All eyes turned towards the nation’s capital as Joe Biden took the mantle as the United States’ next president on Inauguration Day. With so much attention placed on the grand spectacle, which featured plenty of musical acts, many viewers quickly noticed that many of the prominent women from Vice President Kamala Harris to former First Lady Michelle Obama, were sporting an-all purple look.
The Evening Standard confirmed that the choice in attire was not one big coincidence. Along with Harris, who became the first-ever woman sworn as vice president, and Obama, Hillary Clinton and newly-appointed First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, also wore an array of purple hues in their get-ups. Jules Standish, a color consultant, told the outlet that this was to symbolize a mix of the two party colors, red and blue, to show leadership and inspire unity. The Democratic party is signified with blue while the Republican party dons red. With purple, which Standish says is also fitting because it is a color that represents healing and calming, the women all took their first stand in bringing the country together across both parties.
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In a symbolic gesture, Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton all featured purple in their outfits on #InaugurationDay.
Traditionally thought of as the color of bipartisanship, purple sends a message of unity during this historic presidential transition of power. pic.twitter.com/udC4WzRX6p
— Vox (@voxdotcom) January 20, 2021
Biden was seen wearing purple as soon as she arrived in Washington D.C. Harris’ purple outfit was from a black designer, Christopher John Rogers. Obama rocked a more reddish purple look while Clinton has a violet suit on as she was ushered in by her husband and former president, Bill Clinton. Across social media, many viewers at home seemed to appreciate the nod to bipartisanship as a small step in showing the next administration’s goal of bringing the country back together.
The outlet also noted that this isn’t the first time Harris has turned to this specific color in her wardrobe. As the first Black woman to ever step into the White House as vice president, Harris’ purple attire goes back to Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first to run for president (when she did so in 1972). Harris chose to pay homage to her as soon as she threw her name into the presidential race and continued to do so for much of the campaign.
