The race to the White House isn’t for the faint of heart. For the 2016 election, a candidate needs charisma, thick skin and a presidentially fleek sense of style.
With serious female candidates in both the Republican and Democratic races, fashion officially factored into next year’s election.
Yes, it’s horribly sexist that our society will judge a woman’s merits and potential based on what’s she’s wearing, but this scrutiny is applicable to the male presidential candidates as well.
This isn’t the first time a candidate’s appearance has weighed into their popularity with voters.
After the first televised presidential debate was aired in 1960, viewers were quick to declare John F. Kennedy the winner. Why?
Kennedy looked calm, confident and tailored for the role. His opponent, Richard Nixon, looked the opposite.
In similar fashion, the 2016 election is all about the optics. It’s a race where public relations is key.
One of the biggest components of public relations is the brand’s visuals. A voter needs to see an image and associate it immediately with a candidate’s campaign and platforms.
What better way to hone these associations than through the candidates themselves?
Each of the major candidates has a particular image they’re trying to convince voters they represent. Judging from their outfits at public appearances, the candidates are all willing to dress for their respective roles.
Democratic frontrunner Hillary Rodham Clinton positions herself as the seasoned veteran who’s willing to fight for the underdogs. She’s the confident everywoman who knows how to get the job done.
Clinton’s style reflects this. For her public appearances, she’s often seen in bright, friendly colors. Her hair is highlighted with warm caramel. Her makeup is soft and bright.
She looks more like a grandmother than a presidential candidate. That’s the point.
This image contrasts significantly to the one from her 2008 Presidential Campaign.
In 2008, Clinton’s appearance featured more muted and dull colors, less natural hair coloring and strong, heavy makeup.
She was cold, impersonal and too confident. Clinton’s former image downplayed her current campaign’s biggest selling point: her womanhood.
Republican candidate Carly Fiorina seems to be aiming for a fusion of Clinton’s images.
Fiorina is often seen in brighter suit jackets with either a matching or black skirt. Her makeup is usually soft, and she dons a glossy lip. Her look says, “approachable middle school principal,” but her demeanor suggests otherwise.
Fiorina is an aggressive shark when she’s speaking at debates, rallies or interviews. Nothing about the way she carries herself suggests she’s friendly.
As Sarah Palin would say, the only difference between Fiorina and a pit bull is lipstick. This is why it’s important her appearance factors in to balance out her ferocity.
The strong, confident look bodes more fairly for the male presidential candidates.
Fellow Republican contender Marco Rubio has little variation when it comes to his style. Rubio is seen in dark navy or black fitted suits with red or blue ties. If he’s wearing makeup, it’s not a lot because he looks pale and sort of sickly.
Rubio’s appearance makes sense when you look at his campaign’s biggest selling point: It’s consistent.
This differs from the hit-or-miss streak of Jeb Bush’s campaign, aka “Jeb!”
Bush’s campaign and personal appearance tell two different stories. His campaign seems half-hearted and unsure. His image says confident and relatable, especially when looking at his significant weight loss prior to hitting the campaign trail.
Bush may look like a president, but he certainly isn’t performing like one. His campaign woes affect the Republican party as it scrambles to crown a new, electable frontrunner.
The Republican party is suffering an identity crisis as nontraditional candidates like Donald Trump and Ben Carson dominate polls.
Both Trump and Carson have similar approaches to campaign style as Rubio does. Their only distinction is they’re willing to get a little more casual.
Trump will occasionally sport his “Make America Great Again” baseball cap at events. Carson ditches his tie and wears glasses.
Both of their looks show they’re trying to appeal to the commonfolk, propelling them to the front of Republican polls.
The candidate who always goes for an “I woke up like this,” look is Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders.
Sanders typically sports an ill-fitting suit, poorly tied tie and a serious case of bedhead. Seriously, someone please comb Sanders’ hair before he goes on national television. He looks like he just had a seizure.
This “chill” look coordinates with Sanders’ “chill” platform. He embraces the lax, anti-traditional values Millennials often have.
Clinton may be the friendly, yet seasoned grandmother — but Sanders is the kooky, hippie grandfather many people have.
While most of the major candidates settled into their looks, there are some presidential hopefuls who can’t find their niche.
The most prominent example is former Gov. Martin O’Malley. O’Malley’s appearance and campaign are both overshadowed by those of Democratic frontrunners Clinton and Sanders.
This is slightly disappointing because O’Malley has something none of the candidates in either party have: sex appeal.
Seriously, O’Malley has abs. The fact his suits aren’t fitted a bit more is astonishing. His campaign would fare better if he embraced his role as the most attractive candidate.
In 2016, every single candidate has a role they’re playing. Everything from their logos to their appearances work in tandem to bring these roles to life for voters.
By the time the primary elections roll around, voters won’t be asking themselves, “Which candidate represents my values better?”
Instead, voters will wonder, “Which candidate played their part more passionately?”
The key to the White House may or may not be a pantsuit.
John Gavin Harp is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from St. Francisville, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @SirJohnGavin.
John Gavin Harp is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from St. Francisville, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @SirJohnGavin.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump throws a copy of The Wall Street Journal after criticizing its coverage of his campaign during a rally at the Jacksonville Landing along the banks of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015. (Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union - Jacksonville.com via AP)
