Democrats make political statement wearing black, while FLOTUS makes fashion statement wearing white
The dress code will be an anti-harassment demonstration to show solidarity.
— -- First lady Melania Trump, arriving at the State of the Union separately from President Donald Trump, made a statement -- a fashion statement, that is -- dressed in a white pantsuit, among a sea of Democratic women sporting black attire, who were making a significantly more political statement.
Mrs. Trump paired her Christian Dior pantsuit, with a white Dolce & Gabbana blouse and Christian Louboutin pumps, according to the Associated Press.
On the other hand, a group of female House Democrats, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., wore black for the president’s first State of the Union, in an anti-harassment demonstration to show solidarity for victims of sexual harassment and misconduct.
The move comes after scores of actresses and actors dressed in black at the Golden Globes, as Hollywood continues to reckon with sexual harassment. Actors and actresses also wore “Time’s Up” pins, in support of a new legal fund for victims of sexual misconduct in the workplace.
“We are supporting the brave women in every industry and every corner of the country who are making their voices heard,” Pelosi said in a statement earlier this month. “We are at a watershed moment in the nationwide fight against sexual harassment and discrimination, and we must continue to keep up the drumbeat of action for real change.”
The effort is being led by Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., the chair of the Democratic Women’s Working Group, and has been in the works for weeks. Other leaders of the group, including Reps. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., and Brenda Lawrence, D-Mich., also plan to participate.
Democratic women led by Frankel wore white at Trump’s first joint address to Congress last February, a nod to the women’s suffrage movement and rebuke of the Trump administration.
Like Hollywood, Capitol Hill and Washington continue to grapple with issues of sexual harassment and misconduct. The House, following the resignation of several members accused of sexual misconduct, is expected to take up new legislation to reform the workplace harassment complaint process and anti-harassment training process in the coming weeks.
ABC's Paola Chavez contributed to this report.