Kamala Harris Made A Classic Feminist Statement With Her Victory Speech Outfit
After a particularly tumultuous, long election season and an even longer election night, the moment has finally come. Following presidential candidate Joe Biden's victory speech, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris took the stage next for her own speech. At the podium, Harris wore an all-white suit for her acceptance speech, making a classic feminist state in the process. Even more, the look is certainly in line with her past campaign fashion choices.
Stepping out onto the stage in Wilmington, Delaware, President-elect Joe Biden's hometown, Harris positively shined in a classic look worn by many women political figures: all white. She opted for an white pantsuit over a silky off-white top with a pussy bow at the collar. Per the New York Times, suffragettes, who fought for women's right to vote, often wore white to symbolize purity. Harris accessorized with gold jewelry, another nod to the suffragettes, who also wore gold in tribute to sunflowers, the state flower of Kansas where Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony campaigned for a woman's right to vote. Finally, Vice President-elect Harris wore a pair of classic pearl earrings, a jewel she's worn on the campaign trail consistently that's a nod to her past.
Throughout her journey on the campaign trail, Harris' fashion choices were consistently a hot topic, namely her incredibly relatable footwear choices. Harris has regularly been pictured wearing Converse Chuck Taylors — usually black or white low-tops — at a number of campaign events, even before she was on the presidential ticket. Generally, people praised her for the choice, noting how refreshing it is to see a political figure visit campaign sites in sensible shoes as opposed to sky-high stilettos.
Another staple in Harris' campaign wardrobe, which she didn't forget in her election night outfit, is a pearl necklace. With nearly every outfit Harris has been pictured in, she's included a variety of pearls. The accessory can be traced in Harris' wardrobe as far back as her college graduation photo, in which she wore a pearl necklace and pearl drop earrings. Harris attended Howard University, a historically Black university, in Washington D.C. and, while there, was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority for Black women. Pearls carry a much deeper meaning within the sorority, and you'll notice pearls in much of AKA's imagery.
“Pearls represent refinement and wisdom,” Glenda Glover, international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha and president of Tennessee State University, told Vanity Fair. “We train young ladies to be leaders and to make sure they have the wisdom to lead … and that goes hand in hand with the true meaning of what Alpha Kappa Alpha is all about.”
Throughout her campaign, Harris has been an image of refinement and wisdom. And if her speech tonight is anything to go by, she'll continue demonstrating these values for years to come.
