It’s a Familiar Look for Vice Presidential Candidate Announcement

Hello and welcome to our first post here at What Kamala Wore, where we will be chronicling the style of US Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Today we have an overview of the ensembles worn by Senator Kamala Harris during the momentous week when she was named by Joe Biden to be his Vice Presidential candidate. We begin with the duo’s first day of joint events.

August 12th, the day after the announcement that Ms. Harris was joining the ticket, started with a news conference in Wilmington, Delaware.

Both candidates delivered brief remarks.

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And then took questions from a small group of reporters.

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Below, the Senator and her husband, Doug Emhoff, as the event wrapped up. 

Next on the agenda, a virtual grassroots fundraiser, also held in Wilmington. 

The announcement that Ms. Harris was going to be on the ticket was a boon for fundraising. More from this MarketWatch story:

Joe Biden raised $26 million in the 24 hours after he named Kamala Harris as his running mate, doubling his previous one-day record and signaling enthusiasm among Democrats following the selection of the first Black woman on a major party’s presidential ticket.

“It’s really palpable, the excitement,” Biden said Wednesday.

The next day, August 13th, the candidates had an in-depth COVID-19 briefing. 

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Both Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris delivered remarks following the briefing. 

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Also on the 13th, an all-staff Zoom call for the candidates, their spouses, and campaign staff.  Unfortunately, we do not have any photos from that event that we can share, but we can tell you the Senator was in the same plaid suit worn for the COVID-19 briefing.  

The final appearance in that first week after the announcement was a photo-op on Friday, August 14. 

The candidates were signing papers required to get them on state ballots. 

Now for our look at what Ms. Harris wore, beginning with her royal blue pantsuit worn the day of her first joint event with Joe Biden. Below, you see the candidates backstage with Karine Jean-Pierre, Chief of Staff for Ms. Harris.

We don’t yet know who the designer is, but the ensemble is a classic look the Senator is fond of, a blazer with matching trousers.

The jacket has a two-button front closure, notched lapels, two flap pockets on the right side, another flap pocket on the left side, and a welt pocket on the chest. The trousers have a slim cut and hit just below the ankle. It looks like the ivory shell or top worn beneath the jacket is a knit. As soon as we know the designer we’ll update the post with more information. Ms. Harris wore a pair of ivory point-toe pumps that look like they might be by Manolo Blahnik.  

We don’t yet have enough photos from the coronavirus briefing and staff meeting on the 13th to offer much info on the plaid pantsuit but hope to gather more information. We can say it is the same suit worn for the interview with David Muir of ABC News that aired on August 23rd. 

The final look we covered is another blue pantsuit, this one worn for the document signing on Friday, the 15th. This jacket is a little different from most of the candidate’s blazers: it has a yoked flap on the back and it looks like it is gathered and belted at the back waist. Beneath the jacket, Ms. Harris wore a black top. She accessorized with black point-toe pumps.   

This is a somewhat unusual post in that we don’t have more detailed information for you on specific items worn by Ms. Harris. Going forward we anticipate having much better access to photos and we will be amplifying our capacity for gathering specific wardrobe information.  

For all of the engagements shown above Ms. Harris wore her double-strand pearl necklace by California jeweler Irene Neuwirth.  It is from the brand’s Gumball Fine Jewelry Collection, made with 18K yellow gold links and alternating Akoya and South Sea pearls.  Below, an 18″ version of the necklace ($11,480).   

Many thanks to fashion journalist and author Booth Moore of WWD (Women’s Wear Daily) for the initial information on the necklace.

Ms. Harris is fond of pearls and wears them at many of her public and private appearances. They hold special significance for her college sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nation’s oldest Black sorority.  Ms. Harris was a member when she attended Howard University, where she received her undergraduate degree. When new members are initiated they are given a necklace with twenty pearls on it, each representing one of the organization’s founders and incorporators.  Below, Ms. Harris in her Howard University graduation photo. 

We are still working on identifying the Senator’s bracelets and earrings.