On January 20th, America saw the swearing in of 46th President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Madame Vice President Harris is the first female in American history to hold a presidential role and is also the first woman of colour to hold this role. The inauguration also saw flags in place of supporters due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and of course, a missing Donald Trump who chose to skip the ceremony.
While this may be one of the more memorable inaugurations for the above reasons, the looks worn by attendees of the ceremony may go down in history as some of the most fashionable outfits ever.
The first look that caught my eye was of course the wonderful First Lady Dr Jill Biden in her gorgeous blue monochrome outfit. Designed by Alexandra O’Neill of Markarian in New York City, every element matched to perfection.
Dr Jill’s tweed coat had a slight sparkle to it with shimmer woven into the fabric. Her leather gloves matched to her mask and could not have looked better. Eagle eyed viewers would have noticed her diamond earrings which were made out of recycled platinum, designed by Monique Péan.
Next, we have Madam Vice President Kamala Harris. Vice President Harris wore a beautiful purple coat and dress set designed by Christopher John Rogers, a favourite of Former First Lady Michelle Obama. The colour purple was the perfect choice for Vice President Harris as the colour itself represents ambition, pride and wisdom.
Vice President Harris chose to pair her purple ensemble with black pumps along with a pearl and diamond necklace, designed by Wilfredo Rosado, which symbolizes strength and femininity. Madam Vice President also chose to wear this necklace to honour her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha which she was a member of during her time at Howard University.
This article can’t be written without mentioning Former First Lady Michelle Obama. Michelle rocked a plum ensemble designed by Sergio Hudson, a black designer from South Carolina.
Monochrome definitely was the look of the inauguration with Michelle’s turtleneck, belt, coat and perfectly flared trousers all matching together. Michelle also sported stunning black boots, gloves and a sleek silk mask all designed by the wonderful Stuart Weitzman.
Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman stole the show in the most gorgeous yellow coat, satin red hairband, white shirt and black pencil skirt all designed by Prada as she recited her poem, The Hill We Climb.
Her stunning accessories were a gift from none other than Oprah Winfrey. Since the inauguration of Bill Clinton in 1993, Oprah has gifted each inaugural poet accessories to wear as they deliver their poem to the nation at Capitol Hill.
The gifted accessories this year included gold hoop earrings with a hanging diamond designed by Nikos Koulis and a phenomenal birdcage ring by Of Rare Origin which pays homage to I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings written by Maya Angelou.
Jennifer Lopez followed the monochrome theme to a tee with a full white Chanel pantsuit and Lady Gaga made a dramatic statement with a Schiaparelli outfit which was custom made for her.
While all the looks of the day were stylish, chic and COVID safe, one look stood out among the rest.
Senator Bernie Sanders was seen sporting a brown parka jacket along with a blue surgical mask, but the showstopper of his outfit was of course his mittens. The mittens that have since become an internet sensation were made by second grade teacher Jen Ellis who lives in Vermont.
The mittens are made from cut up wool jumpers that have been well loved and are lined with fleece made from recycled plastic. Ellis sent the mittens as a gift to Sanders in 2016 after his campaign for president came to an end. He was seen wearing the mittens during his campaign in 2019.
Although the inauguration was noticeably different this year, it’s safe to say it was one of the most stylish inaugurations in history.