It was hard to miss Melania Trump at the 2026 World Cup finals on Sunday. No, it wasn't because she was in a private box with the president and other world leaders. It was because of her sunglasses.
Her oversize Dior frames took the mirrored look to a new level. They were so reflective that you could watch the entire match through her glasses.
It was a daring fashion moment for the first lady, but not the first time designer sunglasses have been at the center of one of Melania's looks. They are a go-to accessory for her, whether she's stepping off of Air Force One, speaking to survivors of a natural disaster, or watching a sporting event.
Take a look at some of the most high-end sunglasses Melania has worn over the years.
Melania Trump unofficially kicked off her tenure as first lady in a pair of large Gucci glasses.
When Melania arrived in Washington, DC, the day before Trump's 2017 inauguration, she wore a black coat by Norisol Ferrari and Gucci sunglasses.
The large square frames are a signature shape for Melania, obscuring much of the top half of her face.
Public opinion on the glasses was split at the time. Some thought they were an homage to another first lady, Jackie Kennedy (as her powder blue suit was the following day), while others thought they were a fashion faux pas because she was scheduled to visit Arlington National Cemetery that day.
The pair retails for $465 at Sunglass Hut.
She was dressed on-theme for a helicopter flight in August 2017, wearing aviator glasses.
Melania joined her husband on Marine One in August 2017 to visit people affected by Hurricane Harvey in Corpus Christi, Texas. She chose an aviation-themed look for the occasion.
She was dressed casually for the visit, in black trousers, a black top, and an army-green bomber jacket resembling those worn by Air Force pilots. The most noticeable element of Melania's look was her stiletto heels, but her aviator sunglasses were a close runner-up.
Designed by Victoria Beckham, the Loop Aviators had silver frames and looked almost exactly like the sunglasses pilots are known to wear (personally, they make me think of Tom Cruise in "Top Gun").
The sunglasses cost $200 when Melania wore them.
Melania wore another pair of high-end sunglasses for her first state visit to the UK in July 2018.
When the Trumps arrived in the UK for a state visit in July 2018, Melania wore a gray Roland Mouret dress with a red belt.
The pièce de résistance of her look was her Saint Laurent SL1F 003 sunglasses. They helped Melania create a professional look for her royal visit.
The glasses, which retail for $520 from Eyewear Closet but are on sale for $289, have a flat top, giving them a sophisticated feel.
The first lady looked aloof, thanks to her sunglasses, at a Veterans Day Parade in November 2019.
Melania wore all black for a 2019 Veterans Day Parade in New York City, including a Michael Kors military-style coat with gold buttons and black Manolo Blahnik pumps.
Black Bottega Veneta sunglasses, which cost $306 at the time, completed her look and emphasized her serious expression throughout the parade.
Melania rolled up to one of the 2020 presidential debates in two-toned sunglasses.
Melania accompanied her husband to a debate in September 2020, wearing a Dolce & Gabbana pinstripe suit.
She added sunglasses to the look for her departure from Air Force One, selecting two-toned Givenchy glasses that faded from gray to a light blue. Thanks to the half-sheer lenses, the glasses were a clever move for Melania, seemingly toeing the line between openness and her preference for privacy.
The brand doesn't sell the exact model anymore, but resellers list them for $225-$270.
Melania rewore one of her go-to pairs of sunglasses as she left the White House in January 2021.
When Trump's first term ended, he and Melania were photographed leaving the White House on the morning of Joe Biden's inauguration before heading to Florida. Melania wore all black for the occasion, pairing a form-fitting Dolce & Gabbana dress with a Chanel jacket.
She accessorized with an Hermes bag, Christian Louboutin heels, and, of course, her Bottega Veneta sunglasses. Gold detailing on the edges coordinated with the buttons on her jacket.
Later the same day, Melania arrived in Florida in a totally different look.
Melania changed her outfit on Air Force One, swapping her black suit for a printed Gucci dress.
The look was aptly beachy for her destination, Mar-a-Lago, and it was only natural for her to accessorize it with sunglasses. The pop of color in the dress and glasses made this look more casual.
She selected Elizabeth and James Adler sunglasses in Tortoise, which retail for $195.
Melania even wore sunglasses to Ivana Trump's funeral in July 2022.
Melania has been spotted in sunglasses, rain or shine, on a variety of occasions, but the most surprising may have been at Ivana Trump's 2022 funeral.
It was unclear who designed the frames, but Melania stood out in them, as she was the only member of the Trump family wearing sunglasses with her black funeral attire.
Melania donned sunglasses during one of her rare public appearances in June 2023.
Melania kept a low profile during the years between her husband's first and second presidential terms, but, unsurprisingly, she often wore sunglasses in her public appearances.
For instance, she was photographed arriving at Trump Tower in a black top with a Martin Grant trench skirt in June 2023. She completed her look with black Saint Laurent SL M16 Sunglasses. The straight top and wide frames obscured much of Melania's face, creating some distance between her and the photographers.
The sunnies retail for $450.
She wore her favorite accessory inside on Election Day 2024.
The Trumps were photographed voting in Palm Beach in November 2024, with Melania wearing a black-and-white polka-dot Dior dress.
She paired her look with her $185 Elizabeth and James Adler Sunglasses, a black variety that coordinated with her ensemble.
The first lady turned heads in a pair of reflective sunglasses at a soccer match in July 2025.
Melania attended the final match of the FIFA Club World Cup in July 2025, and her dramatic sunglasses were hard to miss.
Her white DiorNuit S1I sunglasses had a square shape with thick frames, but the standout feature was the lenses. They were completely reflective, so the soccer field was visible in any photos taken of her that day.
The glasses resell for around $400 at the time of writing.
She sported a dramatic pair of reflective glasses for the July 2026 World Cup, too.
Melania headed to New Jersey for the final match of the 2026 World Cup. Her look was primarily made up of American designers, aside from her eyewear.
The glasses appeared to be a reflective iteration of the Dior Stellaire sunglasses with their oversize, square shape, which retails for around $450 online. Because the lenses were so big, you could watch the match through Melania's sunglasses if you were looking at her.
The sunglasses drew attention back to the game rather than to Melania herself, which may have been the first lady's intention.
Read next
Samantha Grindell Pettyjohn is a Senior Reporter at Business Insider with more than seven years of experience in the lifestyle space.At Business Insider, Samantha's coverage focuses on unique living situations, interior design, style, and books. Her work includes features on multigenerational living and one-of-a-kind houses, timely articles on celebrity fashion, live coverage of award shows and pageants, and fun pieces about popular book series. Samantha also loves reporting on celebrities on her beats, from HGTV stars Christina Haack and Tarek El Moussa to authors such as Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros.Samantha appeared on Scripps News and CBS in 2022 as a result of her coverage of the royal family, and in 2023, she won an Anthem Award for her work on Business Insider's package "Better Me."Samantha received her B.A. in English from Birmingham-Southern College in 2017, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She later earned her M.S. in Publishing from New York University in 2019. Samantha was previously a staff writer at Romper, and her writing has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Mic, and Oprah.com. Today, Samantha lives in New York.Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X.ExpertiseHomes, celebrity style, the royal family, interior design, and multigenerational living.Popular ArticlesA family spent $69,000 turning their garage into an apartment so their son could live rent-free while launching his startupA family ditched their dining room and added a primary suite above the garage in a $1 million renovation of their homeShe moved across the country when her husband got into Harvard. Starting over was hard.Rebecca Yarros is working on the 4th 'Empyrean' novel. Here's everything the 'Fourth Wing' author has said about the book so far.Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Network pulls show after homeowners allege that makeovers ruined their houses
