July 11, 2025, 6:18 am | Read time: 9 minutes
She could become the first woman to hold the office of President of the USA: Kamala Harris. However, Harris’s style is often discussed more than her messages, and not only positively. She is not alone in this: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Green Party politician Ricarda Lang also often come under fire for their fashionable appearance. STYLEBOOK asked two experts where this comes from.
“What’s with the tie, Mr. Lindner?”; “You can shop Friedrich Merz’s suit here”; “That’s why Olaf Scholz still uses this ancient briefcase”—do these headlines strike you as odd? Well, that could just be due to the fact that only the fashion choices of male politicians are reported here. Replace tie with dress, Mr. Lindner with Ms. Baerbock, Friedrich Merz with Kamala Harris, and Olaf Scholz with Nancy Faeser. Suddenly, these purely fictitious headlines no longer sound so unusual. Even in 2024, it is still the case that the clothing style of women in politics is much more frequently the subject of media coverage, social media, and political campaigns—both positive and negative. But why is Donald Trump’s style not referred to as power dressing? STYLEBOOK explores this question with a communication psychologist and a fashion sociologist.
The choice of an overly long tie, distinctive Budapest-style shoes, or a bow tie among male colleagues rarely sparks discussion. The best example of this is the US Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris. Her style of dress is commonly referred to as “power dressing”. This refers to a deliberate choice of clothes to create a self-confident, professional, and authoritative appearance.
Overview
Power Dressing à la Kamala Harris – When Fashion Becomes a Political Statement
No matter where the 59-year-old appears, her style resembles a uniform that is shown in variations: Clear cuts, high-quality materials, and classic colors, often in shades of blue, the color of her party. She frequently chooses modern-cut trouser suits from labels like Chloé, Dolce & Gabbana, or Altuzarra. An entire website is dedicated to her wardrobe. She often combines her outfits with Chucks or classic Manolo Blahnik pumps.
This conveys a clear message, as fashion sociologist Dr. Monika Kritzmöller explains. She runs her research and consultancy institute “Trends+Positionen” and teaches at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Her trouser suits are cut to fit her figure in a very feminine way and are combined with personal details. “She doesn’t wear just any trendy sneakers; she opts for Chucks, which she has worn since her student days. Just like the Chucks, her pearl necklaces are classics that she wears in different variations. These are her personal it-pieces that are associated with her,” analyzes Kritzmöller. “Incidentally, take a look at Marlene Dietrich or the Tuxedos by Yves Saint Laurent—these are examples of women taking away men’s toys, so to speak, and recasting them,” adds the expert.
Fashion as the Collective Memory of a Society
Dr. Christine Flassbeck, Professor of Communication Psychology at IU International University, takes a similar view. One of her main areas of research is judgment formation and communication in the world of work. She believes that sometimes female politicians can also be role models and set trends, such as the then SPD MP Lenelotte von Bothmer, when the 54-year-old mother of six entered the German Bundestag for the first time as a woman in a trouser suit on April 15, 1970. “Then women copy that,” she says. “If I copy such a style, then I’m also expressing myself in turn: I think this woman is great, I want to be a bit like her.”
What Lies Behind “Enclothed Cognition”
In this respect, clothing can also express feelings—sometimes something glamorous, but also something empowering—”enclothed cognition” is the technical term for this. A person’s appearance in public always has a direct impact on the public. “As a politician, you can’t say: Oh, today I rather feel like wearing my green, old cuddly sweater,” Flaßbeck sums it up. Female politicians are also very strategic when choosing their look. The look becomes a statement, as it does for Kamala Harris: “She’s demonstrating that she can wear this,” Flaßbeck notes.
“Harris could also wear an Indian outfit in keeping with her roots.” However, she chooses not to, as she fully identifies as an American and wishes to be perceived as such. “She consistently emphasizes her American identity. She is here to lead the country, and she is highly educated. And she expresses all of this through her clothing and also wants to show that she is not entirely conservative,” analyzes Flaßbeck. She deliberately stages herself as a kind of counter-design to Joe Biden. Bold, vibrant colors emphasize liveliness and youth.
But Why Does Society Pay More Attention to Women’s Clothing?
“On the one hand, outward appearance is of course still important for categorizing other people,” says the communication psychologist. Women also still have a different style of dress from men, whether in politics or in other professions. “Men have always tended to have this uniform-like style. Most women tend to dress in a more varied way, so we tend to associate fashion with women and look at it: What does she wear, what does she dare to wear?” says Flaßbeck.
Many female politicians, therefore, adopt the male pattern, which is often associated with business, she says. “This often results in women wearing trouser suits and blazers—with the notable exception of Sahra Wagenknecht, who consistently opts for dresses or suits. “But even that becomes a sort of uniform,” Flaßbeck observes. According to the expert, the discussion about women in politics and their clothing is caused by stereotypes or, more precisely, a simplified conclusion about others. A certain fashion style can express what you stand for, how goal-oriented you are. At the same time, it also makes you vulnerable as others try to find faults.
French Revolution Caused a Rethink
This agenda function of fashion and also the view of men—or more precisely, women’s clothing—changed with the French Revolution, explains Dr. Kritzmöller. Prior to this, the aristocracy had distinguished themselves through elaborate clothing—”for both sexes. The men were just as dressed up as the women with powdered wigs, embroidered pants and clasps on their shoes,” says the fashion sociologist. Fashion represented inherited status. With the rise of the bourgeoisie in society after the French Revolution, plain suits became the insignia of power gained through personal achievement. “No more colors, no more frills, no more chichi jewelry, with which the nobility showed that they didn’t have to work,” says Kritzmöller.
Things were very different for women back then—in the middle classes, they became representatives of their spouses’ wealth and wore correspondingly opulent outfits. The fashion sociologist explains that because women were not employed at the time, classic business attire for women did not really develop. “There were only two options: Either they imitate men or they find their own unique style that deviates from the male norm.”
Power Dressing: Are Feminine Styles Taboo in Politics?
Successful women, in particular, are often questioned as to whether they can really do justice to their role and hold their own in the tough world of politics. “As soon as this softer, feminine side appears, the critics speak out,” says Flaßbeck. A bright color or a Louis Vuitton bag can then quickly become a political issue. It is incredibly difficult for female politicians to navigate through this because they are always a target. Distinctive trademarks should also be socially acceptable in these contexts.
They then signal: “This is what voters identify with,” believes Flaßbeck. “Funnily enough, it’s always women who ask me about this,” says Kritzmöller. For her, the focus on fashion and the fact that female politicians stand out more with their clothing styles does not automatically mean a reduction to appearance. Rather, a certain style represents an overall package of identity, opinions, and messages. “There’s also something positive about standing out,” she says. It means you don’t stay in the background, are noticed, and can better represent your interests.
Sometimes this can also become a staging, as is the case with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. However, the fact that she often presents herself in dresses on the international stage among many men is a good move—because it makes her stand out from the crowd and people associate her with it. Ultimately, it’s the attitude that transforms clothing into a statement of power.
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What Our Author Says
The German original of this article was published in November 2024.