Current Vice President Kamala Harris — previous U.S. Senator and presidential nominee — could very well be the next President of the United States and she is ready to do so in style.
Harris has seemingly accomplished it all. As a graduate of Howard University, followed quickly by UC Law San Francisco, Harris jumped into the office of the district attorney of Alameda County, proving her dedication to her field and state — and wasting no time doing so.
This position — as the district attorney of Alameda County — was followed by countless others in the field of law, Harris conquering the state of California and eventually landing a spot as one of its U.S. Senators.
Now, Harris is actively campaigning across the United States with her running mate, Tim Walz — current Governor of Minnesota — telling crowd after crowd what she will be accomplishing for women’s reproductive rights, the American healthcare system and inflation reduction. Not to mention, she’s still showing up to do her actual job, too; and neither gig is trivial in any sense.
Who would be surprised, then, to learn that Harris has been doing it all in outfit after amazing outfit?
Let’s start with pants. Ever the practical political persona, Harris seems to have always gravitated toward the modern pantsuit. With hems floating down to her ankles, Harris chooses pragmatic elegance every time, with no wrinkles or worries in sight.
Having been favoring neutral tones as of late — with the occasional pop of color, as seen in a recent campaign stop in Raleigh, North Carolina during which she wore a blue pantsuit that made her pop in a crowd of Harris-Walz supporters — Harris matches her perfect pants with a beautiful, tailored top, nailing it every single time. Whether her blazer is pink with extra stitching or navy blue with a satiny white undershirt, Harris uses the classics to make a statement.
It is all in the details with Harris’ accessories. An ode to her former sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha — which Harris was a member of from 1981 to 1986 during her time at Howard University — Harris wears her favorite layered pearl piece, symbolizing the “Twenty Pearls that represent the sisterhood’s founders,” according to an article from Vogue. Pair it all with a sleek, pointed pair of pumps, and Harris seems unstoppable.
Harris isn’t the only one who has drawn fashion-related attention to their campaign. Every politically savvy fashionista worth their salt remembers the outrageous backlash that stemmed from former President Barack Obama’s — who was in office from 2008 to 2016 — wild reaction to an incredibly tame tan suit.
According to a Vanity Fair article, Obama’s fashion choice led to commentators saying the ensemble was better suited for “drinking sundowners and schmoozing in the Hamptons” than for any presidential duties.
The question then becomes, what did Harris do differently? She made a tan suit look bold, wearing the muted-toned Chloé ensemble on the very first night of the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19 in Chicago. Obama even commented, telling followers on Instagram, “Ten years later, and it’s still a good look!”
Don’t think Harris is always so straight-laced. Some of her most well-known outfits have come from days off the trail or taking a break for a short speech at a rally.
Take her gold-sequined blazer, for example — the one she wore to Beyonce’s Renaissance tour — or maybe even her Pride Month-inspired denim, sequined jacket, proving that she knows just how to live a little, and in the ways that count.
A candidate’s clothing should not make or break an election. However, as an article from The New York Times admitted, “We found in a study done two years ago that voters have even less tolerance for flyaway hair and a wrinkled collar for a woman candidate than a man.”
The New Yorker followed up the statement with a real punch to the gut, “They see it as a tell, an indication of sloppy thinking.”
Women have always been held to higher standards than men in the aesthetics department. For years, women have navigated this standard within the political landscape with immense grace and patience, even when they shouldn’t have to.
Harris has navigated it with such grace, and even more patience. A single wrinkle is found and suddenly she is seen as disheveled on social media; unfit to lead.
One of the things Harris has said — during a speech on May 1 in Jacksonville, Florida — is that she is fighting for a world where this is not the case.
Until the presidential race comes to an end in November, Harris is going to take it in stride, serving up some of the best on- and off-the-trail campaign looks we’ve seen; and doing it exactly how a president should.
