Americans are preparing to vote in the US midterms, and candidates targeting Congress are competing on more than just policy. Their clothing has become a measure of their authenticity and appeal, with style used to attract attention and convey their message.
Celebrity stylist Joe Zee, who is also a contributor at the School of Design and Merchandising at the Arizona State University Fashion Institute, explains that politicians dress for two jobs at once: to look capable of holding office, but also to appear connected to the people they wish to represent. Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a former auto mechanic who represents Washington’s 3rd congressional district and is running for re-election on a platform focused on supporting small businesses and working-class families, prefers work jackets, flannel shirts, jeans and practical footwear. She won the seat in 2022, which had been held by the Republican Party in her state. Conservative public policy adviser and former owner of Capitol Hill Clothiers, Robert Ordway, says Gluesenkamp Perez has probably hit the mark most when it comes to 'authenticity and where you come from', adding that her style 'really fits the Pacific Northwest, which has trees and forests and a bit more of an outdoor vibe'. Attorney, content creator and public policy expert based in Washington DC, Tashira Halyard, says her style 'drives the message that advocates for the working class'.
Democrat legislator Mary Peltola is running for a Senate seat in the state of Alaska and made headlines for wearing traditional Yup’ik boots when she took the oath of office as a congresswoman in 2022. She wears robust outdoor gear that reminds people of her days working on a fishing boat on the Kuskokwim River in Alaska, and her campaign slogan is 'fish, family and freedom'. Conservative author and journalist Bonnie Kristian says that flannels, puffer jackets and details inspired by indigenous peoples look designed to remind voters that Peltola is a born Alaskan and a member of an indigenous tribe.
Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson from Iowa has chosen a bolder, patriotic image. She wore shoes with the American flag at a pre-election party in Iowa in June, and jeans and bandanas for more casual appearances. Hinson is leading a tight race against her Democratic opponent and has tried to distance herself from specific political decisions of the Trump administration, while still expressing loyalty to the president. Halyard says: 'Ashley’s American flag heels, denim dress and bright red blouse worn with a bandana around the neck are classic Americana', adding: 'It is that idea that… I will literally wear my patriotism on my sleeve.' Kristian says there is a 'strategic advantage' to Hinson’s look and that Hinson 'cultivates a visual identity that cannot be misinterpreted' in an era where social media presence is key. 'Her denim dress, red bandana and glittery American flag shoes all signal that she is a Republican who wins rural voters - and she truly is', Kristian says.
Texas has become a battleground between Attorney General Ken Paxton, 63, and Democratic state legislator James Talarico, 37. Paxton was controversially endorsed by Trump instead of the long-serving senator. Both candidates in Texas wear casual blazers and cowboy boots on the campaign trail. Ordway says: 'The tie is dead on the campaign trail in both parties', adding: 'The younger man dresses to look serious, while the older man dresses casually to look like one of the guys.' Fashion critic Friedman notes that Talarico’s handcrafted Lucchese cowboy boots are 'a very deliberate choice that allows him to speak to all different types of voter groups in Texas'. 'Those boots mean something that is very deeply rooted in Texas semiotics', Friedman says, adding: 'Former US President George W. Bush wore Lucchese cowboy boots, so suddenly you cross all kinds of party lines and touch all kinds of different electoral groups with your shoes'.
Paxton’s style of dressing has come under criticism from multiple sides. Trump expressed disapproval of Paxton’s style and urged voters to focus on his work because it 'speaks much louder than the suit he wears, which does not look so good'. Paxton’s opponent criticised him for wearing an expensive watch and a polo shirt from the luxury hotel chain Four Seasons. Zee says: 'The criticism of his obviously luxury watch and Four Seasons polo shirt raises another question about style: casual clothing does not necessarily have to communicate an ordinary lifestyle.' He adds: 'A polo shirt with a five-star hotel brand can carry luxury associations just as clearly as a suit', and: 'The identity and value of the watch were not confirmed, but the perception illustrates how an accessory can complicate a candidate’s message.' Friedman says that a uniform, if read naturally, is an incredibly effective tool.
