Kamala and her Big Girl Pants

I confess, I look at her clothes. I just hope that Kamala Harris secretly hates the uniform, aka the Big Girl Pants. All of her pantsuits are identical, there’s a blue one, a pink one, a beige one, lots of black and gray, and she wears one every day, never a dress or a skirt. Her pantsuits are definitely a costume. Just don't look at her feet, she’s wearing girly Manolos. She might break an ankle, but there is a woman in there!

I can just imagine Kamala smiling as she takes off the suit at the end of the day. Maybe the paparazzi will snap her wearing a tee and jeans. Or maybe, she’s so disciplined, that she wears a suit-like thing to bed. I can see it, a long white pantsuit with purple trim. No!!!!!! Please!!! Tell me she wears the suits because she has to. Suits after all “make the man”, and she needs to look like she belongs, like she is man enough to do the job. 

When I got to Parliament Hill as a reporter in the mid 80’s, I tried to look not like a president, but like I belonged, which in those days meant like a man. I wore big clunker shoes and shoulder pads, I even had a big perm, anything that made me look big and a bit scary. Nearly all of the other journalists were men, women in the office were “the skirts”. This is not about my grandma’s days, looking at Kamala and her suits, the prejudices are still there.

Jackets, I had a few. They were all the same, but in different colours, very Kamala-like. Then everything changed, women were getting big jobs, just not as president of the U.S..Jackets were out, dresses were in, hems went up, arms were for show, and heels got ridiculously high. I remember thinking 3-inch heels were really something, then that became what old ladies wear. Or lady pioneers named Kamala wearing pant suits. 

Election night here was particularly rule-heavy for us girls. The men had no choice, as always, they wore their suits in shades of gray or black, the radical dared to wear brown. The pressure was on the women to be colourful, but you could not look like a banner for a party, so blue, red, green and orange were out. Also, TV cameras did not like stripes or busy patterns. It was all very complicated, so picking the right costume was a big deal. Kamala knows all about prime time, you do not see her wearing anything buzzy. It’s politics, not fashion, and clothes are part of the story, particularly for women.

Yes, men don’t get to have much fun and it’s not just the black and gray suits. If they still have hair, there is one acceptable haircut, and there is only so much joy in choosing thick or thin lapels. Still, they’ve found calling cards, Donald Trump and his long red tie, Joe Biden’s aviators, George W. Bush’s cowboy boots, Justin Trudeau and his socks. But there’s a big difference, unlike the rare woman leader, the men automatically belong, and they aren’t gonna mess it up with the clothes.

Remember Hillary Clinton and her hair? When she tied it back in a scrunchie, the world almost fell apart. Hillary wanted to be judged like a man, for her work as Secretary of State, not for her hairdo. She wore not only a scrunchie but a pantsuit, apparently the only choice for American women who want to be president. They say “Clothes make the man”, but there are special rules for women. Kamala is dressing to be president, and it seems that even today we have a very narrow view of what that looks like. Kamala is leaving her dresses at home.

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(Below is an audio recording of the above. It’s meant as a bonus for paid subscribers if they would rather listen than read!)