Blazer, Converse: how Kamala Harris made her wardrobe an asset during her campaign

The United States is preparing to elect its 47th president this Tuesday, November 5. For months, the two candidates, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, have clashed in a campaign that some experts consider to be one of the most violent in the history of the United States. In this race for the White House, the smallest details are watched, the actions and gestures, but also the style of clothing. If Donald Trump most of the time opts for sober suits accompanied by a red tie, Kamala Harris has stood out more in the choice of her clothes and accessories.

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Since the start of her campaign, the Democrat has always worn the same item: the blazer. She declines it in 1001 ways. Last July, she chose a double-breasted jacket in an intense turquoise blue. In August, turquoise blue gave way to dark blue with a blazer by Chloé. For the Democratic convention in August, Kamala Harris chose a beige outfit. A color that caused controversy in the Republican camp. This color was considered unprofessional, even downright provocative. The reason? It would be a nod to Barack Obama. The former president of the United States, a fan of beige clothing, also sparked debate and angered public opinion by wearing a beige suit while speaking to the press about the intensifying response American attack on the Islamic State in Syria. Opponents of Obama believed that this outfit lacked seriousness given the seriousness of the situation. He decided to mock criticism of Kamala Harris by publishing on How it started, how it ended. Ten years later, it’s still a good look! ».

The choice of this piece is anything but trivial. It supports the presidential posture of the Californian and gives her more power, more weight, more charisma, but also more legitimacy. This simple jacket is like a uniform that she puts on at each of her meetings and other public performances. She matches it with loose pants to play the professionalism and “office work” style card to the end or combines it with slim pants for more relaxation and thus break up a look that can quickly become austere, especially if the clothes are dark.

Kamala Harris’ transformation is seen through… her shoulders. If previously she opted for blazers whose fabric was soft and hugged her shoulders, this is not the case today. The jackets chosen by the American are characterized by their wider, higher and more structured shoulders. As fashion expert Marc Beaugé points out in one of his columns on the Quotidien show, this subterfuge has a name: extended shoulders, which can be translated as extensible shoulders. “ These shoulders extend beyond the middle to create an artificial, rigid, austere and very square silhouette. “. For the occasion Kamala Harris called on a stylist to rethink and redesign her entire wardrobe. Changing the appearance of the shoulders may seem like a detail, but it says a lot about his political ambitions. It sends the message that Kamala Harris has the shoulders, this cannot be invented, to become the next tenant of the White House and thus the first female president of the United States. If we compare her meetings before and after the extended shoulder, Kamala Harris’ appearance is much more imposing.

We don’t know it, but Kamala Harris has a habit of wearing Converse. The Democratic candidacy has never hidden its adoration for the legendary sneakers. They allow him to play the cool and accessible card with voters. As if she was also a Mrs. Everyone. She declared in 2021 to CBS News Sunday Morning: “ Converse are my go-to for casual wear she explained to CBS News Sunday. I grew up with Chucks. I love them. They are comfortable “. Her husband Douglas Emhoff told the American media that this choice represented the down-to-earth side of Kamala Harris. The American is such a fan of Converse that she admitted in 2018 to online media The Cut that she had a whole collection: black leather ones, white ones or platform ones when she wears a pantsuit.

As part of one of her last trips of her presidential campaign to Atlanta, the former attorney general of California sported a black t-shirt with a leather blazer, a necklace with links at the neck and large hoop earrings on the ears . A simple outfit, with glamorous touches, which once again demonstrates her desire to be accessible and close to the American people. Kamala Harris proves to be a bit of a fashion chameleon, knowing how to wear the right piece, the right accessory, at the right time. Being a chameleon, adapting, is what awaits Kamala Harris if she is elected president of the United States.