We Can’t – And Shouldn’t – Pretend That Kamala Harris’ Clothes Aren’t Political

Of all the images circulating of Kamala Harris - the first female Vice President-Elect - there’s one that captures the euphoria, the optimism and the sheer joy that was radiating from the stage in Wilmington, Delaware, this Saturday. Harris, wearing a pearl white trouser suit from Carolina Herrera, was sandwiched between her great nieces, who were dancing with excitement and also wearing all-white (little lace dresses, cardigans and lace-up boots). This might have been a moment of unfiltered celebration with family but it was also, as you can see from the colour coordination, a deliberate choice, just as every outfit she’s worn on the campaign trail has been orchestrated to send a particular message.

This should be accepted as fact for most public figures, but somehow, a woman’s appearance – and her investment in said appearance – has morphed into a political hot potato. Whether it’s kitten heels (Theresa May), lipstick (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) or a handbag (Margaret Thatcher, whose boxy top-handle became so legendary as to merit a place in the dictionary with the verb ‘to handbag’), the debate about whether or not it’s unfeminist to draw attention to such things, and whether we do the same to a male counterpart in politics, still rages on.

Over the weekend, The Telegraph published a story about Harris' relaxed approach to make-up, with a headline that read, ‘Why Kamala Harris is the modern beauty icon the world needs.’ This immediately prompted a backlash on Twitter, with users characterising it as, ‘an appalling take’, and accusing the newspaper of ‘sliding that new sheet of glass across the ceiling’. Then came the counter-arguments. The Huffington Post published an opinion yesterday with the headline, ‘Don’t call me a bad feminist for wanting to read about Kamala Harris’ make-up.’

What we can all agree on is that the idea of women having to dress like men - i.e. flatten their femininity - to succeed in the workplace is a completely arcane one. So why the fuss over their fashion choices? Who cares if someone chooses this dress or that dress? And who cares if someone writes a story on the choice of this dress or that dress? (Incidentally, it’s worth noting that male politicians do not escape from fashion commentary, good and bad. Vogue once published a piece online with the headline, ‘Why Jeremy Corbyn’s look is very Vetements,’ while Boris Johnson’s running gear has always been a source of gleeful amusement, as has his untucked shirt.) Perhaps the middle ground is acknowledging that we shouldn’t pretend a woman’s clothes aren’t political, but we also shouldn’t over-analyse every shoe, suit and dress to the point of distraction.

Harris’ white tailoring was a nod to the Suffragettes. As Diet Prada commented: ‘For those who say “dOn’T mIx PoLiTiCs WiTh FaShIoN”...let’s take a moment to appreciate our future Vice President Kamala Harris’s choice to highlight the history of the suffragette movement by wearing white for her historic victory speech last night. As the first woman period, let alone a woman of Black and South Asian descent, to attain this position, she’s already an incredible inspiration to people around the world. Her eloquence and intellect are echoed in her dress sense, and to come out the gate in such a powerful statement is giving us a lot to look forward to.’ Harris undoubtedly intends to continue their legacy - a video of her telling one of her great-nieces, ‘You could be president, but not right now, you have to be over 35,’ has gone viral - and her outfit on that historic night reflected that sentiment utterly.

Something else that has generated lots of column inches over the past few months is her trainers (sorry, I did say we wouldn’t obsess about shoes). Harris has worn Converse, a trainer brand that’s more likely to be spotted on a halfpipe than the Hill, throughout the campaign, a campaign that has played out in the most unusual circumstances against the backdrop of the global pandemic.

Down-to-earth footwear is perfectly in-step with the times, but also with a woman who, in her victory speech, talked about the struggle and sacrifice involved in protecting democracy. She also talked about the joy involved and that adjective could certainly be applied to her wardrobe, too. Remember the bedazzled rainbow jacket she wore to celebrate 2019’s Pride?

As the first female Vice President-Elect, Harris’s wardrobe is going to garner a lot of attention. But we shouldn’t forget that, as the first woman of colour to occupy the second most powerful seat in the free world, there will unfortunately be an added layer of scrutiny. Diet Prada reposted this comment on its Stories. ‘People dragged Michelle for her clothes before she even stepped one toe into the White House and they continued it for the 8 years. Meanwhile let someone list Jackie O as their favorite fashion icon and they won’t think twice about ‘politics’. Fashion is political but even more so for Black women.’ Let that be a warning to both recognise that a politician’s clothes are political, but that, more importantly, underneath is a real person.