You Won't Recognize The Trump Women In Throwback Photos

It's no secret that the women in the Trump family adhere to similar fashion standards. Bright tones of makeup? Check. Perfectly coiffed hair? Check. Glittery, shiny, and otherwise bedazzled dresses? Check, check, and check. The fact of the matter is that the Trump women tend to embrace all things glamorous in a larger-than-life sort of way. As The New York Times fashion editor Vanessa Friedman once observed, "There is a certain kind of look that the women in Mr. Trump's closest orbit — his wife, daughters and daughters-in-law — all share ... It calls to mind a cross between a Miss America — or Miss Universe — pageant contestant and a Fox newscaster. It is the equivalent of the Palm Beach billionaire take on the trad wife."

Of course, not all of the women in the Trump family have embraced this look since day one. Years ago, many of them — including Marla Maples and Kimberly Guilfoyle — experimented with simpler styles. Some — like Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump — even dipped their toes into the more serious fashion of haute couture. Regardless of where they started out, most have since migrated toward the more elaborate world of Trumpian fashion. Even those that have stuck to their own personal style have significantly changed their posture toward Trump and his empire as time has gone on.

The late and utterly fabulous Ivana Trump was in many ways the OG Trump woman. Her signature blond hair and attention-grabbing makeup spearheaded much of the aesthetic that would be embraced by the Trump clan in future years. Despite this, she is often remembered less for her role in shaping America's first family than for the rage that she expressed upon learning that her husband, Donald Trump, had cheated on her with television presenter and actor, Marla Maples. As Ivana once told CBS of Maples (via the Daily Mail), "I don't talk about her. She's a showgirl. Never achieve anything in her life."

Although Ivana clearly felt some animosity about the affair that ended her marriage, there was a time when she and Donald Trump seemed cozy together. This was particularly evident during a 1987 photoshoot at Donald and Ivana's Greenwich, Connecticut home. Photos of the two together show them looking relaxed and happy. In one shot, Donald seemed to be suppressing a smile in what was apparently a moment of genuine connection. Ivana, meanwhile, was captured resting an arm on the future president's knee. This portrait of the pair together stands as a time capsule to a now-forgotten time when Ivana essentially defined Trumpian femininity. This image of Ivana looking comfortable on her now-ex-husband's arm is hard to reconcile with the woman who never fully forgave Donald for his eventual affair.

Despite whatever hard feelings remained between Ivana Trump and Marla Maples, it's hard to deny that the latter was in some sense inspired by her predecessor. Prior to meeting Donald Trump, Maples was a young aspiring actor with many dreams and little life experience. She wore her hair in what appears to have been a mostly natural shade of dirty blond. We can see this gorgeous color in a photo of Maples taken three years prior to her marriage to Trump. Dark and golden undertones made her hairstyle look soft and comfortable. She looked nothing like the Miss America beauty queens that most Trump women resemble. If anything, Maples looked like a typical young professional trying to make it big in the entertainment industry.

By the time Maples married Trump in 1993, however, this charming girl-next-door look had changed completely. At her wedding, Maples was photographed with the very same whitish blond locks that we typically associate with the Trump women today. It should definitely be noted that this shade of hair dye was strikingly similar to the color of Ivana's hair. Perhaps Maples drew inspiration from Trump's first wife or perhaps she felt this color suited her. Either way, even after Marla Maples underwent a fashion transformation after divorcing Donald Trump, she maintained her blond hairstyle.

These days, fans of the Trump empire are quick to question Donald Trump and Melania Trump's unusual marriage. After all, Melania hasn't always seemed overly interested in her husband. There was that time that she was filmed pulling her hand out of Donald's grasp following the 2020 presidential debates. There was that awkward State of the Union address when Melania was visibly the only Trump woman who refused to give Donald a standing ovation. And who could forget the moment at the 2025 presidential inauguration when the first lady appeared to be using her hat to avoid one of Donald's kisses?

As cold and distant as Melania has seemed in many public appearances, photos from the past show that she wasn't always this way. In 1999, the future first lady was much more effusive — and at times, even deferential toward Donald. We can clearly see this in a shot of Melania and Donald spending time together at the Liberation Lounge. Mingling with models and stylists backstage at a fashion show, the couple appeared to be having a ball. Most shockingly, however, the photograph shows Melania grasping Donald's hand, bobbing downward, and staring up at him. This pose — which resembles a royal curtsy — does not just communicate a sense of reverence but also of submissiveness. The image of Melania curtsying stands in an almost bizarre contrast to the more independent figure she projects today.

Melania Trump is not the only Trump woman who used to model professionally. In the 1990s — before she could ever dream of becoming the White House's famed first daughter — Ivanka Trump pursued a wild career as a runway model and cover girl. After signing with the top-grade agency, Elite, Ivanka strutted out into a world of opportunities. She walked for impressive brands, including Betsey Johnson and Jill Stuart, and posed for Tommy Hilfiger and graced the cover of Seventeen magazine. 

Photographs of Ivanka during this stage show that she took her career aspirations seriously. In 1999, at Thierry Mugler's Spring Ready To Wear Collection fashion show, Ivanka walked the runway in an outfit that made jaws drop. Wearing a black spaghetti strap dress and popping green eyeshadow, Ivanka would have stood out from any crowd. But, the truly eye-grabbing portion of her getup was her hair "do," which involved piling her blond curls on top of her head so that they resembled a genuine bird's nest.

