At the State of the Union, the Fashion Spoke Volumes

Tonight, President Joe Biden addressed issues ranging from the economy to abortion rights at the State of the Union, with Vice President Kamala Harris assuming her designated position just behind him on the dais to the right. While fashion was predictably not part of the address, it still spoke volumes. 

For the occasion, Harris wore classic pieces from her wardrobe: a black Alexander McQueen suit, a cream Saint Laurent blouse, and suede pumps by Manolo Blahnik. The Vice President traded her signature pearls for a gold Tiffany & Co. necklace, and wore an American lapel flag pin. This isn’t the first time Harris has pulled the look for a significant event. Late last year, she wore the same suit to pay her respects to Sandra Day O’Connor—the first woman to serve on the US Supreme Court–as the late justice lay in repose. 

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Seated in her box stage left, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden wore a belted Ralph Lauren skirt suit in mint green, accented with a brooch. The First Lady was joined by invited guests that included Latorya Beasley—an Alabama women forced to halt her IVF treatments following the state’s Supreme Court ruling that embryos must be legally recognized as children—and civil rights activist Bettie Mae Fikes, who, in 1965, marched in Selma, Ala. on Bloody Sunday. (Today marks the 59th anniversary of the infamous march.) Last month, Dr. Biden wore the suit during a visit to Green Bay, Wis. to promote the administration’s education policies.   

Both Vice President Harris and Dr. Biden repeated outfits they’ve chosen for events that are political—yes—but also personal. Harris, a former district attorney, in the same suit she said farewell to a legendary female justice in; Dr. Biden, a professor, in a look she previously wore while discussing education.