Trump looked completely different just hours before brunette hair made him almost unrecognizable

Trump's hair was famous long before he entered the White House. From his years as a New York businessman and reality television personality to his presidential campaigns, the swept blond hairstyle has remained one of his most recognizable physical trademarks.

Presidential travel has repeatedly put Trump's carefully arranged hairstyle at the mercy of the weather. Strong gusts around Air Force One and Marine One have produced striking photographs over the years, sometimes lifting his hair almost completely out of its usual shape.

Trump's arrival in New Jersey immediately offered photographers an unusually clear look at his hair. As he made his way from Air Force One, the president's famous swept-over locks appeared considerably darker than the shade Americans have become accustomed to seeing. In some photographs, particularly around the front and sides, Trump's hair appeared closer to brunette than his signature blond. The White House has not publicly explained the apparent change, and differences in lighting, camera exposure and surroundings can affect how hair color appears in photographs.

The president retained the distinctive swept-over hairstyle that has been part of his public image for decades, but its apparent color gave the familiar look an unexpected twist. Rather than a subtle variation in shade, some of the photographs made Trump's hair appear substantially darker.

The biggest surprise comes from photographs captured earlier on September 4. Before leaving Washington, Trump was photographed at the Oval Office — and his hair appeared far closer to the familiar lighter shade associated with him for decades. The blond and gray tones visible in those images stand in striking contrast to the much darker appearance photographed later in Morristown.