Within the last few weeks in August, Hurricane Harvey hit parts of Texas and western Louisiana in which the storm’s devastation left many lives lost and infrastructure destroyed. In response to this catastrophic natural disaster, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited the sites of the Harvey-hit regions. A photograph of the pair went viral on social media, where they were captured walking towards Air Force One to board on a flight headed to Texas. At first glance, one may be ignorant to the contention the image raised all over social media. Why did Melania Trump receive so much backlash for wearing heels? As the first lady of the United States, how does what she is wearing affect existing problems in the country? The controversy of the image is a matter one can assess to expose how the public reads into body language and fashion to reveal the character of Melania Trump. The image of her projects a callous persona and inattentive attitude towards her duties as the first lady.

    The photograph of Donald and Melania Trump captures the two in motion, stepping out of the White House. The president is pictured with platinum blonde hair with streaks of white peeping from the roots. He is wearing his presidential windbreaker paired with beige suit pants and brown boots with black soles. He has a pouting expression on his face as he waves in the direction of the photographer. Melania Trump is pictured with straight brunette hair with highlights of lighter brown and blond towards the end. She is wearing soft pink lipstick along with shades, and displays an expressionless countenance. Her all black attire of shirt, trouser, and stilettos are accompanied by an olive green bomber jacket. Her right arm is half way into her trouser pocket as her left arm dangles exposing her manicured nails. Far off in the picture there is a bald Caucasian man standing in front of the hedges, squinting in their direction. He is wearing an off-black suit and brown shoes with a blue shirt and yellow tie in the interior. Some kind of a black necklace is tucked into the right side of his jacket. The wet scenery is evidence of rain that must have fallen not too long ago, and there is a long hedge with a lot of trees beside the building they are walking out of.

    Without background information of the photograph, seeing the president and his wife dressed down raises questions of their intended agenda. Where are they going and what are they going to do? Taking into account that Melania Trump is wearing heels, one’s initial thoughts may immediately assume that the president and his wife were headed to a more lax function such as a formal dinner or fundraiser. However, the two were photographed right before their second visit to areas that looked far from a care-free environment. It is this reality that caused an uproar all over social media when critics questioned why the first lady was wearing heels to visit the site where a crisis had just occurred. Her attire became a demonstration of how out-of-touch and insensitive she is, and its ubiquity all over social media revealed that many people shared the same sentiment of antipathy about her. Although she wears black, a color that is often worn as a symbol of loss and grief, and dark green, a traditional color of peace, critics deliberately chose to overlook her intended serene appearance; it was her choice of stilettos that gained her all the attention. 

    Regardless of whether one is a fan or foe of Melania Trump, it can be agreed that her attire did not match the conditions she was about to step into. Considering that she is the first lady, where anything can be made available to her at any time, her choice of stilettos over protective shoes such as boots was a bad decision. From the body language seen in the photograph itself, her shades, heels, expressionless countenance, and right hand in her pocket gives off the impression of opulence. In fact, the way she was captured even looks more like she is modeling rather than projecting someone who is humble and ready to get her hands dirty if necessary. Furthermore, it would be expected of Melania Trump to know exactly what she ought to wear considering that this was not the first trip she was making to these areas. It was the second time both Donald and Melania Trump were visiting these regions where there was extensive debris and complete loss of homes, residences, and infrastructure. Consequently, a thin, high tapering pair of heels should not have been her final choice of fashion. Evidently her heels do not have any direct affect on crises happening in the United States; America is not doomed because Melania Trump put on the wrong pair of shoes. However, fashion shapes and reveals the identity of others. It is a statement and her statement reads that she values fashion over function. Such an impression would definitely leave critics with something to talk about.

To echo White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, a feminist viewpoint might argue, “She can wear whatever she wants.” However, this is an untenable argument considering the fact that this matter is not necessarily attacking what the first lady can wear as a woman, it is condemning her for her imprudent approach to her duties which often require of her to take up various social causes and projects while living in the White House (“The White House Historical Association”). Stilettos were not made to walk through debris. By wearing these shoes she indirectly diminishes the severity of the disaster and rather projects her own affluence. In addition, although Trevor Noah argues, “I don’t know why anyone should care what anyone wears when they’re on their way to help people,” it can be understood why the vast majority were outraged by her choice of fashion. It does not appear to be that she is on her way to help people. It appears like she is on her way to look pretty and watch people getting helped. Social media perceived this appearance as egocentric and immodest, and certainly the lens in which the public viewed the picture was more harsh than her fans who support her. She may not have believed that this ordinary act would spark such controversy, but after understanding the rationale behind their backlash she attempted to try to save herself.

In efforts to appease her critics, after touching down in Texas, the first lady changed her outfit. She changed into a white dress shirt tucked into her black trousers in which she paired with Stan Smith sneakers, shades, and a black hat with white letters “FLOTUS” printed across. Her wardrobe change was certainly more appropriate for the occasion but that did not help present her in a more modest light. Her white dress shirt gives off the message that she did not intend to get dirty. Moreover, compared to President Trump who looked both casual and professional, his wife did not look as equipped as he did. The windbreaker and a pair of sturdy boots he wore were both indicators that he was ready to go out and face any wreckage or rain that may be still running its course. The first lady’s choice of Stan Smith sneakers were bad  contenders for flooded areas and rubble. Yet again on social media she was demeaned in dissatisfaction of her wardrobe change.

It is fascinating how this ordinary act caused such widespread disapproval. In this instance social media proved that perception can sometimes speak louder than intent. Indeed there are a few people who can understand that she did not mean to come off as arrogant in any way, shape, or form, however, the insidious effects of social media changed the apprehension of the picture, and after coming across this picture on any social media outlet, it may be difficult to see it in a more forgiving lens. Over social media, millions of people have the opportunity to join in on the shaming of another, however, outside of social media how many of the voices within this group of people actually matters enough to damage the reputation of such a high public figure? This controversy illustrates the persuasive and compelling influences that social media has, and its power to make or break someone’s image. One is not just dealing with one or two people’s outlooks or judgments like what you may find on CNN or Fox News, in a circumstance such as one Melania Trump found herself in, it is literally one against the world.