The power of dressing in politics

Written by Kezia Pribadi and Trixie Bianca Jasmine

When people hear about fashion, most would think of models and runways; however, fashion is linked to many aspects of life, including politics. According to Aris (2007), power is constituted, represented, articulated, contested and represented through dress code—dress acts as a compelling political language.

In Africa, dress portrays a powerful arena for colonial relationships to be enacted and challenged, and served as a method of cultural expression. Choice of dressing reveals dimensions of social and political transformation. Different countries have different ways of dressing and fashion depending on their culture.

Despite the various circumstances that contribute to fashion in other countries, native and foreign fashion reflects culture. It builds nationalism depending on how the dressing colonises the mind and hearts of the people.

Every nation and society develops a policy system shared by members of the society, and it relates to their mode of dressing. The power to address the needs and problems of a community is invested in specialists in social control services delivery. Expectations for dress, appearance and fashion depend on the social behaviour controlled by social organisations.

How fashion started to become a political statement

Like many other popular cultural aspects, fashion has become a tool to extend the people’s voice about social and political circumstances. For instance, during the Dutch colonial period, the Dutch controlled the way Indonesian people dressed. According to a working paper written by Luthfi Adam titled “Transformation of Dress and National Subject Formation of the Indonesian Commoners in the Colonial Period,” there was a dress regulation for the commoners.

Indonesian commoners were prohibited from wearing Western style dresses and wear only their own ethnic dress. The purpose of this regulation is to separate the commoners from the colonists so there would not be an overlap in power. But the commoners started to use Western elements in their ethnic clothing to assert more power from them.

A similar instance happened during the rise of the Women's Suffrage Movement in the early 1900s. Many women joined the march to fight for their rights to vote. They wore the same clothes while doing household chores to show that women could still participate in governmental affairs while taking care of their family.

Even the use of uniform is a form of channeling political aspiration through fashion. The function of uniform is to generalise the wearers, level the field among those who are required to wear it. Some might call it feudalism, a political system which establishes ownership in a top-down ecosystem.

In modern day, the binary of political ideologies can be identified through how the people who participate in each one dress. The conservatives often dress in a more conventional style, contrary to their opposite who dare to dress more provocatively.

Fashion during political events

Back in 2019, First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo arrived at the G20 summit in Japan with President Joko Widodo wearing a charming traditional batik buketan sarong combined with baju kurung. She stood out amongst other first ladies who wore knee-length summer dresses.

The choice of clothing can indeed be part of diplomatic tactics. With this look, Iriana presented herself as a soft and graceful first lady. Batik designer Iwet Ramadhan, a pioneer in national clothing, appreciates this choice of clothing.

Image: Iriana Widodo (second from left) attending G20 Summit in 2019 via Presidential Secretariat

“What Ibu Iriana is doing is a form of diplomacy. She is wearing batik and a short baju kurung, it’s not a traditional Javanese kebaya. Her hair, styled in a bun, is modern. What she presented herself as was “Indonesia,” not just Java,” said Iwet in an interview with Kompas.

Today, many politicians have realised how important it is to play with the voters' minds by sending a signal through their fashion. Take Minister of Tourism Sandiaga Uno, for example. During the presidential election campaign, he often associated himself with millennial blue colour by wearing it all the time. Many perceived it as his strategy to win over youth voters.

On the other hand, his partner Prabowo tried to dress more formally to accentuate his higher authority and position of power.

This tactic is widely used across the globe. As the first black woman to reach the highest position in the country, US Vice President Kamala Harris represented how far the world has come in politics and fashion. Harris wore a striking purple coat and a matching dress for the inauguration. Her photos lit up social media, with people commenting on how gorgeous she looked and what her ensemble meant.

They understood that the shade of Harris’ clothes signified unity, a blend of Democratic blue and Republican red. The purple colour was also a tribute to the US women's suffrage movement. The design of the outfit represented her achievement. Watchers also cheered on her choice of two black designers, Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson, shining a spotlight on young American fashion talent.

During the campaign, Harris wore some stand-out sneakers to show her accessibility and white suffrage pantsuit, which she wore as she and Joe Biden celebrated their victory. Harris created a visual legacy that was shared and celebrated by many.

Election candidates often dress like their constituency to gain sympathy or to be perceived as one of them at the very least. By doing so, people will more likely vote for them because trusting those who are more alike to us is just human nature.

According to a research by Laura Baker, PhD, a psychologist studying the genetic and environmental foundations of behaviour at the University of Southern California, our political choice often falls into those who we see to be similar to us, genetically and culturally.

While appearance is considered deceptive and reflects nothing about an individual's qualifications, subconscious bias has a role in election campaigns. The power of dressing is one of the advantages to politicians. Fashion can be used as a tool to build the vision and divert the attention of the voters to analyse the outfits rather than the political message. It can either deliver good or bad news to the nation.

Fashion is based on irony and playfulness, while political dialogue is serious. Politicians are creators of their reality which is reflected in the outfit they choose to wear. There is a high demand for political appearance, which is dominated by social media.

Today, the focus on appearance is more imperative. The design and colour of an outfit deliver specific information to the people involved. For instance, Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential debate wore red, white and blue pantsuits. Teaming up with American designer Ralph Lauren, Hillary created a statement through her choice of clothing which can be described as patriotic - that she is ready to serve the people of America.

A message without a visual explanation loses its power. The value of a politician's speech is diminished if it does not accompanied by a correct look.