While Ivanka Trump typically nails trends thanks to her polished style, a trip to the desert just didn’t work. She posted the pics on Instagram on March 29, 2026. Unfortunately for her, the leather dress she chose to wear, accessorized with high-heeled boots and a big, black cowboy hat, came off as totally out-of-touch and unbearably uncomfortable. The desert can be a scorcher of a place to visit, and so Ivanka’s decision to wear a long, leather dress and high boots seemed outrageous.
The other pics in her carousel of photos had a more genuine feel to them. Ivanka posed in athletic clothing as she climbed rocks with her children, and the authenticity of these shots gave them a more compelling feel. Conversely, her sweltering leather look felt completely inauthentic. In the comments section, people called her out for what clearly was a staged photo. “Pretty sure she did not have to hike to that location,” someone joked, referring to the utter impracticality of her look. “So out of touch!!” another scolded her, likely referring to Donald Trump’s war against Iran, which had begun less than a month before. “Leather there?!!!” someone else chimed in. This comes as one more example of Ivanka wearing outfits that totally missed the mark, where she showed up in something that didn’t suit the event. Leather in the desert totally fits this category of missing the mark.
Ivanka Trump seems to be rebranding her image into a desert cowgirl
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner worked with President Donald Trump during his first term. The two of them served as senior advisors in the White House from 2017 to 2021, and got a considerable amount of pushback for it. Calling out the nepotism of the situation, people couldn’t understand how Ivanka and Jared, with no prior experience in politics, suddenly found themselves in such powerful positions. Her role in Trump’s presidency considerably damaged Ivanka’s reputation amongst the more liberal New York social circles that she had previously inhabited.
As such, when Trump became president for a second time in 2025, Ivanka and Jared stayed far away from the political spotlight. While actively distancing herself from her father’s administration, Ivanka has been making a concerted effort to rebrand herself and make a social comeback. In this light, Ivanka has shared a lot of unexpected cowgirl ensembles. On January 4, 2026, she posted a carousel of photos to Instagram from Aspen, Colorado, of herself in western wear, with a similar (or the same) black cowboy hat she wore in the desert. While Ivanka was previously slammed for wearing outfits that cost more than the average rent, she’s making a clear rebrand of her image for one of wholesome, Western ideals. Far away from the hustle of Washington, DC, Ivanka portrays herself as a family woman out in the country. The long skirts, the big hats, and the cacti are worlds away from her father’s life.