The Feminist Meaning Behind Hillary Clinton’s White Suit

Hillary Clinton is no stranger to criticism about her clothing and accessories, however sexist it may be to discuss. But Thursday night, as she accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, Clinton wore a striking white pantsuit with a strong backstory, and we should talk about that.

White was one of the main colors of the women’s movement, the New York Times explains. The Times writes, “White, along with purple and gold, were the official colors of the National Woman’s Party and the suffragist movement.”

The National Woman’s party wasn’t the only political movement to utilize white in their color palette. The Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage’s mission statement, published in December 1913, claimed, “White, the emblem of purity, symbolizes the quality of our purpose.”

Clinton’s palette echoed the choice of another trailblazing woman. Refinery 29 points out that Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice presidential nominee, also wore white during the 1984 Democratic Convention.

Clinton’s acceptance speech spoke volumes on the future, but her outfit was a fitting nod to the past.