Cleveland
Visually, the crowd at the Republican National Convention is a sea of suits, ties, button-downs, sensible cocktail dresses, and high heels. The prevailing accessory is a lanyard with a dangling delegate credential. But not infrequently, emerging from the waves of sartorial boredom are people who came prepared to stand out: fearless, colorful gems.
Of course, you have to adhere to the theme at hand, otherwise your bold outfit would be simple showing off. Through your clothes, you are not only expressing your personality—you are representing your political views and loyalties.
The overwhelming color scheme is obvious: red, white, and blue. Stripes and stars are spangled on hats, blazers, pants and boots. They are screaming: This is America!
A print popular particularly among women proudly shows off party affiliation. GOP elephants march in neat rows on blouses, skirts and dresses.
As the candidate himself has repeated many times, this is Donald Trump’s convention.
With people from all across the country mulling around, you want to show where you are from. Many Texas representatives are immediately recognizable by their shirts, emblazoned with the state’s lone star (as well as, naturally, cowboy hats and boots).
It’s hard to say whether cowboy hats or Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” caps are the most popular headwear, but hats are certainly a common accessory of choice (a noticeable number of men opt for preppy straw boater hats as well).
And then there are those who don’t fit into any particular convention trend, unique even among other originals.
Montana delegate Susan Campbell Reneau demonstrated her 360-degree skirt with a sweeping, square dance twirl. She loved the Washington state tree hat so much she decided to add it to her ensemble.
