Karoline Leavitt made a fashion flub during the official state dinner in the U.K. in September 2025. To be fair, formal state dinners come with a long list of rules and expectations for decorum. But, when you’re the press secretary for the White House, one might assume you’d be on top of it. Unfortunately, Leavitt missed an important detail about attire for these kinds of events. Worse yet, Melania Trump wore an outdated dress to the state dinner as well, and made the same mistake Leavitt did: showing her shoulders.
Leavitt wore a floor-length black dress with a white, one-shoulder top. First, there were a few things she got right with this look. The expectation for these events is that women wear floor-length gowns, and this is exactly what Leavitt did. Formal state banquets are white tie, meaning it’s the most-formal level of dressing. Her updo and accessorizing were festive and formal at once, so those were wins as well. The only issue was Leavitt had her shoulder showing, and the dress code urges women to wear gowns with shoulders covered. For example, when Kate Middleton stuns at a state banquet, she’s never sleeveless. The fact Leavitt missed this key component is a big oversight. Like Melania, these fashion misses at such an important event are unfortunate. It makes the administration look sloppy, like the visiting Americans can’t be bothered to adhere to the etiquette.
Karoline Leavitt has worn inappropriate outfits in the workplace before
Karoline Leavitt has frequently worn spicy outfits that clash with her press secretary persona. For instance, on two separate occasions at the White House, Leavitt stepped out in short hemlines. On July 21, 2025, Leavitt walked out of the White House in a bouclé dress with black trim. While the dress itself looked professional, it cut off several inches above her knee. Nearly the exact same thing happened when she posted a photo on August 9, 2025, on Instagram. She wrote in the caption “West Wing girls,” and in the photo, Leavitt wore a bouclé skirt and top, also with black trim. The skirt was even shorter than her dress.
While dress codes can certainly be subjective, there are certain aspects to consider when wearing a skirt or dress to work. The wearer should be mindful that dresses and skirts can hike up when bending or sitting, for example. With this in mind, both of Leavitt’s outfits were too short, making them too risqué for work. The fact Leavitt showed too much skin at the official state dinner in the U.K., along with these outfits that were too short, shows she might need a refresher on wardrobe professionalism.
