Melania Trump arrived in Florida wearing a $3,700 orange dress after leaving the White House in an all-black look

• Outgoing President Donald Trump and Melania Trump flew to Florida on Inauguration Day.
• The outgoing first lady changed her outfit on the plane ride from Washington, DC, to Florida.
• She stepped off the plane wearing a $3,700 Gucci dress.

President Donald Trump broke tradition Wednesday by refusing to attend his successor's inauguration.

Instead of attending the ceremony, Trump and the outgoing first lady, Melania Trump, flew to South Florida following a brief farewell address at Joint Base Andrews, taking one last presidential ride on Air Force One.

When the couple left Washington, DC, Melania Trump was wearing an all-black outfit made of pieces designed by Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana, two European designers. Her Inauguration Day look stood in contrast to those of Vice President Kamala Harris and the new first lady, Jill Biden, whose outfits were made by American designers.

The New York Times' chief fashion critic and fashion director, Vanessa Friedman, tweeted that Trump's outfit was a fitting end to her time as first lady, as she was wearing her "favorite brands," with no American designers involved.

Trump had a habit of wearing European labels throughout her husband's presidency, and her preference struck many as ironic considering the president's "America First" policy and emphasis on domestic trade.

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As Insider's Darcy Schild previously reported, however, many American designers, including Christian Siriano, Zac Posen, and Marc Jacobs, refused to dress her.

A dramatic outfit change on the flight to Florida

Melania Trump stepped off the plane in Florida on Wednesday wearing a brightly colored, hexagon-print Gucci dress that was available to purchase for $3,700 at the time of writing. She paired the loose-fitting caftan with flat shoes, an updo, and sunglasses.

The second outfit of the day had a more relaxed look, though it was consistent with Trump's prior outfit in its origins, as Gucci is also a European designer.

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Though she has been the first lady for only a few hours, Biden has hinted she will take a different approach to her wardrobe.

In recent weeks and months, she has made a point of working with American designers and supporting small businesses.

At Joe Biden's victory speech in November, Jill Biden wore an Oscar de la Renta dress. The choice symbolized that she was joining the ranks of first ladies, as Oscar de la Renta has been a popular designer in the White House for generations.

On the eve of the inauguration, she sported a "Unity" dress and coat from Jonathan Cohen. The name of the look indicates the ensemble is supposed to support the new president's message of unity for America. The color doubles down on that message, as the purple color is a combination of Democratic blue and Republican red. In addition, Biden also gave a platform to Cohen as a small-business owner and the son of Mexican immigrants, as stated on the Jonathan Cohen website.

And on Inauguration Day, Biden stunned in a Markarian coat in a shade of blue said to have been carefully selected to symbolize "trust, confidence, and stability."

• Read more:
• The Bidens, Kamala Harris, and Doug Emhoff make a joint statement in American designers on Inauguration Day
• 13 times Melania Trump appeared to send messages with her fashion choices
• Designer of Jill Biden's inauguration outfit says her dress symbolizes 'trust, confidence, and stability'
• Kamala Harris and Jill Biden both sent subtle messages with their outfit choices on the eve of inauguration