Kamala in Power Suits: The History Behind The Hues
The pant suit is a revolutionary garment that empowers women to express authority and competence without compromising on comfort or personal style.
Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris's political career has not been the most fashionable one, to be sure. But since officially stepping into the 2024 race, she's been noticeably leveling up her color choices with various shades of blue, tan and pink. We’re taking a look at the history behind each color pantsuit she’s worn so far and the associated mood or emotion reflected on the campaign trail.
Kamala Harris, 2024: Democratic National Convention, Day 4
Prussian Blue is a dark blue (almost Black) color that was created by accident in 1704. Aside from the varying accounts of rather intriguing origin stories, Prussian blue was an extremely important pigment development. It was the first synthetic blue pigment to be invented since the ancient Egyptians invented Egyptian blue.
Its influence can be seen across art history– it is the characteristic pigment of Picasso’s Blue Period, it was a favorite among the painters of the Baroque and Rococo periods, and it is the color that is produced in the cyanotype process (or the ‘blueprint’).
Mood: Deep, Powerful
Kamala at a campaign rally in Milwaukee, WI.
Woad Blue is derived from the ward plant in the mustard family. When harvested and treated properly, the leaves can be used to create both a blue dye and a pigment. According to Jenny Balfour-Paul in her book Indigo: Egyptian Mummies to Blue Jeans, woad has an unusual chemical make-up that allows it to be used both as a dye and a pigment. As a dye, it was perfect for dyeing fabrics, and as a pigment it worked well for paint and ink. Not to be confused with “true indigo” from indigo plants native to India, Japan, and the Americas. The chemical in woad that creates the blue dye is the same chemical found in indigos—just in a smaller concentration.
The plant is native throughout Eurasia, and as far as historians and archaeologists can tell, ancient Egyptians were the first to realize its potential as a dye around 2500 BCE. With the use of woad came words for the color blue. Eventually, woad blue spread further throughout Eurasia during the rest of the Late Paleolithic and into the Iron Age. By the Medieval period, woad was a fairly common dye, and the plant was cultivated for that purpose.
Mood: Original, Clever, Creative
Kamala Harris, 2024: Democratic National Convention, Day 1
Fallow is a faded caramel, tawny color - the tint of withered leaves and grass. It’s one of the oldest colors in the English language. From the 1300s, the word was used to describe farmland resting between seasons.
Fallow is also used to refer to an animal whose coat allows it to camouflage or melt into its surroundings.
Mood: Sustainable, Dependable, Wholesome
Kamala Harris, 2024: Presidential Campaign Rally in Coraopolis
Royal Blue comes from England, where the hue was said to have been created for a competition to make a dress for Queen Charlotte (1744—1818). The shade of blue associated with the name has actually changed over time. Before the 1950s, royal blue was considered to be much darker.
The color has regal associations, thanks to its historical connection to the British throne. This makes it a popular choice for suits, bridesmaid dresses and formal outfits.
Mood: Trustworthy and Reliable
Kamala Harris, 2024: Presidential Campaign Rally in Raleigh
Electric Blue (originally discovered in 1845) was originally named after the color of the ionized air glow produced during electrical discharges. But it’s now also considered a representation of the color of lighting, electric sparks and any vibrant blues that are metaphorically “electric”. Timely because the dusty periwinkle shade came into vogue in the late 19th century just as Jospeh Swan and Thomas Edison were moving towards harnessing electricity. The November 1883 issue of Young Ladies’ Journal notes the fashion for a walking dress as electric blue double nun’s cloth.
Mood: Energetic, Active, Excited
Kamala Harris, 2024: Presidential Campaign Rally in Largo
Beige takes its name from the French word that means natural wool. Picture a wooly sheep clomping across the grassland. It’s not white, and it’s not cream. It’s something else, and you’d love to weave your fingers into it. Beige gathers the warmth of brown and the brilliance of white, creating a predictable and dependable neutral.
Mood: Quiet, Earthy, Dull
Kamala Harris, 2024: Presidential Campaign Rally in Las Vegas
Mountbatten Pink is a medium shade of magenta-red with hints of blue was first used by Lord Mountbatten of the British Royal Navy during World War II. After noticing a Union-Castle Line ship with a similar camouflage color disappearing from sight, he applied the color to his own ships, believing the color would render his ships difficult to see during dawn and dusk.
Mood: Subtle, Disguising
Kamala Harris, 2024: Presidential Campaign Rally in Glendale
Khaki is a color. Not a cut, not a fabric, but a color. The word is borrowed from Urdu and means “dusty” -and was used to refer to the cloth used for military clothing that was dust colored. It is said to be invented by Sir Harry Lumsden in Pakistan who ordered white cloth to be soaked and rubbed with mud from the local river to make his soldiers “invisible in a land of dust.”
Mood: Robust, Versatile, Trustworthy, Safe
Kamala Harris, 2024: Presidential Campaign Rally in Wayne
Prussian Blue
Kamala Harris 2024: Presidential Campaign Rally in Philadelphia
Navy originated from the navy uniforms worn by service members in the British Royal Navy. The color has been worn by officers in the Royal Navy since 1748. In fact, in the early 19th century, the shade was initially referred to as marine blue, but the name of the color soon changed to navy blue. It was subsequently adopted by other naval forces worldwide.
Indigo dye is the basis of the historical navy blue color since most uniforms were made using indigo dye throughout the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. As a result, the modern-day shade of navy blue is a bit bolder than the color of the original uniforms worn by the navy.
Mood: Powerful, Authoritative, Elegant, Sophisticated
Kamala Harris, 2024: Presidential Campaign Rally in Atlanta
Light Blue is as old as the sky above, but its name is not.
The hue was prized by the Ancient Egyptians, who used blue widely in decorations and jewelry. Blue was the most expensive paint pigment during the Renaissance, while King Louis IX of France (1214 – 1270) dressed regularly in the color. Paler blues became popular during the Rococo era of the late 17th and early 18th century.
In the modern era, light blue shades are often associated with baby boys. However in the 1910s and 1920s, pink was actually considered the appropriate shade to dress young boys in—a Ladies Home Journal article from 1918 stated that blue was “more delicate and dainty” and therefore better suited to girls. However, by the 1940s, the idea of light blue for boys and pink for girls had become widely adopted.
Today, flags for countries like Fiji, Argentina and Botswana all use light blue as the dominant color.
Mood: Soft, Serene, Inspirational
Kamala Harris, 2024: Essence Festival
Capri is a deep shade of blue between cyan and azure. It is named for the color of the Mediterranean Sea around the island of Capri off Italy, the site of several villas belonging to the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Specifically, capri is named after the color of the Blue Grotto on the island of Capri, as it appears on a bright sunny day. The first use of capri as a color name in English was in 1920, and is associated with clarity of thinking, mental concentration and focus.
Mood: Smart, Fun, Fashionable
