WEDNESDAY’S inauguration ushered in a new era for the Unite States and with more women in the White House than ever before, it marked an iconic moment in fashion. The vice president, first lady, and former first lady Michelle Obama chose looks from small, BIPOC-owned, and emerging brands; Jennifer Lopez arrived in a Chanel white suit as an homage to women suffragists to perform a “This Land is Your Land” remix; Biden’s children and grandchildren arrived in a suite of sophisticated ensembles. One trend immediately stood out amongst key attendees: Monochrome was the look of the day — from Vice President Harris’ purple look by Christopher John Rogers and first lady Jill Biden’s ocean blue Markarian dress and coat trimmed in Swarovski crystals and velvet, from designer Alexandra O’Neill, to Michelle Obama’s head-to-toe plum ensemble by Sergio Hudson. Lopez’s all-white Chanel continued the trend, which was also embraced by Hillary Clinton, who sported head-to-toe violet alongside Harris. Biden’s granddaughters Naomi, Natalie, Finnegan, and Maisy wore white, pink, tan, and black respectively, while his daughter Ashley sported all navy. The choice to wear one single color from head-to-toe is not only flattering in its ability to elongate one’s silhouette, but simple in its straightforwardness. It may also be, per O’Neill, a nod to the suiting we’ve become accustomed to seeing continuously on the political and world stage, with men historically dominating roles in public service. “It’s a classic way of dressing and of doing things, it’s like an old school suit ensemble,” she said. Of course, the color chosen becomes more significant, which is why we saw so much purple on the inauguration stage. The shade, a mix of the political party colors, red and blue is said to evoke a sense of solidarity, bipartisanship and unity. Naomi Biden and Jennifer Lopez arrived to the Capitol in all white, a likely nod to women suffragists. The color was also chosen by Vice President Harris the night of the election, when she wore a look by Carolina Herrera designer Wes Gordon. Taking a different approach, Senator Bernie Sanders wore a jacket and a pair of homemade mittens that raised eyeballs at the inauguration. Sanders’ mittens and the rest of his attire at the inauguration quickly sparked countless memes on social media. He insisted that his clothing choices were primarily intended to shield him from the chilly weather. Black face masks were worn by most at the ceremony, with Sanders wearing a disposable blue surgical mask. Musician Garth Brooks was one notable figure to join Sanders in adopting a more casual look, arriving at the event wearing blue jeans and traditional brown cowboy boots, along with a black blazer, shirt, mask and cowboy hat. He removed his hat to sing “Amazing Grace” during the ceremony. (SD-Agencies) | 