Fashion has always been a form of personal expression and, often even, in political situations representing messages virtually. We cannot deny that the choice of clothing, colours, accessories, and even the body language carried in these outfits moves it beyond just clothing. Anyone who has eagerly watched the U.S Presidential inauguration could not have missed the fashion trends that were manifested.
On Wednesday, the media has caught sight of various bright and monochromatic looks that undeniably depicted power transfer. In this article, I will walk through Joe Biden’s inauguration from a fashion lense.
The bright blue coat that has been worn by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden along with a matching face mask. The choice of this colour is definitely not random. This choice reflects and signifies trust, confidence, as well as stability. In short, blue for confidence and the colour of the Democratic party.
Vice President Kamala Harris appeared in a long purple coat and an identical purple dress underneath the coat. In Biden’s inauguration speech, the need for the unity between both parties, the Republicans and Democrats, was highlighted. Since blue represents Democrats and red represents Republicans, purple is the colour between both. It thus displays the attempt to unify the country’s division. Nevertheless, Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for president, also wore purple when she announced her intention to run. It can be inferred that purple might have been favoured over the other colours since it shows a strong solid association with women’s rights to vote in the early 20th century.
Hilary Clinton, similarly, wore a pantsuit and a scarf with the same shade of purple like the one Harris chose. Unity is undeniably the ultimate vital message as for her husband wore a matching tie as well. Michelle Obama chose a more deep maroon that nevertheless combined the red and the blue as well.
The singer, Jennifer Lopez, who performed “This Land is Your Land”, wore a completely white outfit. It is to mention as well that even when she wasn’t singing, she completed her outfit by adding a white hat as well as a white mask. In the early 1900s, before purple was the adopted colour, women supporting and working for women’s rights wore all white. The idea behind this movement back then was that all the diverse women from the various backgrounds and classes would be able to join the movement by the standing-out white outfit distinctively.
On the other hand, Lady Gaga showed up in a skirt that could not have gone unnoticed and conveyed a message. She matched the red skirt with a black shirt that had an enormous gold dove brooch. As she has published on her Twitter account, she perceives that the unity of the colours mentioned earlier in the article is obvious. Thus, she aimed to deliver a louder message with the olive branch held by the golden dove. “May we all make peace with each other”, she communicates.
Last but not least, Amanda Gorman, a young poet that spoke in the auguration. Amanda’s dream is to become a president, and when reciting for one, her yellow-canary coat that was chosen as part of her feminist credentials, was quite remarkable. What was more exceptional is the symbolic part of her outfit; the jewellery offered to her by Oprah Winfrey herself. Gorman aimed at paying tribute to some of the great Black female poets who came prior such as Maya Angelou and Elizabeth Alexander. Thus, Winfrey continued the tradition and offered the young poet an aviary ring and a pair of yellow gold hoop earrings with diamonds.
