In a time rife with polycrises, fashion continues to offer a diversion to some.

First Lady Melania Trump’s choice of a sunflower-colored off-the-shoulder column gown from Carolina Herrera for the state banquet dinner at Windsor Castle Wednesday night sent some fashion watchers into overdrive. In what sounded reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s viral dress, many were perplexed about the color of FLOTUS’ satin-covered belt. Was it pale purple or pink?

The debate kicked up after the former model wore what was said to be a custom design by Carolina Herrera’s creative director Wes Gordon, with some suggesting that it was canary yellow with a pink belt, not lilac. The wide faille belt with a covered square buckle was described as “bright lilac” by one source, who declined to be identified.

Representatives at Carolina Herrera could not be reached immediately for comment Friday afternoon. The brand held its spring 2026 show in Madrid Thursday night.

More than a decade ago, another dress caused great debate online, with some describing the frock as white and gold, and others seeing it as black and blue, or purple. Taylor Swift, Mindy Kaling and Julianne Moore weighed in with their views. But color perception really is in the eye of the beholder.

So much of color perception is influenced by lighting and wavelengths, according to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, who explained that purple is not an actual hue, as it doesn’t appear in the light spectrum.  “As a non-spectral color, purple doesn’t exist as a single wavelength of light such as blue or red do. Purple is the brain’s interpretation of blue and red wavelengths that simultaneously ‘hit’ the eyes,” she said.

She added, “Another aspect particular to purple is the amount of warmth or coolness it contains. It is perceived as more calming and stabilizing when it has a bluer undertone.  When it ‘leans’ towards red, it is felt to be more stimulating and assertive. Many people are not overly aware of those differences in undertones, and the purple family can be especially problematic for some. However, creatives love it precisely because it is a complex color.”  

Andrew Burnstine, who chairs Lynn University’s fashion marketing and esign programs. suggested that FLOTUS’ viral “optical illusion” dress wasn’t about trendsetting, but it “was a choice that demanded a second look, drawing the eye to the visual complexity and away from any other detail. This was a strategic move to convey an air of mystery and quiet control.”

The bold yellow dress with a contrasting purple belt for a state banquet was a deliberate departure from royal tradition, he said. “While royal women often wear color-blocking, her use of clashing colors and a dramatic silhouette was a calculated move to communicate a modern American identity – one of individuality and boldness on a diplomatic stage. As her longtime adviser, Hervé Pierre, has noted, her style is about collaboration, not about being told what to wear.”

Pierre declined to comment Friday.

Sacred Heart University’s associate professor David Loranger speculated that President Trump and the First Lady are “all about making a statement and they don’t care about what the public thinks of them in many spheres, including fashion.” From a protocol perspective, he questioned the choice of an off-the-shoulder gown in “such a Barbie’s Dream House color palette.”

As for the online debate about the color of the belt, Loranger said it might be explained by metamerism, which is color that reads differently under different lighting conditions. It also could be due to different amounts of flash, or an iridescence woven into the belt, he said.

Loranger added that “the public tends to focus on fashion in times of great stress. For instance, fashion in movies was popular during terrible times such as World War II and The Great Depression. People were looking for an escape, and fashion is part of that diversion.” 

Fashion historian Summer Lee — who is researching a book “Presidential Fashion: An Illustrated History” — said Friday, “As others have already commented, the First Lady’s off the shoulder yellow banquet dress and pink belt was a bit bold for the occasion. However, this is what we’ve come to expect from Mrs. Trump going against traditional dress and patriotic color palettes in favor of her personal style.”

Lee added, “It’s worth noting that the dress from Carolina Herrera, [a company that was founded by the Venezuelan-born American designer by the same name] is a show of support for American design, which in recent years has been considered important for First Ladies in diplomatic settings.”