As soon as President Trump and First Lady Melania arrived in India, the media greeted them as usual – cameras ready to measure their every move. Trump himself wore a yellow tie; its brightness garnering much attention.

Melania was outfitted in a white jumpsuit set off with a green sash around her waist. When the pictures made their way online, immediately the public set in on Melania’s outfit: “karate clothes,” “Karate green belt,” and more. Most of the comments alluded to the idea that Melania’s outfit reminded them of one who was about to participate in a martial arts event.

Some individuals compared Melania’s choice of outfits to clothing worn by Bollywood actors. In the 1990s, actors Shah Rukh and Salman Khan wore white jumpsuits with similar sashes in a film titled Karan Arjun. By contrast, the President himself wore a bright yellow tie against a dark suit. His daughter Ivanka wore a floral design dress that was no reflection of the Indian culture whatsoever.

Ironically, the First Lady has had other outfits labeled as “karate wear.” Twitter was ripe with comments about a May 2017 outfit that Melania wore on a trip to Saudi Arabia: “Melania looks like a ‘Karate Kid’ and Trump is JUST a KID.”

Others who commented on her recent outfit as she exited Air Force One in India also stated: “Is it only me or does everyone think Melania is ready for a round of karate?”, “Melania looks like she can kick all their ***** in her karate suit,” and “Wow.

Melania has just got her Karate green belt. Way to go first lady.” Notice that the poster failed to capitalize the term “First Lady.” This is indicative of the blatant disrespect that our First Lady consistently experiences.

Melania’s outfit was designed with Indian traditional dress inspiration. Atellier Caito for Harve Pierre created the white jumpsuit and fashioned the sash with an ancient India textile that was accented with gold thread.

The designer was certainly proud of the finished product; they placed a photo of the outfit on their Instagram page with the following caption: “We used the border which was the most interesting piece we could use as it was a vintage piece.” The general public expected Melania to wear something that was inspired by Indian culture.

Social media outlets speculated aloud as to whether the First Lady would wear a saree or other traditional Indian garments. One might be surprised to find that Twitter was busy speculating not only Melania’s outfit choices, but the president’s as well.

Prior to heading to India, Trump had worn a red tie. Some on Twitter speculated whether this was a sign that President Trump actually supported TDP. Another group stated that the yellow tie was a color that symbolized the spring season, and a third group described the yellow tie as a nod to the warm and welcoming spirit of the Indian people.

We may never know why these outfits were chosen; however, the public continues to make critical remarks regarding our outstanding First Lady.