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Melania Trump Steps Out In Floral Jacket Worth A Year's Income

Melania Trump Steps Out In Floral Jacket Worth A Year's Income

First lady Melania Trump made a mega-colorful debut on a Sicily street Friday in a Dolce & Gabbana floral jacket worth a mind-blowing $51,500.

The silk jacket by the Italian fashion house, plastered with large 3D flowers, was featured on a Dolce & Gabbana runway just months ago.

But Americans appeared to be buzzing more about the cost than the fashion. A number of news reports compared the price to an entire year’s salary for many jobs in the U.S. — even the cost of a house in some areas. The median American family income in 2015, according to government statistics, was $55,775.

The first lady’s style choice wasn’t quite a “let them eat cake moment.” Cake would be way more affordable.

Instagram site Whitehousewardrobe, which tracked the first lady’s clothing on her husband’s first international trip as president, drew some scathing remarks about the extravagance of the jacket as President Donald Trump proposes dismantling the economic safety net for working-class Americans.

It’s not clear if Melania Trump paid for the jacket; Dolce & Gabbana isn’t saying. It was reported earlier this year that the first lady pays for her own clothing and doesn’t accept free fashion or loaned outfits to promote designers.

The extravagance of the clothing choice got on lots of American nerves.

The Washington Post pointed out that voters erupted in 2009, when former first lady Michelle Obama wore a pair of $540 Lanvin kicks to help out at a Washington food bank.

Times have changed.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.