Trump’s Rivals Tried to Mirror His Style — Here’s Why They Failed

Looks matter, especially in politics. As Republican candidates exit the presidential race, we look back at the reaction to former President Donald Trump's distinct look and how aesthetics have impacted recent campaigns. Trump's rivals not only took style notes, but early on went to the extent of cosplaying as him. In the first debate that we saw in 2023, all of the Republicans showed up looking like Trump puppets. Everyone was wearing his uniform in hopes he didn't show up, which he didn't. If I mimic that look, will I also grab his audience? From the hair to the hat, Trump's distinct visual branding has upended what campaigning once looked like. Since that first debate, some put their own spin on the look. But was that enough to appeal to Trump's base? And which of his style tactics can be used against him? Lauren Rothman is a Washington, D.C.-based political and corporate stylist. With voters bombarded by news 24-7, she says standing out in the headlines is vital in winning an election, and the best way to be seen is often through what you wear. It is going to be an image that comes in over and over again through social, on your phone, on your iPad, on your computer, in so many different streams. Politicians are paying more attention now to the power of that non-verbal communication cue. Popular visual cue is slapping your name onto your clothes. With a wealth of newcomers and the growing need to put faces to names, turning oneself into a walking billboard has become a new norm in presidential races. It's interesting when we see politicians announcing their name. It's a way of quietly screaming, do you know who I am? Nikki Haley and Chris Christie, who since dropped out of the race, do have the name recognition, and chose instead to have voters be the ones to parade their names. Nikki Haley and Chris Christie are representative more of what the standard is. They don't need to be wearing what they're selling. What we saw with Obama, a clean, consistent look. It didn't feel intimidating. It didn't feel predictable. It felt innovative. Nikki Haley has an opportunity to replicate that. President Joe Biden has been selling Mimi Dark branded t-shirts and merchandise to appeal to younger voters. I like my coffee dark. Wearable merch is a branding tactic that took Trump to another level with the MAGA hat. Vivek Ramaswamy tried out his own truth hats before he dropped out. Following in this idea of now, anytime you see a red hat, does that indicate sort of a Trump type look? Ramaswamy's truth hat kind of has a little bit of a quiet luxury in the vein of succession, and sort of where pop culture has gotten us in terms of style. There is something about Trump's red hat that never really matched his suiting. He often was overdressed for that hat, but he was one of the people when he wore it because it had been handed out to everyone in the audience who was dressed casually. Dressing up like your constituency is a standard move, but it's tricky to do effectively. They're not all dressy situations on stage. We've been in campaigning mode, so we're seeing a little bit more variety in terms of dressing down. When we think about some of these iconic style pieces that we use, and I like to call them icebreakers because they're a way that you can start to communicate with your neighbors, your friends. One of those might be, hey, you see somebody wearing a pair of aviators. Are those the same ones Biden wears? This water cooler talk with folks in a way where politics doesn't feel like a scary topic to talk about. Folks that I'm working with are really more invested now in getting feedback about how they show up. 10, 20 years ago was much more elitist. I'm in politics. I'm smart. How I look doesn't matter. And that's been the biggest wave of change. Now folks understand we want to really get to know you without actually knowing you. Investing in your style when you work in politics, it is the difference between being ridiculed and being remembered.