The North Portico buzzed with tradition on November 24, 2025, as the official White House Christmas tree arrived by horse-drawn carriage. But instead of the towering fir, it was First Lady Melania Trump who commanded attention. Wearing a winter-white Dior coat, red leather gloves, and plaid Manolo Blahnik heels, she sparked a wave of online reactions—some calling her elegant, others teasing that she looked like she was wearing a bathrobe.

While her outfit dominated social media, experts also praised her new “cinnamon blonde” hair color, describing it as warm, modern, and flattering. Despite the festive moment, the event revived memories of past controversy, including secretly recorded 2018 tapes where Trump voiced frustration over holiday duties and public criticism. Those tapes, released by former friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff—who later published a tell-all memoir—added a shadow of drama to a tradition normally centered on celebration.