No matter who you will vote for in the 2024 election, it is hard to overlook Vice President Kamala Harris’ striking power suits. Harris is one of the most visible champions of the personal uniform trend: simplifying your wardrobe by creating a go-to outfit you repeatedly wear with minor adjustments. She has been heard saying that she doesn’t want to be known for what she wears and instead for her actions and words. But, sometimes, a dress isn’t just a dress — it’s a political statement. Even in her simplest outfit, Harris seems to be very aware of the messages she can send through her sartorial choices.
Alpha Kappa Alpha was the first African-American sorority founded in the United States, beginning at Howard University in 1908. Harris was part of this sorority that is referred to as “The Twenty Pearls.” Pearls continue to be a staple for its members, which is why Harris is frequently seen wearing a gold and white Mother of Pearl necklace designed by Marco Bicego. Harris has been spotted wearing this unique set of pearls at both a gun violence forum in Las Vegas and Inauguration Day in 2021. For the Democratic National Convention, Harris asked Puerto Rican designer Wilfredo Rosado to design her a unique pearl necklace. This was supposed to take her back to her roots, but it soon became a staple of Harris’s.
For Harris’ vice presidential victory speech on Nov. 7, 2020, Harris wore a white suit, joining a long line of female politicians who have worn the color in honor of the women’s suffrage movement. But, it’s important to note that while the suffrage movement was monumental and earned women the right to vote in the U.S. in 1920, Black and minority women often had to engage in rigorous literacy tests to ensure that black and minority women wouldn’t pass. This discrimination took away the votes of many black women at the time. This is why it’s even more significant for Harris, who identifies as a Black and Indian woman, to use her fashion to represent women of color who deserve recognition.
At a Nevada rally with running mate Tim Waltz, Harris wore a lavender suit by the designer Carolina Herrera. In politics, purple is typically seen as the color of bipartisanship, as red and blue together form purple. Nevada, being a swing state, shows the significance of why wearing purple can have an impact on viewers. By wearing purple, Harris conveyed a desire to bridge the gap between the two parties. As she declared at the 2024 presidential debate, she wants to be a president for all Americans regardless of political party identification. Looking back on Harris’ clothing choices during rallies in other swing states, she wears shades of purple fairly often.
Harris tends to keep a monochrome palette within her suits, conveying a calm, collected and robust neutrality to her businesswear. When she lacks over-the-top style choices, it messages that she wants the world to communicate about her actions, not her clothing. Shelby Ivey Christie, a fashion historian and costume designer, called attention to Harris’ penchant for monochrome in multiple posts on X. Christie described how dressing in the Black community can empower often overlooked demographics, becoming a powerful tool to communicate political beliefs. Yet, Harris uses her words rather than the fabric on her back.
Along Harris’ campaign trail, she is often seen wearing Converse sneakers. This is her way of aligning with her generation and younger voters. Even though she started her campaign by wearing heels she kept wanting to take off, Harris finally put on something more comfortable. She wore customized Converses to reflect a sense of fun and down-to-earthness in her fashion.
