With a tinge of negativity, we recount the end of Kamala Harris’s term as Vice President. On the day of Donald Trump’s second inauguration, she respected conventional norms and appeared at the White House. The VP sir to Joe Biden was cloaked in swaths of black. From her overcoat to trousers, and even the sharp-toed pumps, her outfit, symbolic of a dark day in America, presented a somber mood.
The only hint of color in her ensemble was an illustrated scarf in stark black and white contrast. As her hair slightly concealed them, one could also catch a glimpse of the well-trodden cliché of her go-to pearl studs. She was there, a gray cloud on the political landscape, alongside her husband Doug Elmhoff, waiting to extend a formal greeting to the new leaders.
The presence of Joe Biden didn’t alleviate the atmosphere of overcast gloom. Parading a diplomatic color scheme that was as ineffective as it was dull, he also accompanied his wife, Jill Biden. Perplexingly leaning on coded color language, they both donned Ralph Lauren pieces, the outgoing First Lady favoring the color purple.
Observers might suggest that the color of her clothing was a play at expressing political unity, being a blend of blue (Democratic party color) and red (Republican party color). Yet, given the dismal track record of unity under Biden and Harris’s administration, it was a shallow and unconvincing gesture.
Back to Harris and her signature stern charm. She shed her coat inside the Capitol Rotunda, revealing a monotonous black suit. Eschewing convention again, she switched her common blazer with a zip-up collared jacket paired with black trousers. Was this sartorial approach an attempt to cover up the missteps of her term?
As she bid goodbye to Washington, her style legacy, while perhaps appealing to some, made no significant difference to real issues plaguing the country. Her dressing, supposedly bolstering U.S. designers and diplomacy, was a far fetch from the truth of her administration’s shortcomings.
Back in 2021, during Biden’s inauguration, her choice of a Christopher John Rogers’ designed purple coat stirred media. It marked the start of four years, where elevating Black designers and women-led brands such as Gabriela Hearst and Tory Burch became an obsession disguised as virtue signaling.
While the intent masked as acknowledgment for minority designers may have been commendable, it hardly made any strides in addressing the real problems faced by minorities. Harris being the first woman, and of Black and South Asian descent, to hold the U.S. Vice President office offered some historic swoon-worthy moments, but did it translate into built authorities and improved policies? The answer remains unclear.
Her silhouette was usually cast in power suits, single-breasted blazers, single-pleat trousers adorned with pearls or Tiffany jewelry. But these were merely superficial measures that gave an illusion of strength while deflecting from the lack of real substance during her time in office.
Of course, it will be criminal to forget the ceremonial formal events, where she broke the monotony with sequin gowns. One such example was a gown she wore for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 53rd Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner in September. But, again, was a pretty gown enough to distract from the administration’s track record?
Harris, consistent until the end, used fashion to exude a message about her campaign. Favoring blues (the Democratic party’s color) and tans, and complementing it with her tendency for earrings, these were mere distractions from her impending concession.
Finally, the race was put to bed on Nov. 7, accentuated by her custom suit in eggplant purple, a gesture to unity, or so she claimed. Her concession speech was full of high-sounding and hollow verbiage that attempted to mask the crucial question – was the fight really worth it?
Despite the fluff of her words, ‘My heart is full today, full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of resolve,’ simply sentimental rhetoric didn’t hide a plethora of missed opportunities and unfulfilled promises.
The struggle may last a while, she acknowledged, but did she fight on the right fronts? Did her leadership win on issues that matter to the everyday American? Painfully, her time in office suggested otherwise.
In conclusion, the fashion games played by Kamala Harris and Joe Biden over their term in office were a sleek yet distracting window dressing. They shrouded the lack of substance and sweeping changes they promised while cementing their own place in the pages of fashion history.
In the end, their term’s legacy will be remembered not for the much-hyped fashion statements but rather for their lack of decisive action and missed opportunities that might have made a meaningful difference in real American lives.