This week, Melania Trump found herself in yet another fashion scandal.
The first lady was spotted boarding a plane to Texas in sky-high stilettos, though she was heading to an area devastated by Hurricane Harvey.
Public perception of Trump and her immediate predecessor, Michelle Obama, couldn't be more different. Fans of Obama paint her as a J. Crew-clad woman of the people. Meanwhile, Trump was slammed for a photo shoot in which she twirled a string of diamonds like spaghetti.
For fans of Trump, glitzy designer clothing is part of her appeal. Instagram accounts with thousands of followers track her every outfit. The far-right website Breitbart News, which criticized Obama for wearing a $2,290 dress to meet the pope in 2015, wrote that Trump was the "breakout star" of President Donald Trump's first trip abroad, radiating "high fashion."
To see how accurate Melania Trump's frivolous, filthy-rich reputation is in contrast to Obama's more down-to-earth image, we decided to re-create a theoretical "week in the life" of the two first ladies. We wanted to see whether Trump was actually spending more than Obama, or whether she was just a victim of bad press.
We compared seven iconic looks that Obama and Trump wore to similar events, from vacationing to campaigning, as well as their price tags. Fashion can be a strategic way for the first lady to send a message to the American people — and Trump and Obama both have different reputations and messages to send.
Here's how the two first ladies measure up and what it means for how Americans see them.
SEE ALSO: Melania Trump wore coat that costs more than most Americans earn in a year
Campaigning at political conventions
Melania Trump at the Republican National Convention: $2,190 Roksanda dress and $675 Christian Louboutin heels.
Trump made headlines after buying a Roksanda "Margot" dress from Net-a-Porter. The $2,190 dress sold out less than an hour after her speech.
She paired the dress with $675 Christian Louboutin heels.
Michelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention: $995 dress by Christian Siriano and $675 metallic Jimmy Choo heels.
Obama's blue dress was extremely similar to a $995 cobalt-blue dress made by Siriano, a designer who rose to prominence after appearing on "Project Runway." Siriano reportedly custom-made the dress Obama wore as she gave her "they go low, we go high" speech.
Her silver Jimmy Choo heels, spotted by Footwear News, cost $675.
Meeting with foreign leaders
Melania Trump at the G-7 summit: $53,130 Dolce & Gabbana outfit.
Trump made headlines when she wore a $51,500 Dolce & Gabbana jacket to a meeting with the spouses of some of the most powerful world leaders at the annual G-7 summit in Catania, Italy, in May. While we couldn't identify the first lady's dress and shoes, her bag was also Dolce & Gabbana and costs $1,630.
The first lady has worn Dolce & Gabbana on numerous occasions. The designer Stefano Gabbana has been extremely receptive of the support, posting many pictures of Trump in Dolce & Gabbana outfits on his Instagram.
Michelle Obama at the G-20 summit: $474 J. Crew outfit.
Obama also made headlines on her first trip to the United Kingdom as the first lady in 2009, thanks to her casual yet fashionable looks. The Guardian described her outfits, many of which were from J. Crew, as "a pitch of sunny, homely optimism, rather than sparkling glamour."
One of Obama's most memorable outfits of the trip was the one she wore to meet British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Fox News reported that the cardigan cost $298, the tank top $18, and the mint-green pencil skirt $158.
Charity work
Melania Trump at an abuse-prevention nonprofit: $1,150 pair of sandals to complete an otherwise low-key look.
Footwear News reported (somewhat snarkily) that Trump wore a $1,150 pair of Rene Caovilla sandals to visit HomeSafe in April. Trump also wore a $225 pair of L'Agence Margot jeans and an unidentified khaki shirt.
Michelle Obama at a food bank: $540 pair of sneakers to complete an otherwise low-key look.
In 2009, Obama caused some controversy when she wore a $540 pair of Lanvin sneakers to volunteer at a food bank with Jill Biden. She paired them with a $188 J. Crew sweater.
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