The Statement is Style

In November of 2020, I tuned in to watch Kamala Harris step on stage for the first time as Vice President-elect. I was in awe of her fashion choices for the night, a white pussy-bow blouse under a white Carolina Herrera pantsuit. Her outfit was a perfect symbol of inspiration and strength to women in this country, and a promise to young girls to fight for gender equality. I researched who Kamala was wearing immediately to find out exactly what the pussybow blouse stood for in terms of women’s history: a feminist symbol of protest for women’s suffrage. Kamala’s outfit choice perfectly highlighted how fashion can and should make an important statement. Although, social media had very divided opinions on Kamala’s outfit that night. Some thought her blouse was a brilliant and strategic move, but many called the blouse ugly, entirely missing the point that her outfit was an intentional ensemble. Our wardrobes can be used to show who we are and how we want to be perceived by others. Style is relevant in our everyday lives as well as our current political landscape. Often, politicians use “strategic styling” as a tool to spread messages to their constituents. But their fashion choices are often harshly judged by people who oppose them. The media scrutinizes negative aspects of female politicians’ wardrobes in particular, which are criticisms that male politicians rarely receive. Men usually sport a basic formal wardrobe in politics - a dark blue, gray, black, or a tan well-fitting suit - and no one has much to say about it. But, for a woman in politics, her wardrobe selection becomes much more complicated due in part to systemic gender oppression. Women are subjected to unachievable beauty standards which cause much more criticism about what they’re wearing, making it taxing to decide what to wear. Is her shirt too lowcut? Is her skirt too short? Is that color too distracting? How much makeup is appropriate? How long or short should her hair be? Does she look “good”? These are all questions that female politicians must consider when they choose an ensemble. People may feel uncomfortable with the way a woman in politics dresses simply because they aren’t used to seeing women in powerful positions, not necessarily due to the clothing items. Since our government’s conception, women have been barred from equal opportunity in politics, so women were never associated with holding office (or any power for that matter). With the re-election of Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and many other women to Congress, women are slowly reaching milestones as they assume important political positions. Kamala Harris also challenges the idea that femininity and power are not associated by becoming the first woman to ever hold the position of Vice President of the United States. Instead of criticizing the way these women express their style, we can try to better understand how fashion is a mechanism for expression and communication. There are many examples of how women today are using their clothing to spread messages, convey their stance on an issue, and express themselves. In 2009, Sonia Sotomayer was nominated and appointed to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama. She was told before her appointment to opt out her fiery red nail polish shade for the confirmation process for a more neutral shade. She chose to listen to her advisors during this time, but after the confirmation she brought back her signature red manicure and hoop earrings. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s style has been deeply influenced by Sotomayer’s fashion choices. AOC is often making statements by accessorizing her monochrome pant suits or dresses with the same bold red lip and gold hoop earrings. As the youngest woman to serve in the U.S. Congress, Ocasio-Cortez has continued to make headlines. But she is constantly under scrutiny in the media. In a viral tweet in 2018 Ocasio-Cortez says “The reasons journos from @FoxNews to @dcexaminer can’t help but obsess about my clothes, rent, or mischaracterize respectful convos as “fights’’ is bc as I’ve said, women like me aren’t supposed to run for office- or win.” This criticism comes from people who are uncomfortable accepting the growing number of oppressed people who are elected to positions of political power - different from the older cisgender white straight men that have monopolized power since our government was created. While running for President in 2016, Hillary Clinton coined the hashtag #PantSuitNation. Her supporters rallied behind her fashion in solidarity, showing women that pant suits are not just part of a man’s wardrobe and that pantsuits are stylish and powerful. In 2018, congresswomen wore black to stand in solidarity with the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements. During the 2019 State of the Union Address, women in Congress wore all white ensembles to make a statement with their clothing. White is a color that has been strategically worn throughout our country’s history to represent women’s suffrage. Both instances showcase the use of color as an influential message. Fashion means something and, when used intentionally, should be a part of conversations. Instead of judging women in politics for what they wear and how they look in it, we should be working to understand what they wear and exactly why they wore it. Fashion choices hold meaning and importance, much greater than how the outfits look according to traditional beauty standards. Giving a statement with style is how a woman in politics can showcase personal messages based on her identity. My hope is that as more women reach important milestones in our government, we will continue to see more examples of fashion statements that are expressive and have powerful messages.