With a dramatically reduced crowd, beefed-up security, and a pandemic-era sense of solemnity, the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris was far from traditional. But as one of the largest-scale events to happen in Washington, D.C., since the pandemic began, it was also a prime opportunity for displays of fashion diplomacy, from the designers chosen by Harris and First Lady Jill Biden to the symbolic accessories worn by the lawmakers and speakers in attendance. Ahead, the must-see looks and moments from the first day of the Biden administration. 

Joe Biden and Jill Biden

For a church service at St. Matthew on inauguration morning as well as the ceremony itself, Joe Biden wore a custom blue suit by iconic American designer Ralph Lauren, who made the suit, tie, and overcoat in the same fabric as his mask. 

Incoming First Lady Jill Biden wore an ocean blue wool tweed coat and dress by Alexandra O’Neill, who founded her label Markarian in 2017. The label is sustainability-minded, with all clothing made-to-order to reduce waste, and is named for “a particularly radiant grouping of galaxies.” Markarian has also been worn by the likes of Kerry Washington, Laura Dern, Lizzo, and other celebrities. 

For the Celebrating America primetime special that aired Wednesday night, Dr. Jill Biden changed into a custom gown and accompanying coat by her friend Gabriela Hearst. According to the White House press office, the dress features “embroidery reflecting all of the state flowers of the United States and territories and the District of Columbia, in a purposeful gesture signaling the importance of national unity.”

Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff

History’s first second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, also wore Ralph Lauren, while the new vice president wore a purple coat and dress by Christopher John Rogers, the up-and-coming American fashion designer who told Vanity Fair last year, “The people who initially reached out to me for interviews and pulled my stuff and actually used it were Black women. Black women understood why I didn’t shy away from color.” Harris, of course, will become the first Black woman to serve as vice president, as well as the first person of Asian descent. 

Hillary Clinton

Attending in her capacity as a former First Lady, Clinton wore purple, the color she also wore during her concession speech after losing the 2016 presidential election to Donald Trump. It is a color historically associated with nobility, an original color favored by the suffragettes, and perhaps most notably, a metaphor for bipartisanship—red and blue together. 

Michelle Obama

Clinton was not the only former First Lady striking a bipartisan tone— Michelle Obama wore a purple Sergio Hudson alpaca sweater and pants with a cashmere coat and a signature Sergio Hudson belt from his FW20 collection. Hudson launched his namesake brand in 2014, establishing an aesthetic defined by immaculate tailoring and infusions of androgyny paired with sensual silhouettes.

Representative Barbara Lee

Lee—a California Democrat, and close ally of Harris’s—displayed a pearl necklace that once belonged to Shirley Chisholm, the congresswoman became the first Black woman to run for president in 1972. Harris is also fond of wearing pearls, partly due to the historical connection to her historically Black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. 

Lady Gaga

The Oscar-winner performed the national anthem wearing a Schiaparelli gown, emblazoned with a gold dove—the symbol of peace.  She also wore a mask and coat by Alaïa as she arrived at the Capitol. 

Jennifer Lopez

Lopez, who performed “This Land Is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful,” wore white Chanel— a color traditionally associated with suffragettes, and often favored by female lawmakers over the course of the Trump administration. 

Amanda Gorman

The National Youth Poet Laureate, and the youngest inaugural poet in history, Gorman wore a striking red headband and yellow coat, both by Prada, as she read her poem “The Hill We Climb.”

Garth Brooks

True to his word, he showed up in boots, as well as a pair of Wrangler jeans. During an inauguration ceremony marked by calls for unity across the political spectrum, Brooks’s presence as a country star was a significant part of that message— and he knew to dress the part. 

Bernie Sanders

The Senator from Vermont and former Presidential candidate represented his home state, and kept warm at the same time. 

Ella Emhoff

Emhoff, Harris’s stepdaughter and a student at Parsons, wore an embellished plaid coat by Miu Miu over a Batsheva dress. Her fashion choice, avant garde by the standards of Washington, earned plenty of attention. 

Meena Harris

The niece of the Vice President, Harris wore a dress by Ulla Johnson and shearling coat by Coach. 

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