Tim Walz’s Camo Cap Is More Important Than You Think

Vice President Kamala Harris’ announcement of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate has introduced an unexpected issue into our high-stakes political discourse: casual wear.

Walz’s progressive governing record and successful deployment of the term “weird” against Republican opponents were both factors in Harris’ decision . But so was his potential appeal to working class voters in the “Blue Wall” states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

That’s where Walz has a fashionable — or perhaps helpfully unfashionable — advantage: With his flannel-lined LL Bean barn coats, scuffed work boots and woodsy camo caps, Walz is one of the few male politicians who looks normal in the kind of unpretentious clothing many voters prefer to wear themselves.

Some corners of the internet are already responding to Walz’s Car Talk chic . “He might run for vice president, or he might clean the garage. It’s the weekend; anything can happen,” read one viral tweet . “BREAKING: Potential running mate Tim Walz spotted outside VP Kamala Harris’ residence ‘tweaking the lawn mower’s carburetor’ because he ‘didn’t like that darn knocking sound it was making,’” joked USA Today columnist Rex Huppke . One X user called Walz an “ REI hire .”

Walz’s remarkably unremarkable look displays a rare talent that few of his contemporaries share. Despite America’s long trend of dressing down, male politicians looking to earn everyman cred via casual clothing often fumble.

Take Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for example. Even setting aside those scandalous, allegedly height-boosting cowboy boots , DeSantis appeared awkward while stumping on the GOP primary campaign trail last year, particularly when he set aside his tailored sports jackets in favor of fishing shirts. The action-back, Columbia Sportswear button-downs bore his name and campaign logo, which were embroidered just above his fly-ready pockets. He presumably wore the short-sleeved, nylon shirts to shore up his coastal bona fides, as his office often reminds voters that Florida is the “fishing capital of the world.” But it was an odd choice for a man with two Ivy League degrees (Harvard and Yale) who is not particularly known for his love of fishing.

You have to go back decades to find a politician who can really pull off a casual look. Stylistically, the most successful dressed-down politician — and probably the best-dressed politician, period — was President Ronald Reagan, who sometimes appeared in plaid Western shirts, cowboy boots and trucker jackets. A few in the press lacerated him for his “costumes” — as a Hollywood actor, he starred in his share of Westerns — but the ensembles helped the former California governor look more appealing to rural Midwestern voters.

Walz channels a similar power. At a Harris rally held just a few days after Walz popularized the now viral “weird” charge against Republicans during a Morning Joe interview last month, the governor showed up in a pair of Carhartt work pants, rugged work shoes and a camouflage cap decorated with the U.S. Special Forces crest (“De Oppresso Liber,” or “To Free the Oppressed”). While touring Dutch Creek Farms in Northfield, Minnesota, with President Joe Biden, he wore a tan canvas, corduroy-collared LL Bean barn coat with blue jeans and a ball cap that read “Minnesota Grown.” At Democratic Party retreats , he sports quarter-neck zip fleeces under what appears to be a buffalo-plaid Filson Mackinaw Cruiser, a classic among Midwestern hunters and outdoorsmen. When the Harris campaign rolled out a video shortly after the VP announcement — showing Harris and Walz engaged in an obviously orchestrated phone call — Harris was shown wearing a navy suit while Walz was dressed in a black t-shirt, tan chinos, camo cap and white sneakers. The choice to put Walz in casual wear, and introduce woodsman camo campaign merch shortly after the announcement, suggests the Harris team is keenly aware of how clothing impacts the governor’s blue-collar brand.

But beyond branding, Walz’s avuncular outfits are visually successful because they are culturally coherent — teaming workwear with workwear, rather than mixing suit jackets with jeans, as DeSantis was wont to do. They also rely on classics from American heritage labels, such as LL Bean’s barn coat, Carhartt’s utility pants, Filson’s Mackinaw and Red Wing’s work boots . But most of all, they possess a quality that style writers have spent generations trying to dissect: authenticity. Walz grew up in small town Nebraska, where his high school graduating class included about 25 students. He earned his bachelor's degree from a small public state college before going on to serve in the Army National Guard and then working at Mankato West High School, where he taught geography and coached football. His hunting get-ups don’t look contrived because he’s an actual hunter .

This critical dash of authenticity is why Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, who served in the military, looks natural in his bomber jackets; why former President George W. Bush could convincingly pull off cowboy boots; and why New England-raised John Kerry and Mitt Romney look at home in preppy barn coats.

It’s also why former President Donald Trump stands as a unique figure in today’s dressed-down environment. Except for when he’s on the golf course, Trump is rarely, if ever, seen in anything but a navy worsted suit, white spread collar shirt and crimson, satin tie. The uniform burnishes Trump’s reputation as a successful businessman.

Walz is doing the same, but for the opposite effect. By wearing durable work clothes, t-shirts and jeans, he’s reminding voters of his relatively humble heartland roots — which the Harris campaign hopes will earn them votes in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

This election was always going to be decided on the margins. Who knows — maybe Walz’s camo cap will be the tipping point.