Meryl Streep Recalls Melania Trump’s Controversial Fashion Choice After Anna Wintour Says She ‘Always Looks Like Herself’

Meryl Streep is reigniting the discourse on political optics, targeting former First Lady Melania Trump’s most infamous wardrobe choice. In a new Vogue cover story moderated by director Greta Gerwig, Streep and Vogue Global Editorial Director Anna Wintour dissected how women in the public eye utilize fashion to project—or diminish—their power.

Streep, currently promoting her return as Miranda Priestly in the upcoming sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2, singled out the 2018 incident where Trump wore a Zara parka featuring the phrase, “I Really Don’t Care, Do U?” The garment was worn during a trip to a Texas shelter housing migrant children separated from their families.

“I think the most powerful message that our current first lady sent was in the coat,” Streep, 76, stated during the interview. She characterized the choice as a definitive statement made during a moment of national humanitarian scrutiny, noting that while all dress is self-expression, it remains tethered to “historical and political sweeps of expectation.”

The three-time Academy Award winner expanded her critique to the broader systemic expectations placed on female leaders. Streep argued that contemporary fashion trends for women in power often emphasize vulnerability.

• The Observation: Streep noted the frequency of “bare arms” for women on television compared to the “covered” professional attire of men.
• The Theory: She described this as “compensatory,” suggesting that as women gained professional ground in the late 20th century, fashion shifted to make them appear “little” and “not threatening.”

Anna Wintour offered a contrasting editorial perspective, emphasizing personal authenticity over rigid dress codes. While Wintour cited Michelle Obama as a paragon of consistent style, she offered a measured defense of Trump’s aesthetic consistency.

“To be fair, Melania Trump also always looks like herself when she dresses,” Wintour noted. She argued that the traditional “power suit” is no longer a requirement for office, praising modern figures who blend high fashion with vintage pieces to maintain a “cool, modern” identity.

The jacket in question remains a flashpoint of the Trump administration’s visual legacy. Though Trump removed the parka before entering the Upbring New Hope Children’s Shelter in 2018, she wore it during both legs of the flight. She later clarified to ABC News that the message was a direct jab at “left-wing media” critics rather than the children at the border.

The debate arrives as Streep prepares for a major box office return. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is scheduled to hit theaters on May 1.