SINGAPORE - US President Donald Trump is currently on a tour of five Asian countries. While an important question to ask is what he can do for diplomacy, it is just as important to ask what diplomacy can do for Melania Trump's wardrobe.
The American First Lady started the tour bundled up in a thick coat in Tokyo, but had made a less conservative fashion choice by the time she got to their second stop, Seoul, choosing to wear a sheer dress to a state dinner.
It remains to be seen what the 47-year-old will sport during her next few days in China, Vietnam and the Philippines.
1. Arriving in Japan, she stepped off the plane in a striped wool Fendi coat embellished with flowers. She paired it with nude Manolo Blahnik heels. In this ensemble, her activities included visiting luxury pearl retailer Mikimoto's flagship Ginza store with prime minister Shinzo Abe's wife Akie to learn about Japanese pearl cultivation.
2. For dinner with the prime minister and his wife at Ginza Ukai Tei restaurant, she wore a mid-length black coat and a black sash.
3. To meet Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at Tokyo's Imperial Palace, as well as to attend a calligraphy class at an elementary school, she wore a navy Dior dress with flowing sleeves and a flared mid-length skirt. Uncharacteristically, she wore her hair in an up-do.
4. She attended a state dinner hosted by Prime Minister Abe, wearing a long, caped Valentino dress made of red silk.
5. Arriving in Seoul, she wore a dark burgundy coat with exaggerated sleeves and a zip detail by Spanish brand Delpozo, paired with blue pumps. In this outfit, she also visited the presidential Blue House and interacted with South Korean school children at the American ambassador's residence.
6. To a state dinner with South Korean President Moon Jae In at the Blue House, she wore a blue and black dress with sheer panels and sequins, by New York-based French luxury brand J Mendel. Here, she let her hair down.
7. For a visit to the South Korean National Assembly followed by a visit to the National Cemetery, she wore a long, flowing black coat cinched at the waist with a buckled belt.
8. She wore yet another black coat when she disembarked from Air Force One in Beijing on Wednesday (Nov 8) , making this her go-to play-it-safe dress code. Pairing the coat with black heels, she took a tour of the Forbidden City.
9. At a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday (Nov 9), she stood out on the red carpet in this black Dolce & Gabbana dress with white flowers, which, with its floaty silhouette, made her look especially feminine.
10. A state dinner saw her trotting out this pink-and-black Chinese-inspired Gucci dress with a phoenix-and-flowers motif and fur cuffs, paired with matching pale pink heels.
Arriving with her, President Xi Jinping's wife Peng Liyuan also chose a black dress with a cheongsam collar, but with light, sheer fabrics.
11. While her husband continued on to Vietnam, she remained in China and capped off her Asia tour on Nov 10 with stops at the Beijing Zoo's panda enclosure and the Great Wall. Here, she wore a structured black coat draped over a black sweater, and a high-waisted, fitted skirt. She completed the look with a belt featuring intricate laser cuts, nude flats and sunglasses.
