Melania Trump: First Lady's pricey looks in just one month cost £18,000 – who paid for it?

While she may no longer work as a fashion model, Melania Trump’s style is still closely followed by many. As First Lady of the United States, the 48-year-old is often pictured as she steps out on official events. And, more often than not, the mother-of-one is seen wearing some stunning designer outfits. The high-fashion looks don’t come cheap however, with many garments coming with price tags well into the thousands.

No doubt considered a style icon by many fans, the First Lady is regularly seen wearing clothes she has not previously worn in public.

Last month, Melania’s March wardrobe racked up a huge figure when it came to the total estimated worth.

In fact, according to one fashion blogger, this could have amounted to an astonishing £17,895 that month alone.

However, that’s not including some items which could not be identified.

Therefore, it may be that her total spend is higher.

With so much money being spent, some people may wonder who is footing the bill.

But, American taxpayers may be interested to hear that their hard-earned cash is not funding the First Lady’s ensembles.

In fact, Melania’s spokesperson Stephanie Grisham has confirmed that “she pays for all her own clothes”.

Some of the First Lady’s style pieces may have been bought in the past.

Despite this huge estimated expense, it may be that Melania scooped a discount from the stores she bought clothes for.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, First Ladies in the US are said to sometimes get a discount on the clothing that they purchase, from certain brands.

What’s more, W have reported that a First Lady may wear a piece of clothing which was gifted or donated by a designer, provided it’s officially made government property and given to the National Archives after she has worn it.

As First Lady, Melania does not receive a salary for her role in the White House.

However, with her astonishing fortune, it’s unlikely that she will struggle to cover the costs when it comes to her expensive taste in style.

But, just how rich is the former businesswoman?

Melania Trump’s net worth stands at an estimated $50million (£38 million), according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Melania Trump: Five facts about the USA’s First Lady

Languages

Mum-of-one Melania can speak more languages than any other First Lady before her: English, French, German, Italian, Serbian and of course her mother tongue, Slovenian.

This also makes her the only First Lady whose first language is not English.

Religion

After Jacqueline Kennedy, Melania is the second First Lady who is a practising Catholic.

She met Pope Francis as part of a foreign tour with her husband and stepdaughter Ivanka last year.

Career

Melania was a successful model, posing for Sports Illustrated, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and GQ.

Her skills aren’t confined to print, and she appeared in a commercial for Aflac, an American insurance company, in 2005.

Family

Melania’s parents are Amalija Knavs and Viktor Knavs, and the couple live together in Washington.

She has one sister, Ines, who is reported to live in New York and work as an artist.

Charity

On May 7 2018, Melania launched her flagship campaign as First Lady, BE BEST, which The White House describes as “an awareness campaign focused entirely around the well-being of children”.

There are three main strands to the initiative: well-being, social media, and opioid abuse.