Vice President Kamala Harris wore a navy blue Chloé suit as she formally accepted her party’s presidential nomination in Chicago last night.
More from The 19th’s coverage: “Harris took the stage Thursday night to accept the party’s presidential nomination to a sea of blue and white signs bearing her name as the crowd chanted “Kamala” and then, “USA,” their light-up wristbands flashing red, white and blue. She came prepared to describe how her background and upbringing gave her the passion for justice that fueled her path to politics.”
Ahead of the speech, there was chatter about what the Vice President would wear: would it be white? This NPR story offers more: “As delegates gather on the convention floor today in Chicago, there’s a very clear fashion trend. Women are wearing white, in honor of the suffragists who fought to earn women the right to vote more than 100 years ago.” Many readers will recall the white Carolina Herrera suit worn by the Vice President-elect in November 2020 when she and President-elect Joe Biden delivered victory speeches in Delaware.
The Vice President chose a navy blue look, opting for an understated ensemble designed by Creative Director Chemena Kamali for Chloé.
Thoughts on the choice from Vanessa Friedman’s column in the New York Times: “Many women in the United Center in Chicago wore white. Many of the other speakers had worn it, too. (A call had gone out from the D.N.C. Women’s Caucus requesting the shade.) Instead, she used the regalia of the moment to bring to a close a chapter that began with the nomination of the first Democratic woman candidate for president, Hillary Clinton, in 2016, and to start a new one. That’s what she offered in her speech — “a chance to chart a new way forward” — and that’s what her suit represented. In its monochrome substance, the point was impossible to miss.”
Writing in the Washington Post, Rachel Tashjian offers this perspective: “As the first South Asian and Black woman candidate for president of the United States, she demonstrated a new picture of authority. She wore an ensemble you might consider her comfort suit, because she wears the shade and silhouette often: a square-shouldered, loose-legged pantsuit in navy, with the kind of matte silk pussy bow blouse she’s made into a signature. An American flag pin was on her slightly broad lapel. The subdued tone allowed the women in the audience who chose to wear white in honor of her candidacy to pop — it was an act of sartorial graciousness.” Below is an image from the Chloé Instagram post about the look.
The Monday night and Thursday night looks were very similar. Both ensembles featured single-breasted blazers with two-button front closures, padded shoulders, flap pockets, peak lapels, and four buttons at the cuff. The trousers flared at the knee to a wide-leg silhouette. Both were made of grain de poudre fabric, a fine woolen material often used in upscale suiting styles.
The blouses both featured tone-on-tone stripes. On Monday, the ties were atop one another vertically, similar to an ascot, while last night, they were tied into a bow.
Another view of the Vice President last night.
The Vice President wore her mabé pearl earrings and one of her American flag pins.
You can see how well the candidates and their spouses coordinated in this photo of Doug Emhoff, Vice President Harris, Governor Tim Walz, and Gwen Walz. Ms Walz wore this Carolina Herrera dress; if I learn more about the men’s suits and ties, I will add the information to the post.
A sidebar note: I recommend reading both the Washington Post and NY Times pieces in their entirety; they are excellent. Here is a gift link to Rachel Tashjian’s Post column, and this is a gift link to Vanessa Friedman’s Times piece. (Gift links simply mean you can read the stories without a subscription, as they are behind a paywall.)
