Melania's 'optical illusion' 9/11 coat sparks controversy

As the United States, and the world at large, took time to commemorate the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks yesterday, the First Lady found herself at the centre of an unexpected scandal after posting a tribute to Twitter.

No, it’s not just her husband’s controversial presidency raising the ire of thousands, but an unfortunate detail on her coat that had many a detractor taking to the keyboard.

The First Lady posted an image on Wednesday of herself and the president at the Pennsylvania memorial to mark the anniversary of the devastating terrorist attacks.

“We will never forget,” she captioned the image, which shows the pair facing away from the camera.

It also shows an admittedly unusual stitching detail on the First Lady’s coat that some pointed out looks remarkably like the World Trade Centre with an object sticking out of the side.

Twitter explodes over coat’s stitching detail

The unfortunate resemblance is actually the result of a white stitch and a button detail, but some Twitter users couldn’t help but wonder how the detail could have been allowed to slip through.

It turns out there were plenty of others buying into the conspiracy.

“I saw that and it sent chills up my spine. WTF,” one person commented.

“Weird design. I can't believe she didn't see that strange shape and odd button placement,” another agreed.

Others even believed it was the result, not merely of an oversight, but of a deliberate attempt to undermine the day, which seems highly unlikely.

“Not to mention the intentional/not intentional seam stitch on the back of Melania's coat,” one woman pointed out.

“There is no realistic explanation, this is not a wardrobe malfunction. No stylists would send this out on this day.”

Others call the commentary ‘disrespectful’ to 9/11

Many however, argued the comparison was ‘ridiculous’ and some even slammed it as ‘disrespectful’ to the solemn day.

“Listen I don't like them either but if you can't tell that object that looks like plane is simply a clasp for a button that happens to be sticking out from underneath the coat then you need help,” one person wrote.

“Some people are so totally focused on hatred and anger that it is sickening,” another wrote.

“I hate them but this is such a stretch,” another agreed.

The coat is not a new look for the First Lady, and it was actually worn on the memorial last year, in 2018.

A custom-made Hervé Pierre coat, it was only the outerwear’s appearance on Twitter, 12 months after Melania wore it that drew attention to the unfortunate stitching.

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