Ah, the pantsuit. It’s a symbol of gender and power, representing high-level leadership with a hint of elegance. It’s a style First Ladies and female politicians have worn for decades. And today it’s established itself as a crucial element of the modern woman’s wardrobe, with CEOs and celebrities also adopting the trend. Yet there is no name more synonymous with the pantsuit than Hillary Clinton. The Democratic presidential nominee has evolved her signature look from monochromatic separates to bold, printed tuxedo styles, and she’s come to epitomize a sartorial movement that has inspired events such as tomorrow’s National Pantsuit Day. Here, we share just how much she’s influenced the fashion industry—with a uniform that not only breaks societal assumptions, but also announces the arrival of the contemporary independent woman.
On Saturday, men and women will fill the streets of Lower Manhattan wearing pantsuits of all colors and silhouettes to march in "shoulder-padded unity" to Hillary's headquarters in Brooklyn. The parade started as a way to distinguish Clinton supporters from other candidates but has since picked up enough momentum to have events lined up in six cities. That's one way to show the world #ImWithHer.
Hillary has even inspired Reebok to revamp her iconic outfit ahead of the final debate. The activewear brand released sketches of three performance-ready pantsuits designed with their ActivChill fabric to keep Clinton cool under pressure. To make the look more modern, they added a mesh neckline, strappy sports bra and converted one into a jumpsuit "that highlighted power and strength." We want these in our wardrobes, too.
In many states, political shirts, buttons and other campaign merch aren't allowed within a certain radius of polling places. Enter the loophole found by Hillary's supporters: women across the country are planning on wearing pantsuits when they head out to vote (hey, it's fair game). A Facebook event titled "Pantsuits to the Polls" already has more than 650 RSVPs, and we can't wait to see their Election Day street style.
From Paris Fashion Week to Bridal Fashion Week, the runways often share similar trends. For spring 2017, one of them was undeniably the pantsuit, which made it to Lanvin (in oyster charmeuse), Chloé (in minimalist black and white) and Givenchy (with oversized pockets). The bridal market also introduced tailored white tuxedo suits in lieu of the traditional wedding gown. Looks like the industry is finally catching on.
It exists! An Instagram account dedicated to Hillary's most memorable outfits offers "who wore it better"-esque posts of the self-proclaimed "pantsuit aficionado" next to celebrities in similar looks (see Queen Bey, Audrey Hepburn and even husband Bill himself). With nearly 20K followers, Hillary Street Style puts the presidential candidate in the same ranks as some of fashion's top street style stars. Très chic.
You might have noticed that Hillary went all-American in her choice of colors for the debates. She wore red to the first debate, blue for the second and white at the last to bring the trifecta full circle. (It really doesn't get more patriotic than that.) Oh, and now that we're done discussing her wardrobe decisions, we'd very much like to return to the conversation about Hillary's stances on important issues, thank you.
