Vice President Kamala Harris has proved that when it comes to a presidential campaign trail, nothing strikes the right balance between sophistication and style quite like a signature power suit. But for her televised debate with former president Donald Trump on Tuesday evening, one power suit and blouse in particular were chosen to do the job. And they did so to perfection.
For her first meeting with Trump, the presidential candidate opted to wear a black power suit, styled with a white pussy bow blouse with tonal stripes, which contrasted with the bright blue suit and bright red tie worn by her opponent.
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Traditionally a male-dominated piece of clothing, since its first appearance in the 1920s courtesy of fashion designer Coco Chanel, the power suit has long been designed for women to give an energetic and strong appearance.
While it was widely expected Harris would opt to wear a suit for the debate given her preference for the look since she became the Democratic party’s presidential candidate in July, the silhouette was a poignant clapback to former Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who labeled the candidate an ’empty suit’ last month on America’s Newsroom.
Meanwhile, the choice of a pussy bow blouse may be a dig at her opponent, after he was famously recorded talking about ‘grabbing women by the pussy’ while appearing on Access Hollywood in 2005. After the audio recording was leaked to the press in the lead up to the 2016 presidential election, many women reclaimed the term and began wearing pussy bow blouses and pink ‘pussy hats’ with cat ears to protest against the then-presidential candidate.
Harris styled her debate look with pearl earrings, gold bracelets, rings and a small gold American flag pin. As for her beauty, she wore her hair in soft curls, with a soft brown eyeshadow and nude pink lipstick.
While it’s currently unknown who designed Harris’ debate outfit at this stage, the choice of black was of key interest to fashion critics after a campaign trail that has so far featured a colourful array of suiting, from powder blue to neutrals.
ELLE UK‘s Site Fashion Editor Clementina Jackson says of the hue: ‘Kamala’s choice of a classic black suit for last night’s debate felt significant. Not only did it provide a visual contrast to Trump’s typically bright, garish look, but it also sent the message that she was there to get down to business, with all the focus to be on her words rather than her clothes – just as it should be.’
In recent weeks, Harris has made her support of female designers known. For example, in August she opened and closed the Democratic National Convention wearing bespoke Chloé suits, designed by recently-appointed creative director Chemena Kamali. On the first night of the DNC she wore a coconut brown wool grain de poudre jacket, flared trousers and a white crepe de chine lavallière blouse from the French label. On the last night, she wore a navy Chloé two-piece, styled with a pinstripe blouse.
ELLE UK’s Laura Antonia Jordan previously said of Harris’ campaign wardrobe: ‘Harris knows what works for her, and that is exactly what she wears. By understanding her personal style – and translating that to the demands of professionalism and publicity – she can get down to business. She has a uniform.’
Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has also spoken about the importance of a strong power suit as a female presidential candidate. In her 2017 memoir, What Happened, the 2016 democrat nominee wrote: ‘A uniform was also an anti-distraction technique: since there wasn’t much to say or report on what I wore, maybe people would focus on what I was saying instead.’
It’s believed Harris has been working with New York-based stylist Leslie Fremar since the beginning of her presidential campaign. Fremar was previously the in-house Director of Celebrity Relations at Prada. Her clients include Charlize Theron, Jennifer Connelly, Julianne Moore, Lea Seydoux, Taylor Russell and Nicola Peltz.
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Katie O’Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.