Article content continued

Vanessa Friedman, our chief fashion critic, offered her analysis: “They both seem to have dressed for business: covered-up and suited (or in Trump’s case, suit-dressed). It’s a very safe look, for both women, if not one that conveys fun or relaxation — or even modernity. Rather, both looks respect the office, and the idea of a state visit. Though interestingly, there is also something subtly militaristic in the tailored lines of each outfit.”

Because Americans know little about her, the curiosity surrounding Trump is sometimes focused intensely on her aesthetic: Her official portrait, released this week, instantly spawned debate over what she was wearing, her makeup, her airbrushing choices, her outfit’s designer and her physical stance. Her meeting with Queen Rania, whose outfits are often featured in tabloids for those seeking to replicate her choices, is likely to prompt a similar reaction.

A visit to a school

The day’s visits offered the U.S. public another look at Melania Trump, who has revealed relatively little about her approach to the role of first lady. As a woman who has been in the public eye for decades, Queen Rania might have provided a template of sorts for Trump: She is an education activist and a member of Jordanian royalty, and her public presence is well-curated with bilingual updates on her trips to schools, family events and hospitals.

At the short listening session with students at Excel Academy, Queen Rania asked follow-up questions about the coursework and curriculum. Trump stuck to the basics, asking the students for their names and grade levels, but later elaborated on the visit in a statement relayed by the White House.