Looks like someone got a kidney tune-up ahead of her

[Retrograde]

123. Haute couture died sometime in the 1980s

Haute couture as it was practiced by the older Parisian fashion houses was a very laborious and time-consuming niche, aimed at those who could afford the trips to Paris to be measured and fitted for that year's models. And they tended to be women in their middle ages and older, since they were the ones who could afford it. It entailed a lot of handwork - I subscribe to a magazine called Threads, aimed at home sewers: each issue features a garment from the 1960s or earlier that shows how much attention to detail was paid to high-end (and sometimes medium-end) fashion. Eventually the styles trickled down to more ordinary women, often with cheaper fabrics and trimmings.

The fashion industry is following the same trend as other luxury class goods: it's becoming commodified. It's disposable. It's aimed at younger people. But a woman with clout, like the wife of a former US president and current president-elect, should be able to get a fashion house to do something custom for her that would flatter and actually fit. I didn't like all of their choices, but Jill Biden, Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and others going back as far as I can remember managed to look fashionable, comfortable, and appropriate at official functions. But I don't think Melania cares.