The right to (not) bare arms: How Melania Trump has used SLEEVES to set herself apart from her first lady predecessor, Michelle Obama

Many people have remarked on how toned 53-year-old Michelle's arms are
The former first lady frequently wore sleeveless dresses and tops during her husband's presidency
Melania, 48, has made a habit of wearing dresses and tops with long or mid-length sleeves
She also picks eye-catching sleeve silhouettes and makes a statement by draping coats over her shoulders, without sticking her arms in the sleeves

Published: 16:48 GMT, 26 December 2017 | Updated: 18:48 GMT, 26 December 2017

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Melania Trump's husband may be a vocal proponent of the second amendment, but the first lady doesn't seem to care much about baring arms. Her arms, that is.

Since Donald Trump took office — in fact, since the 2016 campaign — the 48-year-old's fashion choices have featured one particularly striking difference from those of her predecessor.

Unlike Michelle Obama, who frequently chose sleeveless dresses and tops that flaunted her famously toned arms, Melania appears to be partial to outfits with sleeves that that keep her arms and shoulders under wraps.

First lady fashion: Melania Trump frequently picks outfits with sleeves, including for her official portrait

Baring arms: Michelle Obama was a fan of going sleeveless, including in her own official portrait

Perhaps the biggest difference in style between the two is their sleeve-wearing frequency

Melania favors things with sleeves, including jackets and blazers; Michelle did not

Much has been said of 48-year-old Melania's style choices, both complimentary and not-so-much. Her Jackie O-inspired look made headlines, as did the Top Gun-theme look — complete with widely-mocked 'flood heels' — she wore to visit Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Michelle's style picks were written about and dissected as well while her husband was in office.

Yet aside from a clear flair for fashion from both ladies, the two seem to have little style overlap, and one especially notable thing that sets them apart is their sleeve preferences.

Michelle, 53, caused quite a stir during Obama's first term with her sleeveless dresses. In 2009, while her husband gave a speech to Congress, she sat in the audience in purple sleeveless dress.

'Oh my god. The First Lady has bare arms in Congress, in February, at night!' Cindi Leive, then the editor of Glamour magazine, told the New York Times at the time.

The sleeve disparity is noticeable both in casual and formalwear

Much has been said about Michelle's toned arms, and the former first lady famously worked out regularly

Melania, a former model is has nothing to hide, but still prefers sleeves that cover up

Melania has ushered in a new first lady look during her first year in the White House

'When she was at the non-State of the Union address and had the sleeveless dress on, that was a bit of a surprise and I got some e-mails from some folks who were, you know, they work on the Hill and they were like, "Wow she's sleeveless.Nobody else is sleeveless here and it is the winter,"' Politico White House reporter Malika Henderson told ABC News.

'Her kind of philosophy of fashion is that women should wear what they are comfortable in,' Henderson added. 'And so there she is with her arms out.'

Shortly after, Chicago Tribune style reporter Wendy Donahue predicted that Michelle would make bare arms her 'signature statement' — and, of course, she turned out to be right.

'In many ways it's the perfect accessory for the times. They cost nothing except maybe a gym membership or a couple of 15-pound [weights] that you can use in your home,' she said. 'Those toned arms that are the envy of every woman, not just 45-year-old women, but 25-year-old women don't have arms that toned.'

Earlier this year, fashion designer Maria Pinto even spoke to the impact that Michelle's choices had.

Michelle caused a stir in February 2009 when she wore this sleeveless dress to a speech given by the President

Melania, meanwhile, wears long sleeves even in the summer (pictured)

Michelle was sometimes criticized by people who thought that her sleeveless looks were 'inappropriate'

Melania does occasionally go sleeveless as well, though it is not her favored style

She set the tone in 2018 with her speech at the Republican National Convention

She has continued to wear sleeves, perhaps in part to set herself apart from Michelle

'The sleeveless sheaths that I encouraged her to wear — it brought sleeveless into a space that was considered more acceptable. News anchors weren't allowed to wear sleeveless on TV before Michelle,' she told Elle.

But while many had praise for the look, some critics called her penchant for showing her arms off 'inappropriate' for her position — and that didn't end even when she left the White House in 2017.

In February, Ruth Ann Dailey, a columnist for The Federalist, shared her hope that Melania would usher in a return to sleeves.

'Not every woman has Michelle Obama's arms. Some body parts just look better covered up,' she wrote.

'Melania Trump has no jiggles to hide, but I'm heartened by the white Roksana Ilincic dress with bracelet-length sleeves she wore for her convention speech,' she went on, before referencing her election-night Ralph Lauren jumpsuit and pre-inauguration dinner Reem Acra gown, both of which also had sleeves.

She doesn't seem to break a sweat, even while wearing shirts and jackets in the heat

Even her more glamorous formalwear, like this gown, often comes with sleeves of some sort

She wears long-sleeve tops with skirts and pants as well

She also make a statement with her sleeves. While wearing coats, she frequently drapes them over her shoulders rather than sticking her arms in them

Some have mocked this practice, though others in the fashion world acknowledge that it is a fashion habit that shows off an outfit's silhouette

The new first lady has kept it up through her first year in the job, and people have certainly noticed the change.

'If there has been a single defining characteristic of Melania Trump's public profile over the past year, it has been her relationship with sleeves,' mused The Washington Post's fashion editor Robin Givhan.

Givhan admitted that Melania's preference for sleeves is all the more noticeable due to comparisons to Michelle — but Melania still makes them eye-catching in their own right.

'Trump's sleeves are the mark of a fashion aesthete who is willing to cast aside practicality in favor of line, silhouette and proportion,' she wrote. Her sleeves tell a story of an exceptional life, one that is now lived inside the White House security bubble.'

Her sleeves have come in many forms. There have been straight, snug sleeves that reach to her elbows or wrists. There have been the rolled-up sleeves of button-down blouses and chambray shirts. There have been wide flutter sleeves, like the ones that accented the Dior dress at the unveiling of the White House Christmas decorations.

Melania's sleeves come in various shapes and lengths

She has even taken to wearing coats and jackets inside, even when others aren't

Her sleeves are sometimes decorative and feature accents

She is a fan of the button-down collar shirt, and likes to roll the sleeves up

She's worn flutter sleeves, bell sleeves, and other decorative designs

Another go-to style for Melania is the blazer, like this one

'If there has been a single defining characteristic of Melania Trump's public profile over the past year, it has been her relationship with sleeves,' wrote Robin Givhan

To welcome China's president Xi Jinping and his wife to Mar-a-Lago this year, she wore a Gucci gown with three-quarter-length sleeves, accented at the ends with pink fur.

She's been a fan of bell sleeves, too, like the ones on that white Roksana Ilincic she wore to the RNC and the hot pink Delpozo dress she donned in September.

She's even made a statement of not sticking her arms in sleeves, draping coats and cardigans over her shoulders instead of wearing them in the traditional way.

'It's a fashion tic — a styling flourish that allows for layering while ensuring that each layer is visible,' Givhan explained. 'It's also an impractical style and essentially renders one's arms useless. But, of course, that assumes that one will need to do anything remotely physical. No first lady has to.'