During the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, a notable trend was observed with numerous women delegates and supporters donning white attire as they gathered at the United Center. This collective decision to wear white during the event was a symbolic gesture honoring women’s suffrage, the movement that led to American women gaining the right to vote in 1920. As Vice President Kamala Harris prepared to accept the Democratic presidential nomination, she would be met with a sea of white clothing in the audience, reminiscent of significant political milestones where women wearing white played a prominent role.
The tradition of wearing white to mark pivotal moments in American politics has been ongoing. In 2016, Hillary Clinton wore a white suit when she accepted the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, while Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice-presidential candidate, also chose white attire during the 1984 Democratic convention. Women members of the U.S. House demonstrated solidarity by wearing white during the State of the Union addresses in 2019 and 2020, vowing to uphold women’s rights on the centenary of women’s suffrage.
Earlier in the year, the Democratic Women’s Caucus announced plans for its members to wear white to the State of the Union as a symbolic show of support for reproductive rights. This fashion statement of solidarity and homage to the suffrage movement has become a visible and powerful tradition in American politics, uniting women in governance and advocacy for gender equality and women’s rights.
