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Laura Zhou

A simple, minimal pattern and one single colour – that’s the advice of fashion experts for Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan when she goes toe to hemline against Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump at the opulent Mar-a-Lago resort.
Peng was to join Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump, along with Melania and Ivanka, for a dinner Thursday night US time, and one highlight of the affair is expected be the choice of attire.
Peng, a former singing star with the People’s Liberation Army, is widely considered a voice for Chinese fashion on the world stage. 
But she is going up against two women who are celebrated style icons in their own right.
Peng Liyuan’s ‘fashion with Chinese characteristics’ a symbol of China’s soft power
Peng might opt for a simple, elegant and modern outfit that would help her stand out from the Trump women, according to Jing Zhang, fashion editor at the South China Morning Post.
“I think she can dress more glamorously than she usually does, because the two Trumps are former models and their styles are much more polished ... than Peng’s usual style,” Zhang said.

While Melania and Ivanka have sometimes been criticised for wearing clothes that are too sexy or flashy for political events, Peng is known for her more formal and conservative attire.
She appears to be fond of modern knee-length cheongsams and Chinese floral motifs and mandarin collars. She has also favoured tailored jackets nipped at the waist. 
But Zhang said Peng should avoid cheongsams, which she said were too traditional, although some Chinese elements, for example, on the collar, would make a fresh point.
Decoding the messages behind first lady fashion at the Xi-Trump summit
William Tang, a fashion designer in Hong Kong, said both Trump’s wife and daughter were “tall and slim and have good taste in choosing their dresses”.
“I think for Peng, she can choose a simple-design dress without too much unnecessary pattern, which would make her look a little clumsy, especially when most of Melania’s dresses and suits have featured simple, classic lines.”
Zhang said a single-colour dress could help give her the appearance of height, while Tang said beige, ivory, mazarine blue or even red – which symbolises ­fortune and joy in Chinese culture – could be a good choice for Peng.
Fashion diplomacy: China’s First Lady and 7 other stateswomen who won the world with style
Though she’s married to a man who has touted the ­virtues of frugality, a few glamorous accessories such as pearls would help Peng appear more polished beside Melania or ­Ivanka, according to Zhang and Tang.


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Style icons: US first lady Melania Trump, Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan and Assistant to the President Ivanka Trump. Photos: Reuters, AFP

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (L) and China's First Lady Peng Liyuan (R) look on at the royal pavilion on Horse Guards Parade in central London on October 20, 2015, during the Chinese president's ceremonial welcome on the first official day of a state visit. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived for a four-day state visit as the government of Prime Minister David Cameron seeks stronger trade ties with the world's second-largest economy. AFP PHOTO / POOL / CHRIS JACKSON [22NOVEMBER2015 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE]

(FILES) This file photo taken on January 20, 2017 shows US First Lady Melania Trump speaking with Ivanka Trump during the presidential inaugural parade for US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC. Two weeks after her husband's inauguration, questions are mounting about what kind of first lady Melania Trump will be. The 46-year-old former model wowed the crowds at his swearing-in ceremony and inaugural balls dressed in Ralph Lauren powder blue and a vanilla crepe, ticking fashion boxes and suggesting that the mother of one was anxious to step up to her new role.Since then, however, she has not been seen at official events, is not living in the White House and is still putting together her staff. / AFP PHOTO / Nicholas Kamm

U.S. President Barack Obama, from right, waves as he stands for photographs with Xi Jinping, China's president, U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and Peng Liyuan, China's first lady, on the North Portico of the White House during a state visit in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Sept. 25, 2015. The U.S. and China announced agreement obroad anti-hacking principles aimed at stopping the theft of corporate trade secrets though Obama pointedly said he has not ruled out invoking sanctions for violators. Photographer: Pete Marovich/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Barack Obama; Michelle Obama; Xi Jinping; Peng Liyuan ORG XMIT: 581005001

China's President Xi Jinping (L) and his wife Peng Liyuan (R) arrive at Noi Bai International airport in Hanoi on November 5, 2015. Xi is Hanoi for a visit that has drawn the ire of Vietnamese nationalists at a time of bubbling conflict over disputed territory in the South China Sea. AFP PHOTO / POOL / LUONG THAI LINH / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Luong Thai Linh

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Peng Liyuan, China’s first lady (left), Melania Trump, the next US first lady (centre), and her predecessor, Michelle Obama. Photos: AFP

Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan poses after the cremony in which Chinese President Xi Jinping was given the key to the city in Mexico City, on June 5, 2013. Xi Jinping on Tuesday kicked off a three-day visit to Mexico, which seeks to narrow a huge trade gap with Beijing and attract investment from the world's number two economy. AFP PHOTO/Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP PHOTO / ALFREDO ESTRELLA

US President Barack Obama (R) with Chinese President Xi Jinping, First Lady Michelle Obama and Madame Peng Liyuan (L) wave during a welcome ceremony at the White House in Washington for the first state visit on September 25, 2015. AFP PHOTO/YURI GRIPAS / AFP PHOTO / YURI GRIPAS

Melania Trump attends the Time 100 Gala celebrating the Time 100 issue of the Most Influential People at The World at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 26, 2016 in New York. / AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY

Republican presidential elect Donald Trump (L) arrives with his family to speak during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York on November 9, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Mandel NGAN

Michelle Obama appeared on "The Tonight Show" with host Jay Leno on Oct. 27, 2008, just days before the election.

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 09: Republican president-elect Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump embrace after delivering his acceptance speech at the New York Hilton Midtown in the early morning hours of November 9, 2016 in New York City. Donald Trump defeated Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to become the 45th president of the United States. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Melania Trump and former US President Bill Clinton shake hands before the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 9, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck

US first lady Michelle Obama waves as she boards her plane prior to departure from the Moroccan city of Marrakesh, on June 29, 2016. The US first lady launched a $100 million aid package in Morocco to promote the education of girls in a country where half of females over 15 are illiterate. Obama, who was accompanied by her daughters Malia and Sasha, arrived on June 27 evening and was welcomed by King Mohamed VI. / AFP PHOTO / FADEL SENNA

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China's first lady Peng Liyuan on the diplomatic circuit in (clockwise from above left) Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; Pretoria, South Africa; Dusseldorf, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; and Beijing, with Michelle Obama. Photos: AP, AFP, Reuters

Peng Liyuan, with husband President Xi Jinping, wears a dress by designer Ma Ke. 

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Peng Liyuan is known as a conservative though elegant dresser, but she can still stand out against the two former models, fashion industry insiders say


Trump-Xi Jinping summit: The players

China’s first lady goes toe to hemline with Trump women

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Peng Liyuan is known as a conservative though elegant dresser, but she can still stand out against the two former models, fashion industry insiders say

Peng Liyuan is known as a conservative though elegant dresser, but she can still stand out against the two former models, fashion industry insiders say