Kamala Harris’ Style Is ‘Quite Dull’ — And That’s Intentional

As the first female, first Black, and first Indian American Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris has already made history more than once. She may also be the first executive officer to have garnered websites documenting her style—but only briefly.

Kamala’s Closet launched in November 2020, marking the then-V.P.-elect’s memorable white Carolina Herrera pantsuit honoring the women’s suffragist movement. The site posted only once more, sharing Harris’ divisive 2021 Vogue cover, featuring a black Donald Deal cropped pantsuit, treasured pearls representing her Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority, and her go-to Converse Chuck Taylors. Then, the updates ceased.

What Kamala Wore chronicled Harris’ signature somber-hued pantsuits with occasional pops of refined camel or pastel colors before going dormant in April 2022.

Muted pantsuits, modest shirts, and sensible heels can serve as a woman’s armor in the workplace, particularly if that workplace is the White House. A consistent commitment to business-like suiting avoids ceding ammunition to adversaries fixated on a woman’s appearance in attempts to undermine her credibility, intelligence, and leadership ability. Greater society’s inherent biases play a role, too.

“As a woman, ‘you’re damned if you do, you’re damned if you don’t.’ You can’t ever walk the line that satisfies everybody,” Veep costume designer Kathleen Felix-Hager explained. “[If you’re] too fashion forward, you’re too ‘vain’ to focus and don’t have enough substance. If you dress more conservatively and toned down, or ‘plain,’ you’re criticized.”

Harris has occasionally worn a dress or skirt when the occasion calls but largely sticks to her monochrome comfort zone. There are occasional bursts of color. For her January 2021 inauguration, Harris wore a purple coat and dress by queer Black designer Christopher John Rogers. Another notable outfit was a “New Look”-inspired silhouette in camel, with pearls, for an anniversary event in Selma, Alabama, in 2022.

“No one is actually looking at [Harris] for her fashion choices, in any way, and I think what she’s doing is quite dull,” said Alicia Lombardini, stylist of 2018 New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon. “Very, very understated, very boxy—nothing to write home about… But, I’m sure that there’s a reason for it.”

This is particularly relevant as Harris campaigns to become the leader of the free world. She relies on those tried-and-true pantsuits as a non-talking point. Like Hillary Clinton before her, Harris avoids any appearance that might make her seem “weak,” especially with dresses, which tend to be associated with “the role of the First Lady.”

In Veep’s fictional Oval Office, Felix-Hager dressed Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ V.P.-turned-President Selina Meyer in bold-colored, body-con dresses—a trope now adopted by GOP wives and women in Trump’s orbit. Felix-Hager explains that she leaned into this feminine standard and avoided trousers to emphasize a woman in an unprecedented power role.

“Obviously, [dresses] would probably be more scrutinized in the real world,” she says. “A pantsuit is a safer choice for a lot of women. It signals a seriousness and an appropriateness to the situation a lot of times.”

While the safer choice may not be very inspiring from a fashion standpoint, Harris’ pantsuits have galvanized new generations of lawmakers. “We have a lot of candidates who come to us saying, ‘I would love to dress like Kamala Harris,’” said Sarah LaFleur, founder of M.M.LaFleur.

“There’s almost not enough credit given to how remarkable [Harris] looks on a day-to-day basis. Rarely are her suits wrinkled. Her pant length is just right,” LaFleur continued. “She has really gotten it down to a science.”

This year, for the 2024 races, M.M.LaFleur reintroduced its non-partisan “Ready to Run” program. The fashion label first lent clothing to 272 women campaigning for positions from City Council to Congress in 2020, helping bring 95 to victory. For this election cycle, Ready to Run introduces Style Strategists to harmonize aesthetics, functionality, and messaging for candidates.

M.M.LaFleur Style Strategist Kate Leonard hears the same “keywords” mentioned when candidates request Harris-inspired pieces: “She looks classic, approachable, and powerful, but also natural. You can tell she’s comfortable in them.” Some candidates even tailor their trousers to accommodate both heels and sneakers.

As with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s quick embrace of the Carhartt Dad aesthetic, ease-of-wear helps Harris communicate her policy messaging. She exudes authenticity, which resonates with voters. Moreover, the energized Democratic ticket is “bringing the joy” back to politics, reflecting exuberance even in Harris’ fashion.

Harris has shown playfulness with her style while staying true to her political messaging. In 2019, then-Senator Harris celebrated San Francisco Pride in a fully rainbow crystal-encrusted denim jacket. For D.C.’s celebrations in 2021, she wore a bright coral Prabal Gurung blazer over a “Love is Love” t-shirt, paired with Chucks. Last year, at the Kennedy Center Honors, she stunned in a brilliant lapis blue sequined gown by Sergio Hudson.

Lombardini credits Harris with using her platform to uplift independent designers from underrepresented communities while celebrating her heritage. “It is a point of interest for people, especially younger voters,” said the stylist.

“I don’t think her style’s really changed, but in the last couple of weeks, I’ve noticed slight adjustments,” added Felix-Hager. For a Las Vegas rally in early August, Harris revived a lilac pantsuit she wore previously on The Jennifer Hudson Show, accessorized with a gold Irene Neuwirth chain necklace. For a lively rally in North Carolina, she wore a Democratic pastel blue suit.

During the opening night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, Harris addressed an elated crowd in a bespoke Chloé suit by creative director Chemena Kamali. The color? Coconut brown.

“It was brighter, a little happier, more celebratory,” Felix-Hager continued. “Just the shift in the tones of colors was an interesting, subtle twist to signify where she’s feeling about her campaign.”

The enthusiasm is infectious. What Kamala Wore resurrected its outfit chronicles in August. Rumor has it Harris has enlisted help from Hollywood stylist Leslie Fremar, whose clients include Charlize Theron and Jennifer Connelly.

“Who knows, though, once she’s elected, maybe she can take chances and put herself more out there, which would be amazing,” said Lombardini. “I’d love to see some of the sartorial choices that Michelle Obama made [reflected] on our first female president.”

Read more at The Daily Beast.