Melania Trump's Bold Inauguration Ball Look Features One Of 2025's Hottest Accessory Trends

While the world was focusing on the tech-bro front row at Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on Monday, January 20, 2025, our eyes were on returning First Lady Melania Trump and her fashion choices. As expected, Melania didn't disappoint with her look, and, if you ask us, fellow attendee Lauren Boebert's inappropriate outfit at Trump's inauguration could have taken a page or two out of the former model's fashion book.

Melania Trump's stunning style transformation is no secret, and the first lady continues to surprise us with her chic yet fashion-forward style choices — her inaugural ball look being no exception. Earlier in the day, we got to see Melania serve ultimate spy boss lady energy in a navy coat with a wide-brimmed hat that almost broke the internet — yes, we've all seen the memes — but her inaugural ball look was what truly took our breath away. We didn't expect Melania to be part of the movement bringing back the chunky choker, but she showed exactly how to style it to perfection.

When Donald and Melania Trump walked out hand in hand at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, there was no denying that the first lady stole the 47th president's spotlight. Melania always looks flawless, but her white, custom Hervé Pierre dress featuring a slit and black, graphic detailing was the perfect choice to kick off her second term as first lady. "It was such an honor to create the dress for the First Lady Melania Trump tonight," Pierre captioned an Instagram post on Inauguration Day evening. "I can't thank her enough... it was a wonderful project, a great collaboration, as always." 

While the dress itself was a statement piece, the white heels and the chunky, black choker with a flower brooch that went with it offered unexpected edginess and took the ensemble's drama up a notch. Interestingly, the choker seemed to be part of Pierre's initial concept, as the designer's drawing shows a band of black fabric around the neck, but the brooch looks to be Melania's personal touch.

As we all know, chokers have been in and out of style for decades, and while we didn't see too much of them in the early 2020s, that's all beginning to change, as evidenced by Melania's major fashion moment. "Do men like chokers? (The necklace Melania is wearing right now is a choker.) I love them," a user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. While we think you should wear chokers regardless of whether men like them if you want to, we have to agree with this user — chokers are great accessories, and they deserve the comeback they're getting in 2025.

As we've said, chokers have been around for a while, whether we're talking about the grungy '90s version or the nostalgic resurgence of the choker in the mid-2010s. While the mainstream choker trend died down for many years, chunky chokers are back and bigger than ever in 2025.

Last year, we saw stars like Kim Kardashian and Jessica Alba rock chunky chokers to big industry events such as the LACMA Gala and Milan Fashion Week, respectively, and this year, Melania Trump reminded us of the sheer power a good choker can hold. The difference this time? It's all about styling your choker as a statement necklace to make it the focus of your outfit. Basically, chokers are getting bigger and bolder. If you're willing to hop on the chunky choker trend this year, keep in mind that you can layer necklaces with it, as well, as long as the choker remains the star of the show. Finally, just remember that while chokers used to be reserved for casual 'fits and edgier looks, this time around, they're upgrading glamorous fashion moments à la Melania Trump's, too!