For four years, an annual chorus of unfounded criticism and aesthetic analysis beat like a drum over former First Lady Melania Trump’s Christmas decorations at …
For four years, an annual chorus of unfounded criticism and aesthetic analysis beat like a drum over former First Lady Melania Trump’s Christmas decorations at the White House. Now, it’s First Lady Jill Biden’s turn but where have all the critics gone? Don’t worry, I’m still here and I should start by reminding loyal Fashion Notes readers that it was the haters who stereotyped Melania Trump as a stone-cold, joyless Eastern European who secretly hated the frills of Christmas. They did so by seizing on her winter white decor in the East Wing in 2017. The haters did it again a year later when Mrs. Trump unveiled beautiful red trees throughout the East Collonade of the White House. It should be noted that Mrs. Trump’s Christmas decorations from 2017 to 2020 were a triumph for beauty after nearly two decades of the traditional and modernist designs from former First Ladies Laura Bush and Michelle Obama. Perhaps Mrs. Trump’s most successful years for the White House Christmas decor were 2019 and 2020. For the millions of Americans who will not see the White House up-close-and-personal, photos are everything. These two years, with their glimmering lights and emphasis on American architecture, struck just the right note between the traditional style of Mrs.
