Talk about taking the pith! Melania's safari hat is mercilessly mocked on social media, as users deride her for dressing 'like a European colonizer'

  • The first lady, 48, toured an animal sanctuary in Nairobi, Kenya, on Friday, wearing a safari hat along with a white shirt and khaki riding pants
  • Safari hats emerged in the 19th century and were predominantly worn by armed forces in the colonies; they remain a symbol of colonial rule and oppression 
  • Social media users quickly slammed Melania's choice of accessory, deeming it insensitive and comparing it to a costume
  • 'How "imperialist colonial oppressor" can you get?!' one person tweeted
  • 'That pith helmet you have carried was used by colonialists during the dark days. Doesn't sit well with us Africans. Who advised you?' another Twitter user asked
  • Some compared Melania's outfit to the one worn by Meryl Streep in the 1985 drama Out of Africa

By Clemence Michallon For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

Melania Trump has become a subject of derision on social media after wearing a safari hat during her visit to Nairobi, Kenya.

The first lady, 48, wore the accessory while visiting an animal sanctuary on Friday amid her solo official trip to Africa.

Safari hats, also known as pith helmets, emerged in the 19th century and were predominantly worn by armed forces in British colonies. As such, they remain a symbol of colonial rule and oppression, which is why many social media users blasted Melania's hat for being tone-deaf.

Backlash: Melania Trump has become a subject of derision on social media after wearing a safari hat during her visit to Nairobi, Kenya, on Friday

Backlash: Melania Trump has become a subject of derision on social media after wearing a safari hat during her visit to Nairobi, Kenya, on Friday

History: Safari hats emerged in the 19th century and were predominantly worn by armed forces in British colonies, which is why the accessory didn't sit well with many Twitter users

History: Safari hats emerged in the 19th century and were predominantly worn by armed forces in British colonies, which is why the accessory didn't sit well with many Twitter users

Comments: Some people weren't fans of the overall look, such as this person who compared it to a costume

Comments: Some people weren't fans of the overall look, such as this person who compared it to a costume

Questions: Several people wondered why Melania decided to wear the hat given its cultural significance

Questions: Several people wondered why Melania decided to wear the hat given its cultural significance

Some of them took to Twitter to question the first lady's choice of accessory, at times comparing it to a costume.

Melania paired the white hat with a matching button-down shirt and khaki riding pants that she tucked into a pair of boots.

'Nice hat! Halloween store?' one Twitter user quipped after seeing the first lady's outfit.

Another person thought Melania looked 'like a European colonizer in her pith hat and riding boots'.

'How "imperialist colonial oppressor" can you get?!' someone else wondered.

One Twitter user addressed Melania on the platform, telling her: 'That pith helmet you have carried was used by colonialists during the dark days. Doesn't sit well with us Africans. Who advised you?'

Controversy: Melania looked perfectly comfortable in the hat, which she wore while she was enjoying a safari in Nairobi
Controversy: Melania looked perfectly comfortable in the hat, which she wore while she was enjoying a safari in Nairobi

Controversy: Melania looked perfectly comfortable in the hat, which she wore while she was enjoying a safari in Nairobi

Spitting image: Melania's outfit was also compared to the costume worn by Meryl Street in the 1985 drama Out of Africa

Spitting image: Melania's outfit was also compared to the costume worn by Meryl Street in the 1985 drama Out of Africa

Social media users mock Melania Trump's safari hat 

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Melania's outfit was also compared to the costume worn by Meryl Street in the 1985 drama Out of Africa, in which the three-time Oscar winner plays Baroness Karen von Blixen, a Danish author who once lived in Kenya.

The first lady's visit to Africa has seen protesters meet her at one point of her itinerary. On Thursday, Melania toured an elementary school in Lilongwe, Malawi, before traveling to the U.S. ambassador's resident.

Among scores of people lining the motorcade route between the school and the ambassador's residence, a few white people held signs.

One said #MELANIATOO, with the "ME" in bold black. Another said "Welcome to Malawi. #NOTAS**THOLE!" — a reference to reports that the president used the vulgar term to describe African nations.

A third sign raised the immigration policy the president once enforced that led to thousands of children being separated from their families after they illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico. Many children still have not been reunited with their families.

The cultural significance of Melania's safari hat: A history of the pith helmet

Safari hats such as the one Melania Trump wore while touring an elephant orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya, on Friday, originated in British colonies two centuries ago.

It was originally part of the military uniform, as noted by the Gentleman's Gazette.

The safari hat, also known as pith helmet or Sola topee (because it was made out of the pith of the Sola tree, meaning the soft tissue located inside the tree's trunk), was first manufactured in the 1800s in Asia, in the Indian subcontinent.

Several European armed forces came to use it by 1870 in their colonies located in India and Africa, though the hat became most closely associated with the British military.

The hats worn by British soldiers were originally covered with white cloth, but during the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879, soldiers found that this caused them to stand out as targets — and thus started dyeing the cloth with tea. 

It wasn't until the 1930s that the safari hat started being worn by civilians, who used it as a sun hat in white and khaki colors. It was frequently worn during safaris in Africa and in India.

In America, safari hats were often worn in the subtropics, and President Teddy Roosevelt was seen wearing his own pith helmet.

Safari hats are only one part of the wider safari style. Safari jackets emerged in the mid to late 19th century, as noted by Conde Nast Traveler — about 100 years before Yves Saint Laurent introduced them on his runway in the mid-1960s.

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