Which election candidate has the best fashion sense?

We’ve all grown up in a world where colors signify different things and trigger conditioned responses. The stoplights at an intersection are organized red, yellow, green so that even individuals who are colorblind can interpret when to stop, slow, or go. In my personal life, I wore an orange shirt on the first day of school all throughout high school because it gave off a friendly vibe (side note: apparently orange also makes people hungry? Oops, mixed signals).

Color psychology, or the study of how different colors evoke emotions and affect decision-making, is a concept that permeates our daily lives in ways we might not even realize. But who does realize them? Political fashion experts!

Most students can recall studying the first televised debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in which Kennedy’s well-dressed appearance onscreen garnered him a greater political following compared to the haggard Nixon. Years later in 2016, the rules of the game haven’t changed monumentally. Candidates tend to wear red or blue ties with dark blue or black suits. Red ties show strength while being patriotic; blue ties, depending on the hue, can depict a quiet authority or friendly demeanor and once again, a sense of patriotism.

If a candidate wears a striped tie, it can mute some of the strong emotions evoked by the color. Of course most all candidates will wear a large tie because as Suits icon and professional attire connoisseur Harvey Specter always reminds Mike Ross, “don’t wear a damn skinny tie to work!” Last, but not least, a US flag lapel pin seals the deal as official presidential material.

Now that we’ve gone over the basics, let’s see how this year’s candidates stack up. Trump certainly has his business background to thank for years of experience wearing suits; Bernie equally has his years in the Senate. Why is Hillary left out of this rat race? I think there’s been quite enough coverage of women’s fashion. Furthermore, there’s no amount of news articles that’ll lead to Hillary ditching her signature pantsuits.

Trump

Mr Donald J Trump certainly understands the art of a wearing a nice suit. He’s been seen sporting them at all of his events with a standard large tie (no elaborate knots) and most often with the flag pin. He also commits to the signature black suit with his ties being red or blue. Interestingly, the red ties he’s worn most often have stripes, perhaps in an effort to downplay the aggressive vibe given off by the color. This type of powerful color messaging is reflective of Trump’s offensive stance on many political issues, particularly immigration and foreign policy.

Following his victory the Florida primary, Trump uncharacteristically wore a brown suit with a salmon colored tie – this could be interpreted as a gesture extending courtesy to Latino voters who make up a large portion of the Florida electorate. Are politicians really that devious? Perhaps not, but I’ll leave it to the mainstream media to hash out that argument. Trump is no stranger to the game of marketing and his political wardrobe indicates he’s bringing his A game to win it. Kudos to you Mr Trump, but the quality of your suits hasn’t stopped the production of memes about your tan – maybe that’s something political fashion experts can dissect next?

Bernie

Bernie Sanders’ suit game reflects his political stances as an independent unafraid to challenge current two party status quo. From wearing sweater vests under his suit jacket to wearing his congress lapel pin instead of the usual USA flag, Sanders has stood his ground regarding fashion as a candidate. Age certainly might play a role here – Sanders isn’t the youngest candidate and at his age, he’s more concerned about comfort and content of speeches. His attitude has certainly worked in his appeal to young voters and drawing in larger crowds of independents into the voter base. However, there are certainly downfalls to his wardrobe choices, coming in the form of criticism that he doesn’t appear strong and presidential. Questions are posed about his age and whether he will be able to handle the stress of a presidency. Personally, I find these critiques a bit harsh given the vigor with which Mr Sanders speaks at this rallies. But it never hurts to dress for success, especially when going up against the woman whose iconic pantsuit might go down in history books like Jackie O’s sunglasses.

So what’s in it for the voters?

While it is evident that colors affect the perceptions about a person, it is still debatable how much it influences peoples’ choice at the polls. At the end of the day, the color of a candidate’s tie, much like their hair or skin color, is only one facet of their overall persona. It cannot stand as justification for the vast depths of their personality or politics. Judging the book by its cover works if you’re browsing for a new summer favorite but it certainly won’t help in picking up a classic.