9 Style Icons and Fashion Flops at the DNC

Democratic heavyweights made their way to Chicago this week to build on the momentum behind Vice President Kamala Harris heading into her nomination as the party’s presidential candidate.

Some of those Democrats proved to be style icons. And some, to put it mildly, did not.

As a menswear writer, here are the looks that caught my eye during the convention — the good, the bad and the collar-gapped.

Raphael Warnock Is Ready for a (Cornflower) Blue Wave

Prior to the 1990s, American male politicians wore suits in all sorts of colors — olive, tan, brown and powder blue, sometimes in distinctive patterns such as windowpane and glen checks. Just take a look at any photo of Ronald Reagan, arguably the most stylish American politician in history. But since then, men’s tailoring has become much more austere, as clothiers mostly sell four-season wools in sober colors such as navy and gray. In that regard, it was refreshing to see Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock take the stage this week in a cornflower blue suit, which he paired with a lavender foulard tie. Like House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who wore a faintly checked suit at the RNC, Warnock demonstrated how easy it is to make a conservative outfit look a little more stylish by varying the fabric.

Barack Obama Is the President of Style

Former President Barack Obama’s convention look was the pinnacle of a glow-up that started when he left the White House. During his presidency, Obama took some ribbing for his frumpy dad jeans — which, ironically, have come back into fashion as Gen Z favors a more relaxed silhouette. And his infamous tan suit, which was a lightning rod for conservative criticism, washed him out. Compare the cold hue of that tan — sometimes called “stone” by creative copywriters — to the warm, enlivening hue of Vice President Harris’ tan suit from the first night of the convention. That’s the difference “color temperature” can make. But since leaving office, Obama’s style has notably improved. He made style headlines in 2019 when he showed up at a college basketball game in an embroidered Rag & Bone bomber. He drew looks at a New Year’s Eve celebration in 2021 , when he wore a monochromatic outfit with a seashell patterned shirt and trimly tapered trousers.

And at this week’s DNC, he looked better than ever. For his keynote address, he wore a two-button, charcoal gray suit with a white semi-spread collar shirt and shimmering two-tone silk tie. His collar lifted off his neck at times — perhaps an indication of a poor fit around the jacket’s armscye . But his shirt collar points were long enough to reach under his jacket’s lapels, and his four-in-hand necktie exhibited a beautiful dimple — a rare sight in today’s politics. The tasteful combination and flattering proportions made him the best dressed man at the convention.

Doug Emhoff Gets the Most Improved Award

As someone who might be this country’s first ever first gentleman, Doug Emhoff should enlist the help of a stylist. At important black-tie events, Emhoff often wears dinner suits with low-rise trousers and no cummerbund , which exposes the flash of white shirt fabric beneath his coat’s buttoning point, dragging the viewer’s eye downward. His go-to uniform seems to be pairing dark suit jackets with jeans and sneakers . He’d do better by relying more on this checked sport coat . But at this week’s convention, where he had to make the case for his wife, he notably improved. Emhoff took the stage in a conservative, navy, two-button suit, which he paired with a white, spread-collar shirt, black cap-toe derbies and a dark blue tie. It would have been a flawless outfit if it weren’t for the perpetual collar gap — a tailoring term for when a jacket’s collar fails to hug the neck. His daughter, Ella, is quite stylish. Perhaps he could consult her next time.

Andy Beshear’s Sleeves Were Allergic to His Wrists

Sometimes there’s no explanation for a wardrobe malfunction. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s suit seemed to fit well when he walked onto the stage, his jacket sleeves showing the requisite quarter-inch of shirt cuff. But as soon as he began speaking, the jacket’s cuffs ran away from his wrists, climbing high enough to cause a bit of social media chatter , which distracted from his message. His outfit also looked a bit ecclesiastical with its high-neck shirt collar and lack of neckwear. A dark worsted suit without a tie is like the night sky without stars, and Beshear missed an opportunity to augment his look with a bit of sheen and pattern. At the very least, if he’s not going to wear a necktie, Beshear should get a dress shirt with a slightly lower second button, so the collar forms a more flattering V-shaped line.

Shawn Fain Wore His Values On His Sleeve — Literally

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain would have looked better if he paired his “Trump is a Scab” t-shirt with a casual suit, such as a tan cotton suit, rather than the dark worsteds traditionally worn for business. The formality of his suit and the casualness of his T-shirt created a yawning chasm in style that was too much to bridge. Alternatively, he could have worn a snap button-Western shirt over the T-shirt, and then ripped it off for a big reveal. (The snaps would have been easier to bust open than ripping a shirt apart like Hulk Hogan at the RNC .) There was a redeeming quality to Fain’s outfit, though: When he took off his jacket, I clocked the neatly printed label sewn into the in-breast pocket : “Joseph Abboud,” one of the few remaining companies that still makes their tailored clothing in an American union shop. It’s refreshing to see someone in politics live (and wear) their values.

