Home
life
news
Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, and Elizabeth Warren all wore purple for Inauguration Day, likely as a sign of bipartisanship

Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, and Elizabeth Warren all wore purple for Inauguration Day, likely as a sign of bipartisanship

Amanda Krause

Numerous female politicians wore purple to Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday.
Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, and Elizabeth Warren all incorporated the color into their fashion.
Purple is often seen as a color that unites the blue and red shades of Democrats and Republicans.

In addition to red, white, and blue outfits, numerous politicians arrived at Joe Biden's presidential inauguration on Wednesday wearing purple ensembles.

Vice President Kamala Harris wore a purple jacket for her big day, Hillary Clinton chose a suit of a similar shade, and Elizabeth Warren attended in a purple-hued scarf and mask.

It's unclear if the outfits were coordinated or a coincidence, but all three likely share similar inspirations: unity, equality, and politicians that came before them.

Politicians have historically worn purple outfits as symbols of bipartisanship and women's suffrage

Back in 2010, numerous politicians wore purple ensembles to President Obama's State of the Union address. At the time, ABC News reported that the color scheme was likely a nod to bipartisanship, as purple is a "middle-of-the-road" color between red and blue, and swing states are commonly referred to as "purple states."

Einav Rabinovitch-Fox also noted via Fast Company in 2019 that purple can also be used as a symbol of women's suffrage, and specifically loyalty. Today, white is commonly considered the color of the movement, but that's partly because popular black-and-white photos from that time "obscured two colors that were just as important to the suffragists" - purple and yellow.

Kamala Harris' bold outfit may have also been inspired by Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for president

For her historical inauguration, Harris wore a purple dress underneath a matching coat of the same shade. She also wore a pearl necklace, black gloves, and a matching mask.

According to NBC News reporter Deepa Shivaram, the Vice President wore clothes from two Black designers, including Christopher John Rogers, who's from Lousiana and lives in New York City; and Sergio Hudson, who is from South Carolina.

Purple, red, and yellow were previously used by Harris as her presidential campaign colors. Her campaign previously confirmed that the color scheme was inspired by that of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, who used the colors when running for president - the first Black woman to do so - in 1972.

Hillary Clinton also has a history of wearing purple for significant events

In 2016, Clinton wore a purple Ralph Lauren suit for her concession speech after Donald Trump won the presidential election.

"The morning after the election, Bill and I both wore purple," Clinton later said in her "What Happened" memoir, as reported by Vogue. "It was a nod to bipartisanship (blue plus red equals purple)."

She seemingly took similar inspiration for her 2021 inauguration outfit. Clinton arrived wearing a plum-colored coat over a purple blouse, matching pants, and a coordinated scarf. The latter accessory was styled similar to a pussy-bow collar, which is often worn by female politicians as a symbol of protest.

Elizabeth Warren and Jill Biden also wore purple at inauguration events this week

Warren arrived in Washington, DC, on Wednesday wearing a purple mask and a similarly-hued scarf.

Jill Biden also wore a purple ensemble on the eve of her husband's inauguration.

As Insider's Samantha Grindell reported, the first lady's outfit was designed by Jonathan Cohen, while her mask was made from leftover material.