Washington: Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ understated and elegant signature style of blazers combined with sneakers signals a new way of power dressing.
Harris, 56, will make history as the first female, first Black and first South Asian American vice president on Wednesday.
Emerging as a woman of conviction and dedicated towards her work, Harris makes sure her approachable personality is reflected through her attire, several US media outlets reported.
Her no-nonsense wardrobe often features sharp blazers, skinny pants, pearls and Converse sneakers.
“Her style is understated, tailored, elegant, businesslike, with a touch of whimsy,” said Susan E. Kelley, who runs the blog What Kamala Wore, in a report in the New York Post.
“The clothes don’t wear her; she wears the clothes,” Kelley said.
That professional polish mixed with West Coast nonchalance signals a new way of dressing for the corridors of power, it said.
Harris’ fashion sense dates back to the days when she was a lawyer in San Francisco. She had a big collection of sharp blazers in neutral tones along with accessories like boldly patterned scarves, colourful Converse or the jangly bangles she wears alongside a Cartier watch, the report said.
Harris has always maintained a simple yet graceful look, whether it is her debut as the vice presidential candidate or her victory speech when the Democrats won the November 3 presidential election.
“She dressed in her usual work style of dark neutrals and simple lines. In the pictures, she doesn’t look stiffly styled or glamorously made-over for her debut as a vice-presidential candidate. Her clothes do not look like they’ve been pulled fresh from a shopping bag,” a report in the Washington Post said.
She largely eschews the usual red, white and blue accents politicians generally employ to drive home their patriotism, the New York Post report said.
Daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, Harris is giving fashion goals to women who want to look stylish yet comfortable in what they wear.
She has also featured on the cover page of Vogue’s February issue in her signature style.
In recent months, at least two blogs- Kamala’s Closet and What Kamala Wore, have been launched detailing every stylish or mundane look she is donning.
There is also speculation as to what Harris would be wearing on inauguration day.
“I am so curious about her outfit. Is she going to do any sort of nod to her upbringing by wearing something by an Indian designer or a Black designer? Is she going to wear a designer she’s used in the past, like Altuzarra or Michael Kors, or someone out of left field?” said Vittoria Vignone, who manages the blog Kamala’s Closet, was quoted as saying in the New York Post report.
Popular American singer Beyonce Knowles’ mother Tina has urged her followers on Instagram to join her in dressing like the Vice President-elect on Inauguration Day. “Jeans, blazer, converse tennis shoes, pearls. I think it’s a great idea!” she said.
Hazel Clark, professor at the Parsons School of Design, said that Harris has managed to dress in a way that lets her be taken seriously and also be true to herself. “She shows that you don’t have to be a slave for fashion and be stylish. You can be you and be on the cover of Vogue. I think that is inspiring,” Clark was quoted as saying by the New York Post.
