How Politicians Use Fashion to Send Messages
Is no news that fashion plays an important role in the message politicians want to send. Of course, it is not the priority of any politician, but it does play a part in creating their image and narrative. A political crisis consultant told The New York Times that we would be surprised if we knew the amount of time his clients spend discussing tie colours, time that could be used to talk about, for example, a peace process. Yes, fashion assists a lot in building the desired image a politician wants to have. Sometimes, an outfit can say more than words, be that through colour, designer, or a literal phrase on it (yes, we are going there, Melania).
Recently, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris started their positions as US president and vice-president, consecutively. A lot was said by their choice of clothes, as well as their companions, especially comparing them to the previous president Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump. But what exactly are they saying? To understand it better, let’s recapitulate a bit some moments fashion spoke for US politicians, even though it sent the wrong message. I will focus on US politicians for timing reasons and just to make this a little easier, but fashion is a tool that has been used in worldwide politics.
Sexism
Before we jump into US politics, it’s important to highlight that the fashion analysis of politicians has a strong sexist tone. Not only how women dress is more discussed than what men wear, but these analyses also affect genders differently.
A study conducted in 2010 revealed that media coverage focusing on a woman candidate’s appearance affected her likability, thus making voters less likely to vote for her. Regardless of the coverage being neutral, positive or negative, voters perceived the female candidate as less confident, effective, and qualified than they would without the coverage. But male candidates did not have their image affected like that. According to the study, male politicians’ likeability was not impacted by the discussion of their appearances. Therefore, this type of coverage has the potential to make it even harder for female government representation, as opposed to men.
This type of data is only a reflection of how our society sees women, especially women in politics. Usually, articles reviewing the style of politicians focus on female ones or the wives of the men in power, such as the never-ending analysis of US First Ladies’ style. Keeping this in mind, I tried to bring the analysis of fashion in politics with examples from both genders. Still, it is hard to don’t fall more on the analysis of female politicians, because there is just more material about it. So I already say in advance that we are not in an ideal balance yet when it comes to fashion in politics for men and women.
Fashion in US Politics
You can’t talk about fashion and US politics without talking about Jacqueline Kennedy. She was First Lady for a very short period, but she to this day considered the main fashion icon of US politics. It’s impossible to not talk about her suit with a matching pillbox hat that looked blue on the photos but was actually beige, wore on the inauguration day of her husband’s presidency. Jackie Kennedy also found creative ways to please both conservatives and liberals. An example was her inaugural strapless dress under a sheer sheath that was a compromise aimed at pleasing both the traditionalists and the rebels amid the dawn of the sexual revolution.
Cowboy boots are also a fashion icon in politics, especially in the Republican Party. Like a lot of the republican ideas, the use of cowboy boots started with Ronald Reagan, but what furthered the trend was George W. Bush using them on his inauguration day as president. After that, the cowboy boots became a republican style seal. But why? Well, cowboy boots are one of the first “truly American” products, developed around 1870. Thus, as explained by the associate dean of the Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Southern California:
“They (cowboy boots) are sort of wrapped in the notion of what it means to be truly American. It’s a strong way to send a message that even though you are in the East with the power brokers, a strong part of you is still with your roots.”
The message became so strong that it spread to Democrats. Nowadays, cowboy-boots-politicians are those that have a connection with the rural and simpler United States. It is a strong message.
Michele Obama also had an important impact on demonstrating the power of fashion in politics. Her husband, former US president Barack Obama, stated during her documentary that in politics “fashion just isn’t fashion”, as he mentioned that first ladies do well to “turn it into your tool rather than being a victim to it”. Michelle had something that no other First Lady had so far, a mix of very important aspects. While Jackie Kennedy wore US-made clothes based on the French brands, Obama wore US young designers to boost the country’s fashion industry. Michelle also wore relatable pieces, somewhat like the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton. However, she would also wear high-end designers, making an aspirational image for herself and not staying in her husband’s shadow.
Probably, Obama’s most relevant contribution to fashion in politics was her ‘democratic dressing’. During state dinners or trips, Michelle Obama would cleverly match designers with countries. For example, when she wore Mr Khan, an Indian-American designer, to the India state dinner, or when she dressed in Mr Ford, an American designer then based in London, for her dinner with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. Her only controversy around fashion was when she wore a dress from the British label Alexander McQueen to state dinner at the White House in honour of China. Many US designers spoke up about being disappointed with the First Lady not wearing a piece from a US-based brand.