Kamala Harris’ Suit Didn’t Just Fall Out of a Coconut Tree

Although I’m a menswear writer, there were some important womenswear moments at this year’s DNC that were impossible to ignore — after all, the person at the top of the ticket could become the nation’s first woman president. Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the first day of the convention wearing a tan, single-breasted suit with padded shoulders, peak lapels and flared trousers. Harris’ penchant for strongly padded shoulders may be a way for her to bridge the masculine-feminine divide in politics. On the first day of the convention, her angular shoulders and sweeping, peak lapels — a silhouette that finds its counterpart in Tommy Nutter and Tom Ford on the menswear side of the aisle — gave her an air of commanding authority in a space that has been historically dominated by men. As Washington Post fashion critic Rachel Tashjian noted on social media , a double-breasted version of the suit appears on Chloé’s site, advertised as “coconut brown.” Perhaps this choice didn’t just fall out of a coconut tree, but exists in the context of wardrobe consultants who knew how to dress Harris for this moment.

Michelle Obama Was the Picture of Elegance

Former first lady Michelle Obama was among the most elegantly attired at this week’s convention, delivering her address in a sleeveless tunic and trouser set by Monse. The navy ensemble, which featured a criss-crossing, deconstructed lapel that wrapped around her chest, looked poised — but also battle-ready. As New York Times fashion columnist Vanessa Friedman noted , the choice may have been about more than design. Monse is a small, independent label founded by Fernando Garcia, who grew up in the Dominican Republic and Spain, and Laura Kim, who is from South Korea. “The fact that Mrs. Obama — and her stylist, Meredith Koop, who has been working with her since her time in the White House — chose the smaller fashion house over the establishment name was fully in line with Mrs. Obama’s practice, developed as first lady, of using her platform to highlight lesser known businesses,” Friedman wrote. The outfit conveyed a kind of strength that suited the seriousness of the moment — while under the label, there was a story that matched Obama’s speech of hope, unity and diversity.

Pete Buttigieg Looked Solid — Too Solid

In a September 2019 Vogue profile , Tom Ford revealed that he had lunch with Pete Buttigieg early in his campaign for president. Ford, whom Vogue described as a “huge fan,” noticed that, despite the young candidate’s silken rhetoric, he often looked diminutive in his oversized suits. Ford later texted Buttigieg’s husband, Chasten, and offered to help reshape the candidate’s wardrobe. They didn’t bite. But five years after that luncheon, Ford’s suggestion seemed to have influenced him anyway. During his speech Wednesday night, his jacket fit neatly across his shoulders, his collar hugged his neck and his chest was free of excessive drape. It was a fine outfit, but the reliance on solid colors made it visually staid. Pete, if you’re reading, try a rep-striped or grenadine tie, or something like the shimmering jacquards President Obama wore this week.

Tim Walz’s Jacket Told a (Somewhat Puckered) Story

When Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took the stage on Wednesday night, there was small detail on his suit that told a story about his whirlwind month. His jacket’s left front dart — a tailoring term for the line that runs from about the breast pocket to the hip pocket, which indicates where a fold has been made to create shape — was a little puckered. This puckering, which is hard to see in photos but easily visible in video, is often the result of steaming.

When candidates have impacted travel schedules, they sometimes rely on steamers to vanquish wrinkles. You see this on Biden’s suits during his international trips. But for Walz, it might have been the result of him having a limited wardrobe — and one of the fastest rises in modern political history. Walz went from being a relatively unknown name on the national stage to the top of the Democratic ticket, largely on the back of a viral Morning Joe interview.

Over the last month on the campaign trail, his lack of sartorial sophistication started to show: His jackets often have low armholes, which cause his entire jacket to lift when he raises his arms. But much like his casualwear — the LL Bean barn coats, Filson hunting coats and weathered flannel shirts that Obama referenced in his speech — this somehow plays to his advantage . Much of Walz’ appeal is that he’s a Midwesterner with small-town, blue-collar roots. His tailoring this week has been polished, but not slick; well-tailored without being obviously bespoke. The fact that he looks “regular,” and not like the product of consultants, is part of his appeal. Still, like Buttigieg, he could have benefited from at least wearing a patterned tie.