What's fashion got to do with it? A lot if you're First Lady of the United States as Melania Trump found out on Tuesday. Ms Trump was photographed walking across the White House lawn in an all-black ensemble, an army green bomber jacket, aviator sunglasses...and sky-high stilettos. The high heels - reportedly Manolo Blahniks with five-inch stiletto heels - quickly became the subject of much debate on Twitter. The hashtag #ShoeGate began trending on the microblogging site, with some seeing the shoes as an impractical and insensitive choice for visiting storm-hit Texas, and others angrily stating that the high heels must not detract from the ongoing natural disaster.
"Why, oh why, can't this administration get anything, even a pair of shoes, right?" asked Vogue. "The emblematic first image of the first lady heading off to visit a hurricane in heels...instead became another symbol of a White House that can often seem out of touch," noted Politico
"In Mrs. Trump's job, as in her husband's, details matter. Even shoes. Put your best foot forward, and all that," noted New York Times' chief fashion critic.
On Twitter, many jumped to the First Lady's defence. "Hey, everyone, please shut up about Melania Trump's shoes," begged Mashable.
Others reacted with dry humour:
Following the criticism, the White House was forced to issue a statement.
Ms Trump stepped off Air Force One wearing black trousers and a crisp white button up shirt and Adidas Stan Smith sneakers.
She also wore a black baseball cap that read "FLOTUS," or the abbreviation for First Lady of the United States.
The US President and First Lady spent time in Corpus Christi and Austin during their trip to Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall during the weekend as a monster Category Four hurricane and later weakened to a tropical storm. The rain has led to severe flooding in parts of the state.
Harvey has killed at least six people and left large parts of Houston - America's fourth largest city - underwater.
"Why, oh why, can't this administration get anything, even a pair of shoes, right?" asked Vogue. "The emblematic first image of the first lady heading off to visit a hurricane in heels...instead became another symbol of a White House that can often seem out of touch," noted Politico
"In Mrs. Trump's job, as in her husband's, details matter. Even shoes. Put your best foot forward, and all that," noted New York Times' chief fashion critic.
Others reacted with dry humour:
Following the criticism, the White House was forced to issue a statement.
Ms Trump stepped off Air Force One wearing black trousers and a crisp white button up shirt and Adidas Stan Smith sneakers.
She also wore a black baseball cap that read "FLOTUS," or the abbreviation for First Lady of the United States.
The US President and First Lady spent time in Corpus Christi and Austin during their trip to Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall during the weekend as a monster Category Four hurricane and later weakened to a tropical storm. The rain has led to severe flooding in parts of the state.
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