Six things you never knew about Melania Trump's show-stopping inauguration hat
President Donald Trump was just sworn in as President of the United States, but it was his wife Melania Trump – or, more specifically, her hat – that stole the show.
The first lady arrived for her husband's swearing in wearing a wide-brimmed navy boat hat with a white ribbon trim, a unique choice for the special occasion.
Not only did it set the 54-year-old's outfit apart from those of most of the first ladies before her, it guaranteed all eyes were on her as the proceedings got underway.
READ MORE: Detail in Melania's outfit we don't usually see at inaugurations
First lady Melania Trump bows her head in the show-stopping hat. Somodevilla/Pool Photo via AP
The hat created some incredible photos and sparked much discussion on social media, but there was more to it than meets the eye.
Keep reading for six details you didn't know about Melania Trump's inauguration hat.
1. She almost didn't wear it
When the hat first arrived in New York, it was so damaged Melania wouldn't have been able to wear it for her husband's inauguration.
"It looked like it had been sitting in snow drifts for about a week," Eric Javits, the American designer behind the hat, told WWD.
If Javits had been unable to construct a whole new hat in time for the inauguration, Melania would have had to go without.
2. It had to be hand-delivered
Melania's hat was hand-delivered to her after a shipping disaster. Saul Loeb/Pool photo via AP
Javits scrambled to "redo" the hat in his Miami studio, then handed off the new hat to Melania's stylist, Hervé Pierre, who delivered it to the first lady.
"He had a driver, and Hervé took it back to her by hand to minimise any other disasters that could possibly happen," Javits said.
"No other hands touched, nor did any other eyes see the hat, prior to Hervé and the first lady receiving it."
READ MORE: 'I'm gonna get hell for saying this': Trump's wild Melania comment
3. She almost lost it on the big day
After going to all that fuss to make sure the hat arrived in perfect condition for the inauguration, Melania almost lost it altogether on the day of the ceremony.
Before Donald's swearing-in ceremony, he and Melania met with the outgoing President Joe Biden and his wife Dr Jill Biden, after which the latter couple left by helicopter.
As the blades started spinning, they whipped up a strong wind that almost blew the hat clean off Melania's head.
"She almost blew away," Donald joked after his swearing-in. "She was being elevated off the ground."
4. It ties in perfectly with Melania's approach to fashion
The first lady has always been a fan of fashion and uses it to send bold messages without having to utter a single word – and the same goes for this hat.
Javits told ABC News USA that the headpiece was designed to represent Melania's grace, presence and personal style, as well as the current state of US politics.
"It's a time of some restraint, and it's really sort of a turning point to more conservative values, I think," he said.
"And I think she was thinking of protocol and looking very elegant and very simple in a way ... it still was a very powerful visual message."
5. Jackie Kennedy started the hat trend
Jackie Kennedy in her signature pillbox hat before husband John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961. Bettmann Archive
Melania may have drawn inspiration from First Lady and fashion icon Jackie Kennedy when she decided to wear a hat for her husband's inauguration.
Hats aren't common accessories for these events, but that didn't stop Jackie from arriving in her signature pillbox style at husband John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961.
In the more than 60 years since, only one other first lady has opted to wear a hat to her husband's inauguration: Hillary Clinton.
The former first lady wore a navy hat and matching coat for husband Bill Clinton's ceremony in 1993.
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6. It sparked a bit of an awkward moment
Though stylish, Melania's hat turned out to be impractical and a bit awkward during one key moment of her husband's inauguration.
It got in the way when Donald leaned in for a kiss after being sworn in, the brim bumping his forehead as he tried to plant a peck on his wife.
Photographers snapped a series of snaps of the moment that quickly went viral.
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