Although Ivanka clearly put a lot of effort into her modeling, not everyone appreciated her talents. At one point, a fashion editor told Spin, "If it wasn't for her dad, she would be at best a B-model trying really hard to get work in Miami." By 2025, Ivanka had ditched the haute couture look in favor of her family's Barbie-style fashion — from her glamorous gowns to her blond hairstyle 

These days, Tiffany Trump is known for her commitment to her ever-growing family. In 2021, the youngest Trump woman got engaged to billionaire heir, Michael Boulos, at the White House Rose garden. Just one year later, Tiffany Trump threw a glamorous wedding at her father's Mar-a-Lago golf club in Palm Beach, Florida. In October 2024, her father, Donald Trump, announced her pregnancy while campaigning at the Detroit Economic Club. "She's an exceptional young woman. And she's going to have a baby. So that's nice," Donald told crowds, (via People).

Just because Tiffany Trump has transformed into a stunning adult, however, does not mean that America has forgotten how adorable she was in her youth. In the 1990s, when she was still just a kid, Tiffany would visit her father in Florida or New York — where she would attend his famous parties. In one photo snapped at Mar-a-Lago, Tiffany and Donald were captured dancing together at what appeared to have been a formal gala. Whereas most guests were clearly dressed in their very best for the occasion, Tiffany was donning a casual pink ensemble reminiscent of pyjamas. Although her adoration for Donald has apparently remained consistent over the years, Tiffany has clearly evolved. As elegant as she was in her Elie Saab wedding gown, it's hard to imagine her dancing around her father's golf club in a casual pink set. 

Rumors have long swirled about Lara Trump's physical transformation. The television presenter turned RNC co-chair is said to have undergone a good deal of plastic surgery over the years. Speaking about this matter to The List, board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Brian Reagan, MD, FACS, of CosmetiCare Plastic Surgery Center & MedSpa in Newport Beach, California hinted that Lara may have had some procedures. Pointing to an image of Lara in 2015, Reagan said, "We can see some hollowness in her lower eyelids, along with more angular features in her jawline and her cheeks appear to be flat." By 2020, however, the doctor noticed, "a softer, rounder facial appearance, suggesting that she may have had volume added" — or, in other words, potential fillers.

We can see how much Lara changed in the past two decades by taking a look at photographs from the Trump family's New Year's Eve party at Mar-A-Lago in 2002. At this point in time, Lara was still Eric Trump's girlfriend and therefore known as Lara Yunaska. In this image, we see Lara looking much more natural than she does in current photos. While she wore some makeup, she hardly evoked the beauty-queen Trump style. Her cheeks were also quite gaunt in comparison to the full, rounder cheeks we see today. All in all, this old picture shows that Lara probably is not afraid to alter her appearance as she ages and her career progresses.

Even though Donald Trump Jr.'s ex-wife, Vanessa Trump, no longer technically belongs to the Trump clan, she continues to embrace the family's unique aesthetic. Her pale blond hair color mirrors the shades donned by Ivana Trump and Marla Maples. She wears attention-grabbing makeup, and rumor has it that she's not afraid of plastic surgery. 

Interestingly, however, Vanessa did not always seem keen on this pageant-esque look. Back when she first got engaged to Donald Jr. in 2005, Vanessa looked totally natural. Photos of the duo show that they have both changed significantly over the years, although Vanessa's transformation is much more striking than her ex-husband's. Sure, Donald Jr. might have lost some weight, but Vanessa appears to have upended her entire sense of style. 

At the time of her engagement, the model wore her hair in what appears to be a natural shade of brown. Her makeup, although present, seemed restricted to basic lip gloss and a touch of mascara. The result was an attractive look that hinted more of the girl-next-door than the woman on the cover of a tabloid magazine. Since then, Vanessa has clearly adopted a much more artificial look — one that she has maintained even after exiting the Trump family and beginning a romance with Tiger Woods.

For many fans of the Trump family, Kimberly Guilfoyle is something of an enigma. As Donald Trump Jr.'s once-fiancée, Guilfoyle is closely associated with the Republican Party. She was even nominated by Donald Trump to be the American ambassador to Greece in 2024. That being said, Guilfoyle was not always so entrenched in one party. Although she considers herself a life-long Republican, Guilfoyle spent the early 2000s living in San Francisco as the first lady of the city and Gavin Newsom's wife.

During those days, she dressed in professional attire and embraced a scholarly look that many would consider nerdy chic. This was obvious in 2004 when she was selected to speak at the 15th annual GLAAD media awards. Photos of the occasion show Guilfoyle looking presentable in a black blazer, which she accessorized with a pair of adorable glasses. She pulled her hair back into a simple updo and wore pale makeup on her face.

Guilfoyle's look contrasts significantly with the type of fashion she embraced during her relationship with Donald Jr. Throughout her romance with the president's son, Guilfoyle was known for wearing plunging necklines and copious amounts of makeup. Rather than style her hair in a simple updo, she wore it in long waves. Guilfoyle's throwback photos differ so much from her current ones that it's hard to imagine the same woman is featured in both.