fashion

There's a very specific reason Hillary Clinton wore white to the inauguration.

In the scheme of things, fashion might not seem like an important or even noteworthy element of Friday’s presidential inauguration.

But when we’re talking about Hillary Clinton’s sartorial selection, it actually kind of is.

The defeated Democrat selected a crisp white Ralph Lauren pantsuit for the occasion of her former opponent, Donald Trump, being sworn into office, and it’s believed the choice of colour was a very deliberate one.

A nod to the American suffragettes who fought for the right to vote in the early 1900s.

To them the colour, which is associated with purity, served as a snub to opponent’s claims that they were somehow immoral.

Sounds familiar somehow…

The theory stems from the fact that Clinton whipped out white pantsuits at a number of significant moments in her campaign, including when she accepted the Democratic nomination and during the final presidential debate.

Her latest choice is being interpreted by some as a subtle demonstration of solidarity for the Women’s March due to take place in Washington D.C. (an offshoot of which was held in Sydney today).

hillary clinton white pantsuit
Bill: Argh more clothes symbolism. First the purple coat and now this. (Image: Getty)
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When Clinton conceded defeat in November last year, the internet was thrown into a frenzy over the symbolic meaning of her purple jacket.

Regardless of whether or not the suit was symbolic (it has occurred to us that perhaps she just likes the colour...), the fact that she was there speaks volumes.