Source:dw.com

You Are What You Wear – How Politicians Use Fashion as a Tool to Influence Voters?

Politics and fashion are often treated as two entirely different fields. Of course, fashion is for the divas whereas Politicians are self-actualized and sharp-witted individuals who stand above any specific beliefs and serve the society. However, surprisingly, both these elements are strongly connected with each other. Recent studies have also proved that the way politicians style themselves can make a huge impact on the general public. Obviously, people want their leaders to be down-to-earth and candid enough so that they can better resonate with them.

In this post, we’ll see how fashion is used as a tool by some of the prominent political personalities to captivate their followers:

Jackie Kennedy

Source:mirror.co.uk

The first American lady Jackie Kennedy has always been remembered as a true style diva because of her outclass fashion taste and love for beautiful accessories. Whether it’s her pillbox hat, elegant white gloves or gleaming pearl jewelry, her style persona will always be admired by true fashion lovers around the world. White color symbolizes innocence, purity, and goodness. Jackie’s love for white was evident in her attires and flawless pearl accessories. Dr. Carolyn Mair, a behavioral psychologist who ran an analysis for Laguna Pearl reveals that those who wear white acquires incomparable power and strength. These individuals are strong but soft-hearted, confident but humble and very kind. If closely observed, Kennedy’s personality epitomizes all these characteristics.

Donald Trump

Source:theroot.com

When it comes to politics, there is certainly no other political figure as controversial as Donald Trump. Not only Trump’s policies are widely discussed in the political circles, but his annoying fashion taste is also criticized by many. His love for traditional power suits and red ties reflect stubbornness and inflexibility which definitely are the key elements of his personality. Trump’s style persona is somewhat bossy and authoritative. According to analysts, Trump’s adherence to the formal business attires shows lack of innovation and novelty both in his beliefs as well as in his actions.

Joe Biden

Source:nationalreview.com

Joe Biden’s style is classy, charismatic and above all – very basic. His simple yet elegant fashion taste has inspired millions of his followers worldwide. People consider Biden a common man who is approachable and someone with whom they can easily connect with. Unlike Trump, Biden seems to be more experimental and versatile with his wardrobe. We’ve seen him perfectly carrying suits and ties. Also, he looks amazingly dashing and friendly in his casual attires, hats and jackets. According to analysts, Biden’s candid fashion persona is one of the biggest reasons why he’s amongst one of the most popular American politicians. As far as color is concerned, blue is pretty visible in almost all of his attires. Color psychologists define blue as a symbol of trust, modesty and courage and Biden’s personality is a perfect mix of all these positive attributes.

Elizabeth Warren

Source:chicagotribune.com

Warren’s style statement is all about simplicity at its best. While, her selection of dresses is quite primitive, her distinguished pearls collection is definitely praiseworthy. Warren’s style is classy, charismatic and original. People admire Warren for her genuine smile, minimalist fashion approach and down to earth behavior that are integral elements of the Warren’s beautiful personality.

Kamala Harris

Source:motherjones.com

Out of all the other female opponents, Kamala Harris’s style is truly contemporary and chic. Her inclination towards pearl jewelry and earrings reflect her impeccable fashion taste and charisma. She is the true reflection of present-day woman who is confident, bold and realistic. Despite her modern and contemporary looks, Kamala knows well how to connect with her voters. This is certainly the biggest reason why she has a huge fan following. Kamala’s fashion taste is also applauded by fashion celebrities and her peers who work in the same political field. Just like Kennedy and Warren, Kamala Harris is also a true pearl lover. According to The Pearl Source, Harris’s bold yet beautiful style is a true reflection of her personality and her love for pearls accentuates her confidence, serenity and poise.

Bernie Sanders

Source:vox.com

Bernie Sanders fashion persona revolves around modesty and class. Out of all other opponents of his age including Trump and Biden, Sanders seems not much concerned about his attires and accessories. While, we’ve seen him in formal business attires, his gestures and facial expressions represent him as an experienced, wise man who is really serious about public affairs and have the potential to solve issues successfully.

When it comes to politics, people tend to look upon their favorite leaders to understand how well they can resonate with them. Their dressing sense and overall style persona is also assessed by analysts all around the world who interpret what general public can expect from their favorite leaders.

All in all, the contribution of fashion into the political world is quite evident. It’s one of the ways followers envision their future with their beloved political figures.


Peter is a freelance writer with more than eight years of experience covering topics in politics. He was one of the guys that were here when the foreignpolicyi.org started.