outfits Obama was fond of wearing.
In response, fans of the First Lady are fuming over the Trump family’s exclusion from the Vanity Fair list, with some accusing the publication of ignoring her purely out of spite.
While many are claiming Vanity Fair seemingly left Trump off the list due to the magazine’s political position, The Cut notes that both Obama and Macron made the list as a best dressed couple, so perhaps Trump would be included if her husband dressed differently.
However, not everyone agrees that Trump should’ve made the list, sparking a heated debate on Facebook.
“Just because Melania is 'First Lady' -- she had to wear a tacky hat in Texas to remind us -- doesn't give her an automatic entrée to the Best Dressed List; especially since every time I see her she's dressed like a ‘high-end’ hooker,” one person commented.
Another wrote: “Vanity Fair and Vogue have much different criteria than our personal taste.”
“It's not ONLY about clothes, but rather someone's entire persona. Melania has been on the job almost a year and has done NOTHING but wear clothes, she's the least interesting First Lady in history. Sorry, she's not good enough," another person wrote.
