Though she's been on the campaign trail for weeks, making appearances across the nation, Vice President Kamala Harris hadn't officially accepted the Democratic presidential nomination—until tonight.
On Thursday, Aug. 22, Harris stepped onto the Chicago stage at the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) once more to secure her role in the upcoming election. Of course, she did it stylishly; the potential President was dressed in a deep, dark blue Chloé power suit with a slew of coded meanings.
Harris's look, custom-designed by Chloé's creative director, Chemena Kamali, featured a navy wool two-piece suit and a matching pussybow blouse. Her color choice may very well speak to what the Vice President—and now official Democratic nominee for President—wanted to convey as she made arguably the most important speech of her political career.
In what is referred to as "color psychology," dark blue represents and can evoke feelings of "tranquility and deep reflection." It can also bring about emotions of trust and reliability—what Vice President Harris would certainly want people to feel as she re-introduced herself to the nation's electorate.
Dark blue can also symbolize elegance, authority, and intelligence, which is why the color is often preferred by those in positions of power.
The Democratic nominee's matching pussy-bow blouse also carries historic and feminist meaning after becoming an alternative to the suit and tie in the '60s and '70s, when women stepped out of the kitchen and into the corporate world. In the '80s, it became a symbol of female power when Margaret Thatcher became the first female U.K. Prime Minister and adopted the pussy-bow as a staple of her political image.
Harris's political career has been a fashionable one, to be sure. But following President Joe Biden dropping out and Harris stepping into the 2024 race earlier this summer, she's been noticeably leveling up her fashion game.
Like many before her (and even the DNC crowd on the night she accepted her party's nomination—a sea of white in honor of women's suffrage movement) Harris has been utilizing her clothes to further communicate her message.
For example, on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), Harris wore a tan Chloé suit designed by creative director Chemena Kamali—technically, her suit was a "coconut brown" color, likely a reference to her mega-viral "you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?" meme.
In addition to pantsuits symbolizing women's empowerment throughout politics, her tan suit seemingly was also a nod to former President Barack Obama, who Republicans infamously criticized for wearing the khaki color to press conferences.
Harris's pearls were another powerful fashion moment at the 2024 DNC. Worn for major milestone moments—from her first appearance at the 2024 DNC to her 2021 inauguration as Vice President—the gemstone is an homage to her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, from her years as an underground at Howard University.
Harris's presidential run has officially only just begun, and it's already one that fashion historians and style code-breakers will want to keep a close eye on.
