At first glance, it may be hard to determine why Karoline Leavitt’s outfit for a September 2025 U.K. state dinner was deemed borderline inappropriate. After all, there is seemingly nothing wrong with wearing a simple yet elegant floor-length black and white gown to an important event. However, the problem with the otherwise gorgeous outfit was that the off-the-shoulder detail may have gone against royal fashion protocol.
In a chat with Marie Claire, etiquette expert William Hanson explained that there were unwritten fashion rules for certain royal occasions. “For formal state dinners, ladies’ shoulders should be covered, wearing long, floor-length dresses with hair worn ‘up,'” he shared. And Leavitt only checked two out of the three boxes. Even worse, the White House press secretary only drew more attention to her exposed shoulder by following the royal hair styling code. Unsurprisingly, Leavitt isn’t the only woman in MAGA-verse to have made the same royal fashion faux pas. During that same state visit, Melania Trump turned heads for all the wrong reasons in her bright yellow off-the-shoulder gown.
Unfortunately, the outfit also highlighted the fact that Melania Trump’s wardrobe is full of an outdated accessory that ages her. However, we also have to consider that Queen Letizia of Spain wore an off-the-shoulder gown when she met Queen Elizabeth II in 2017. Given that at least three prominent women have worn off-the-shoulder dresses during official visits, it doesn’t seem like shoulder exposure is considered a total and unforgivable violation of royal fashion rules. However, it’s still borderline inappropriate to not abide by royal fashion etiquette.
Karoline Leavitt is no stranger to wearing inappropriate dresses to work events
To attend a military ceremony for Donald Trump’s U.K. state visit in 2025, Karoline Leavitt decided to go with a red dress with a neckline that might have been a tad too deep for a formal royal event. Additionally, the fitted dress came with a small belt around the waist that was clearly meant to cinch and accentuate the area. Leavitt’s outfit choice seemed like even more of a head scratcher when compared to Margo Martin’s formal coat, which didn’t seem to show any skin.
Additionally, the ensemble gave us flashbacks to another one of Karoline Leavitt’s most tight-fitting outfits, which she also happened to wear to a work event. While attending a White House Christmas party in 2020, the press secretary chose to wear a spicy red sequined bodycon dress with a deep neckline. There’s no denying that the dress was a bit too revealing for an evening spent mingling with coworkers.
The excessive shimmer made it a better fit for a nightclub or the red carpet and not the White House. It’s more than likely that Karoline Leavitt’s inappropriate Christmas party outfit will always haunt her. However, the past hasn’t stopped Leavitt from wearing outfits that showed a lot of leg to her job. Over the course of 2025, we have seen the White House press secretary don plenty of short skirts and mini dresses that weren’t exactly a good fit for the workplace. However, Leavitt seems to feel her most confident at work, so her bold outfit choices do check out.
