Politics - News Analysis

Melania Trump Flies Home to NYC Twice a Month to Get Her ‘Hair Done’ and Go Clothes Shopping

A New York Times profile of our current First Lady attempts to shed some light on the mystery that is Melania Trump.

Unlike the president, who seemingly voices his every disgusting thought on Twitter, Melania is quiet and reserved, at least in public. And what we found out is…well, yeah, she’s a really quiet person who gets her hair done a lot.

The article states that Melania “returns home to New York — at least once per month, two people close to her say — for meetings and to visit a small circle of associates, including her sister and her hairstylist.”

Cost to the taxpayer aside, it’s not completely unreasonable for her to get her hair done in New York. Other first ladies have done so, and if she’s already here visiting her sister, might as well touch up her roots, right?

But it is an issue that Americans are paying to fly Melania to NYC for her beauty maintenance. In the three-month period between Donald Trump’s inauguration and April 2017, the first lady took 21 flights aboard Air Force jets that amounted to a cost of more than $675,000, the Wall Street Journal reported.

It reportedly takes “one hour and 15 minutes of uninterrupted focus” to do the first lady’s makeup. That explains why Melania wanted the well-appointed “glam room” at the White House, but can’t her hair stylist visit her there instead of Melania needing to fly on taxpayer dime to NYC?

The article also reveals that, like many spouses, the Trumps disagree on interior decor. Melania, as first ladies traditionally do, started redecorating the White House after the inauguration. According to the Times, she “had chosen some furniture for the…residence in the months before she joined her husband in Washington.

Yet in her absence, Donald Trump — whose tastes veer toward the gilded, triumphal style of Louis XIV — replaced her choices with several pieces he liked better. One of two people familiar with the episode cited it as an example of Donald Trump’s tendency not to relent on even the smallest requests from his wife.”

However, Stephanie Grisham, Melania Trump’s communications director, said in an email that “They both chose the décor.” Additionally, Grisham wrote that her boss “is staying true to the independent woman that she is by doing things her own way,” referring to the less outspoken role she’s taken as First Lady in comparison to her predecessors Michelle Obama and Laura Bush. “This should be celebrated, not criticized. Her priorities remain her family, her personal health and her role as first lady.”

On a deeper level, it also seems that while the Trumps are not in an exactly cozy marriage, they do listen to and trust one another. “The president does not often accede to anyone’s influence, but those close to the family say Mrs. Trump is the strongest voice in the president’s life,” posits the article. So if POTUS is listening to FLOTUS, and FLOTUS is getting her hair done once a month, that means there’s a stylist somewhere in NYC who could basically have as much influence as a member of cabinet, right?

Oh, and to answer the other questions about Melania: she does Pilates to keep fit, and no, they never share a bed or even a bedroom. Ever.

Michael Wolff’s controversial book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, made headlines for numerous reasons. One of the most talked-about revelations in the book? That Melania Trump and Donald Trump reportedly sleep in separate bedrooms at the White House.

Interestingly enough, Wolff wasn’t the first to report that Melania Trump has her own bedroom. A source told Us Weekly that the couple doesn’t share a bed, no matter what. “They have separate bedrooms. They never spend the night together — ever.”

Melania also goes to NYC to get her clothing.

Melania has been working with stylist Hervé Pierre since her husband’s inauguration. In the fall of 2017, Pierre told the New York Times that he first met Melania while designing her inaugural gown. Pierre, the former creative director of Carolina Herrera, had worked with former First Ladies Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Michelle Obama in the past, so he’s not new to political dressing. However, he described styling Melania as being “not really his forte,” though he did say he has had “good experiences” shopping for her anonymously at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Michael Kors, and Dior.

Like Michelle Obama before her, Melania pays for most of her clothes out-of-pocket (which shouldn’t be an issue, as she’s married to the richest president in U.S. history). She is technically “allowed” to receive clothes as gifts from designers — but the clothes technically become the property of the government and are sent to the National Archives.

Since Donald Trump was elected as president, many designers have spoken out against his policies and have publicly stated that they would refuse to dress Melania. Marc Jacobs, Derek Lam, Tm Ford, Philip Lim, and Timo Weiland are among the designers who have said they don’t want Melania in their clothes; meanwhile, Diane von Furstenberg, Tommy Hilfiger, and Thom Browne have said that they would be happy to dress her.

meet the author

Nicole Hickman James is a lifelong Democrat and political activist who first cut her teeth as a teenager volunteering for Mike Dukakis’ presidential campaign. She has worked and volunteered for John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, HFA (Hillary For America), and Organizing For Action. She’s passionate about liberal and progressive causes and considers President Obama her favorite president ever. She holds her Bachelor’s from Boston College in Economics and her Master's from Columbia, also in Economics. When not working as a writer, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her three college-aged children.

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