News Desk
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a twist that could only happen in the circus of American politics, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has become an unwitting fashion icon in China, all thanks to a red dress that’s causing more international drama than a poorly timed tariff. As the U.S. slaps 125% tariffs on Chinese goods in a trade war so intense it’s practically a Netflix series, Leavitt’s sartorial slip-up has Chinese social media cackling and U.S. critics clutching their pearls.
The dress, a snazzy red number with black lace trim, was spotted by eagle-eyed Weibo users who claimed its delicate lace was churned out in a factory in Mabu, China. A Chinese diplomat, Zhang Zhishen, couldn’t resist dunking on the irony, posting a picture of Leavitt in the dress on X with a screenshot of Weibo users losing their minds.
“Accusing China is business. Buying China is life,” Zhishen quipped, probably while sipping tea and giggling. He even dropped the brand name—Self Portrait, a UK-registered label designed by a Malaysian Chinese creator but, crucially, made in China. The shade was so sharp it could cut through a trade agreement.
Leavitt, 27, rocked the dress during a White House press briefing on January 31, apparently unaware she was modeling the geopolitical equivalent of a “kick me” sign. She’s even got it as her Instagram profile picture, because nothing says “I stand by my choices” like a permanent digital billboard of hypocrisy.
The internet, predictably, has been merciless. “You can’t make this up,” one X user crowed, while another called it “hypocrisy in high heels.” Some speculated the dress might be a knockoff, or from a second hand shop but the consensus is clear: China’s manufacturing fingerprints are all over the fashion world, and Leavitt’s closet is no exception. “Why doesn’t she wear only American-made clothes?” one critic sneered. “Talk is cheap, but apparently so is her wardrobe.”
In a White House statement, Leavitt’s team insisted she “supports American manufacturing” and claimed the dress was “probably just a gift from a foreign dignitary, or maybe it fell off a truck.” Meanwhile, President Trump reportedly called the dress “tremendous, the best dress, nobody wears dresses like us, believe me,” before pivoting to yell about tariffs.
As the trade war rages on, Leavitt’s fashion faux pas has become a global meme, proving once again that in Washington, even your outfit can start a diplomatic incident. Somewhere in Mabu, a factory worker is framing a picture of that lace and laughing all the way to the bank.
