Trousers vs. Red Silk: Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan Turned the White House into a Fashion Duel

If you asked artificial intelligence to imagine two presidents with their wives and dress one couple in traditional attire and the other in a modern style, the result might look something like the defining image from Thursday night’s White House state dinner, The Washington Post writes.

Against the backdrop of growing tensions between the United States and China, including disagreements over the regulation of artificial intelligence, US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan.

For the formal dinner, Peng Liyuan, China’s 63-year-old first lady, chose a flowing floor-length gown featuring a dramatic high stand collar inspired by traditional Chinese dress. Red — a symbol of prosperity in Chinese culture — was paired with a double strand of white pearls.

Xi Jinping, 73, appeared in a black Mao suit, or Zhongshan suit, considered one of the traditional forms of formal Chinese attire. Donald Trump, meanwhile, opted for the classic Western choice for a formal evening: a black tuxedo.

But the biggest fashion surprise of the night came from his wife. Melania Trump posed alongside three guests in an outfit rarely seen on a US first lady at a state dinner: trousers.

For the formal occasion, Melania chose black Dolce & Gabbana jacquard trousers with a matching silk sash belt, black Christian Louboutin pumps and a white Saint Laurent cotton poplin blouse featuring an oversized bow at the neck. It was an unexpected choice for a state dinner, but also one that felt distinctly characteristic of Melania.

Earlier on Thursday, Peng Liyuan and Melania Trump visited the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. Their outfits appeared to echo each other.

Peng wore a dark navy dress with elements of the traditional Chinese qipao, dark buttons, light-colored trim and a silver flower-shaped brooch. Melania opted for a charcoal tweed suit consisting of a skirt and jacket with an asymmetrical cut and a high collar.

Their husbands also looked almost like a fashion duo: both wore blue suits, black dress shoes and ties in nearly identical shades of purple.

The visual similarities between the two couples ended there, however. This is not the first time the Trumps have coordinated their daytime looks in a way that echoes those of guests visiting for a state occasion. In April, they similarly “synchronized” their wardrobes with Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Long before becoming China’s first lady, Peng Liyuan was a celebrated singer. In China, where the spouses of national leaders have historically played a relatively low-profile public role, she became an unusually prominent figure — and a genuine style icon.

Peng’s fashion signature often combines elements of ancient and traditional Chinese dress with contemporary Western silhouettes. Her sense of style has received international recognition: in 2013, shortly after Xi Jinping took office, Peng Liyuan was included on Vanity Fair’s international list of the best-dressed women.

Many of her looks have been associated with Chinese designer Ma Ke. Her designs often incorporate sustainable fabrics and recycled materials, while the garments themselves are created using traditional Chinese cutting and tailoring techniques.

Like Peng, Melania Trump was a celebrity long before becoming the wife of a head of state. Yet as first ladies, the two women have adopted distinctly different fashion strategies.

Many first ladies in the United States and other countries have favored national fashion houses, using their wardrobes to showcase and support domestic designers. Melania, by contrast, frequently turns to prominent European and international labels.

She has also repeatedly broken with the tradition of wearing floor-length evening gowns to formal events. The White House state dinner was at least the third occasion on which Melania opted out of the conventional format.

In 2025, she appeared at the National Governors Association dinner in a women’s tuxedo, while in 2026 she chose a striking pair of silver trousers for the same event.

Several hours after their husbands met to discuss technology and security issues — and revealed differing views on the development of artificial intelligence, with Donald Trump advocating a less stringent approach to safety measures while Xi Jinping called for restraint — the two first ladies seemed to continue that contrast through fashion.

One look spoke of modernity and a willingness to experiment. The other evoked tradition and familiar conventions of formal dress.