Melania Wears Regev’s Jerusalem Dress To Riyadh

Saudi officials denied knowledge of the dress.

Riyadh, May 21 – First Lady Melania Trump turned heads and sent tongues wagging as she and President Trump departed for Saudi Arabia, first by announcing she would not cover her hair, and then, upon landing, by appearing in the Kingdom in the Jerusalem-themed dress that Israeli Minister of Culture Miri Regev to the Cannes Film Festival last week.

In departure from other female dignitaries visiting the Saudis, Mrs. Trump declined to bow to local custom by donning a hijab, preferring instead to assert her culture’s equality with that of her host. Hillary Clinton, Federica Mogherini, and numerous other important Western women had previously chosen to defer to Islamic practice. In a move similarly calculated to demonstrating independence of local mores, the First Lady opted to appear in the same Jerusalem of Gold gown that Regev wore to showcase Jerusalem’s eternal Jewish character.

The sartorial move made few noticeable waves in the Saudi capital, as the presidential couple’s hosts went out of their way to accord them honor. Government-controlled media avoided showing Mrs. Trump as they would have in any case, in keeping with Islamic sensibilities governing the appearance of women in public roles. Saudi officials denied knowledge of the dress.

“I know not what you are talking about,” claimed Prince Kanna Siyya, a spokesman for the royal family. “We do not discuss the way women dress. It would be an immodest subject.” His eyes scanned the room to get another glimpse of the svelte Melania and her flowing hair.

Analysts expect Melania’s wardrobe choice to have little impact unless she wears the dress again in Jerusalem tomorrow or the next day. “She’s a private citizen, technically, and can wear whatever she wants without that reflecting a policy decision on the part of the president, but it’s still something people will watch as a barometer of things to come,” explained Hippo Krissie, who studies the intersection of fashion and politics. “I wouldn’t expect Melania to wear the same thing twice, let alone two days in a row, or even twice in three days.’

Minister Regev voiced satisfaction at the First Lady’s choice. “We talked about last week, actually,” she recalled. “I got a phone call from Mrs. Trump right after the story of my Cannes visit came out, and she was really interested in wearing the same thing. It’s quite flattering.”

“But I think I looked better in it,” she confided.

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