Melania Trump Donates Inaugural Dress to Smithsonian

Melania Trump Donates Inaugural Dress to Smithsonian

First Lady Melania Trump has continued a century-long tradition by donating her inaugural gown to the Smithsonian.

The white silk crepe, off-the-shoulder design by Herve Pierre joins a collection of inaugural gowns going back to Helen Taft.

“Today is such an honor as I dedicate my inaugural couture piece to the First Ladies exhibit at the National Museum of American History,” the first lady said in a statement provided by the White House. “In addition to celebrating fashion, which is something I have loved since I was a small child, there is no better way to memorialize such a special evening, and new chapter in the life of our family.”

The first lady said she, the president and their son Barron love living there. 

The first lady has taken a relatively quiet, although increasingly public, role at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. She recently accompanied Mr. Trump to Texas, Florida and to Puerto Rico for the recent hurricanes, and has gone with him on foreign trips. 

Her approval ratings have actually climbed since she joined the White House, from 24 percent of Americans viewing her favorably in February to 54 percent of Americans viewing her favorably in a September CNN poll. She is also the most popular Trump working in the White House. In the same September CNN poll, 54 percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of the first lady, compared with 41 percent favorable of President Trump, 41 percent favorable of Ivanka Trump and 20 percent favorable of Jared Kushner. 

While Taft began the tradition of donating inaugural gowns to the Smithsonian — with the gift of her 1909 gown of rhinestone- and bead-embellished white silk chiffon — the oldest dress in the museum’s collection is a silk pink gown worn by Martha Washington during the 1780s.