Before you go off on a judgment spree because of the title of this article let me make it clear that I am not here to talk about anything else – no politics, none of the why’s and the why-not’s, nor the how’s.

I am merely referring to STYLE.

Yes, whether you want to or not you must admit that our First Lady has style.

What is style you may ask? Is it something that can be achieved by spending loads of money on an outfit, by following fashion every season, by flaunting our wealth? Does style refer to one’s outer appearance?

No, absolutely not!

Style is much more than your expensive haircut, your fashionable clothes, or your designer shoes. It is the total combination of the way you dress, the way you talk, the way you move or the way you do anything and everything.

Style is expression. It is the way you express your inner being to the outside world. This includes your thoughts, emotions, interests and most of all your values. Everything you exude on the outside is a reflection of what’s on the inside.

True Style, with its all-encompassing innate qualities it represents, has lost much of its meaning today.

I can tell you what style is not.

Style is NOT fashion. Anyone can upgrade their outward appearance by following fashion. You can hire a “style coach” or “image consultant” for a personal shopping session where the focus is mainly on fashion.

Fashion is just one expression of your style.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is undeniably one of the greatest style icons of the last century. If she were still alive, she would be celebrating her 88th Birthday this July.

Many remember her accomplishments fairly well, notably her restoration of the White House and her career as a book editor. To me and to many in the field of fashion, she was the epitome of elegance, and her much-celebrated sense of style has been a point of reference that every First Lady who has ever since stepped into the White House has been compared to.

Yes, Jackie did indeed set the bar for First Lady fashion. Aside from the star power she owned and exuded, the fashion she followed was unique to her personality.

Some have referred Jackie Kennedy’s style as safe and conservative. Although never lewd, Jackie was way more experimental with her wardrobe than most remember. She created a signature look all her own that included well-tailored skirt sets, often paired with a strand of double-wrapped pearls and her perfectly coordinated pillbox hats, and thru the air of mystery she achieved with her headscarves and square shades.

Then there were the gowns she wore for black-tie affairs with her signature white bicep-high opera gloves – a look that forever set the bar for First Lady fashion and deeply adored by all.

Just how much innate chicness coursed through her was especially evident in her string of effortless off-duty ensembles that include simple unfussy separates, the confidently simple but chic tees and no-frills denim, her trademark round shades, paired with ballet flats.

From formal affairs to nautical excursions to street chic errands, Jackie was a portrait that encapsulates effortless perfection at its best – a style that so many can only hope to emulate.

The recently released new Jackie biopic starring Natalie Portman celebrates the power of a fashion icon and thrusts Jackie’s style back into the spotlight. It brings home the fact about how much Jackie was deeply loved and adored. Decades after her time in office, the world still reflects on her influence on fashion with numerous articles dedicated to copying her timeless look and her inimitable style.

Undeniably Jackie Kennedy was one of the greatest style icons of the last century.

Truthfully, few modern women, let alone First Ladies, deserve the distinction that Jackie has achieved, of being referred to as a “fashion icon” whose style is not just a transitory fashion charm, an of-the–moment allure that is fast forgotten, but one that burns bright even to this day.

Jackie’s elegance and class was an inspiration to millions. Her look was admired and copied worldwide, decade after decade, and as a style icon she will never fade.

The focus has now appropriately shifted onto the new First Lady, Melania Trump, and her own unique style.

One must admit that the First Lady has style.

Yes, Melania Trump is fashionable but her star power is also undeniable. With just a few months as America’s First lady, we have seen time and again the self-confidence she has displayed and the comfort level of holding her own in a room full of dignitaries, in front of the world and the critical media. She has set the bar for effortless elegance in the public eye ever since in her exquisitely tailored clothes, styled with simple, perfectly considered accessories, which have become her own signature ensemble.

The powder blue day outfit Melania Trump chose to wear at the inauguration, complete with the long gloves as she held the Bible for her husband to swear the Presidential oath, had echoes of her predecessor’s style. The cashmere dress and bolero jacket appeared to be a nod to Jackie Kennedy’s inaugural look. It was the first indication of her true style as First Lady, the first scene of the first act of her own movie. Such is the enduring power of style.

Her unfussy approach to fashion and beauty was clearly evident when she stepped out at the inaugural ball in the off-the-shoulder white gown embellished with a ruffle cascading down her side, cinched with a delicate red ribbon at the waist. That evening she made one of the biggest sartorial statements as First Lady.

Melania has proven that she is not averse to color, donning bright pink and red on occasions, as well she has proven she can dress down when the feeling strikes. The signature Melania glamour is present in whatever she wears and wherever she goes. The elegance and confidence she exudes is more than just the fashion she wears. It is innate. It is unique. It is STYLE.

Will Melania Trump’s style stand the test of time?

What kind of legacy will she leave behind?

Only time will tell…

© Rani St. Pucchi, 2017
Rani St. Pucchi is an award-winning Couture Fashion Designer, a Style & Image Consultant, and a Relationship Expert. She is a Bestselling Author, a Speaker, an Inspirational Coach and a Trainer. Her #1 International Bestselling Books, Your Body, Your Style: Simple Tips on Dressing to Flatter Your Body Type http://amzn.to/2eRcOb6 and The SoulMate Checklist : Keys to Finding Your Perfect Partner http://amzn.to/2gXiHFz are now available on Amazon and at Barnes & Nobles. For more information on Rani please visit www.ranistpucchi.com

*** This article first appeared on The Huffington Post