The controversy of the dress worn by Obama is debatable. But when it comes to Melania Trump, there is no debate she was making a point there — and her husband also had messages sent through his closet. By the way, have you seen the easter egg in the illustration of the article? ; )
Trumps’ Fashion Messages
Another moment you can’t run away from when talking about fashion in politics is the infamous Zara jacket the then First Lady Melania Trump worn while visiting the undocumented children detained at the border. Yes, that one that had that phrase written on the back — “I really don’t care, do you?”
That jacket didn’t only send a message of her being indifferent to the whole scenario at the borders, but as her just not caring about any of what was going on. She tried to state that jacket did not mean anything at all, while her husband and then President Trump said on Twitter the jacket was a message to Fake News. Whatever the answer is, that jacket spoke volumes and killed once and for all the liberal #FreeMelania fantasy. And well, as much as I personally find her style beautiful, when inserted into politics, it got ugly.
To don’t waste time mentioning every single time she sent a negative message to the media through her clothes, I will leave this Diet Prada post that pretty much summarizes it. The day she finally left the White House, she seemed to be dressed for a funeral. Melania Trump was all in black and with a sparkle of tone-deafness added by her US$75,000 black crocodile skin Hermès Birkin bag. What a way to end it.
Donald Trump also had his fashion narratives during his time as president. His overlong ties, which were usually red in reference to the Republican Party, were matched to his oversized suits, both large enough to fit his overwhelming ego. Also, how can we forget the “Make America Great Again” caps he proudly wore on many occasions because he is not the kind of populist that dresses like his people, but instead the one that wears his merch.
During the inauguration ceremony, Donald and Melania Trump wore US-based designers, which Trump stated was because they wanted to boost Made in America. Well, that only lasted a short period ended by when Melania chose a Dolce & Gabbana jacket for her official portrait. Donald also abandoned quite fast the strategy, going back to his suits from the Italian label Brioni. The Trump couple defended the “American Dream” which comes with not being ashamed to have money and show it, and their clothes spoke that. Plenty of times they dressed in extremely expensive outfits, even when in situations that asked for a lower tone.
A New Dialogue Through Fashion
Trump’s era has come to an end and last week, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took on their positions of president and vice-president of the United States. What they chose to wear, as well as their companions, spoke volumes about how different this government is proposing to be. The first thing that could be noted was the use of US-based designers only. Joe Biden wore Ralph Lauren and Kamala Harris was dressed in Christopher John Rogers. Jill Biden, the first lady, had her outfit from young label Alexandra O’Neil of Markarian, while Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff was in Ralph Lauren as well. The choice of designers, which ranged from a very young brand and black designers to one of the most traditional American brands, represented the theme of the inauguration: ‘America United’. No one was left out of it.
The same message can be said about the colour that was mostly used and almost turned into the signature colour of the inauguration– purple. Purple at its core is blue and red mixed together, the two colours that represent, consecutively, the Democratic and Republican. Thus, maybe even the most present colours, which was used by Harris, and Michelle Obama, was talking about uniting the US. Purple is also, after white, the used colour by the suffragists, which are a symbol of feminism, so the colour could also acknowledge the conquest of Harris as vice-president. The New York Times even analysed further, reminding that the National Woman’s Party (the original suffragist organization) wrote in a 1913 newsletter that “Purple is the colour of loyalty, constancy to purpose, unswerving steadfastness to a cause.”
And of course, before I forget, people were finally wearing masks, which is a message in itself. But overall, the fashion was probably purposely put in the background. The way they dressed spoke, but it was quiet enough to don’t take the attention from the importance of the moment: a new and hopefully more democratic future for the United States. And being quiet is also a way to speak with fashion.
And I had to make a special mention to Bernie Sender’s iconic look at the inauguration day that became a meme factory. Not only the look went viral and made us laugh, the coat he was using from Burton Snowboards sold out after the free media.
It’s Not Only In the US
Fashion as a political tool is not an only US thing. Actually, you can analyse strategies like that in many other politicians’ careers, such as Angela Merkel, Mandela, and Macron. Germany also has a very interesting history of the evolution of fashion in politics that is worth the read. I just chose to focus on the US because it has a recent major event. Fashion is a way of expressing who you are. Thus is only natural that when inserted in politics, it does send a message of what you are about to people. However, it’s important to understand how bias this analysis can be and how much sexism is involved in it. If there will be pressure to send a message through clothes in politics, I truly wish this demand becomes equal for both men and women. Politics is so much part of fashion, so let’s let fashion be part of politics too.
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