There's a Reason Hillary Clinton Wore Purple to the 2021 Inauguration

Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived to the capitol for the 2021 Inauguration in a deep purple pantsuit by Ralph Lauren. Her outfit coordination with Vice President Kamala Harris and former First Lady Michelle Obama was no accident: purple, a mix of red and blue, is the political color of unity. The former Secretary of State also wore purple while delivering her concession speech in 2016, which touched on the divisions in the United States. Together, their outfits call for both sides of the political spectrum to come together and move forward.

Rob Carr

Clinton's fashion choices frequently came under fire throughout her tenure in Washington, D.C., much to her frustration. Reportedly, when Clinton's team questioned the shoes she was planning on wearing during a primary debate in 2016, Clinton retorted: “Did anyone ask Bernie [Sanders] about his goddamn shoes? I don't care.” Ironically, many of the styles she sported in the 1980s and '90s—boxy blazers, headbands, and pantsuits—are trendy today and her pantsuits have become a signature. "I like pantsuits,” Clinton wrote in her memoir What Happened. “They make me feel professional and ready to go.” Even with Ralph Lauren in heavy rotation, her pantsuits are versatile and evolving, like the purple ensemble she wore for the Inauguration.

In fact, Clinton's commitment to this uniform undoubtedly served as inspiration for Harris's sartorial choices, albeit with a modern spin. For Americans watching today, it is powerful to realize that three of the country's most influential women came together on this historic day as a team to call for everyone to come together and move forward (in pantsuits, or otherwise).

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