'The necktie is dead': How US midterm candidates are dressing for votes

ByNardine Saad US reporter.

Key points

• Once a reliable Republican stronghold, Texas has become a battleground between top prosecutor Ken Paxton, 63.
• She created headlines for wearing traditional boots of the Yup'ik residents while being sworn in as a congresswoman in 2022.
• Other candidates, such as Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson of Iowa, have been opting for a bolder, patriotic image.
• It's an approach adopted by Republican Senator and former congresswoman for Tennessee's 7th congressional district, Marsha Blackburn.
• This person represents Washington's 3rd Congressional District, are embracing a relaxed, outdoorsy image.

As Americans prepare to vote in the US midterm elections, candidates with their eye on Congress are not just competing on policy.

In our social media age, they're using their personal style to attract attention and project their message. Their clothing has become a measure of their authenticity and appeal.

"Politicians are dressing for two jobs at once: to look capable of holding office but to also look connected to the people they want to represent, " remarked Joe Zee, a celebrity fashion stylist.

From Alaska to Texas, here is a look at how some candidates have been standing out on the campaign trail. Dressing like their state.

Some candidates, like Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. This person represents Washington's 3rd Congressional District, are embracing a relaxed, outdoorsy image.

After capturing a Republican-held seat in her state in 2022, the former car repair shop owner is up for re-election on a platform focused on backing for small businesses and working families.

She favours low fuss, low-key work jackets, flannel shirts, jeans and practical footwear.

Robert Ordway, conservative public policy adviser and former owner of Capitol Hill Clothiers, notes Gluesenkamp Perez is probably the most "spot-on" when it comes to "authenticity and where you come from".

"Also it really vibes with the Pacific Northwest, which has trees and forests and a little bit more of an outdoor vibe, " he notes.

Her style additionally "shepherds a message championing the working class", states Tashira Halyard, an attorney, content creator, and public policy expert based in Washington DC.

Democratic lawmaker Mary Peltola, running for a Senate seat in the battleground state of Alaska, takes a similar approach.

During this election cycle, her rugged outdoor gear nods to her days working on a fishing boat on Alaska's Kuskokwim River and her "fish, family and freedom" campaign slogan.

Notably, the flannels, puffer jackets and indigenous-inspired details seem designed to remind voters that Peltola is a native (and Native) Alaskan, notes conservative author and journalist Bonnie Kristian. Patriotism on their sleeves.

While polished and conservative, her style of dress has included classic, arguably nostalgic touches, including denim and bandanas for more casual appearances.

In a tight race against her Democratic opponent, Hinson has tried to separate herself from specific policy decisions created by the Trump administration but has still expressed loyalty to the president.

She slipped into pumps with the American flag bedazzled throughout them at a primary election party in Iowa in June.

Notably, the look, reminiscent of the style worn by Trump supporters at rallies, is quintessential American patriotism, according to Halyard.

"Ashley's American flag high heels, denim dress and bright red blouse worn with a bandana around her neck are classic Americana, " she notes.

"It's this idea that. I'm literally going to wear my patriotism on my sleeve."

Journalist Bonnie Kristian notes there is "a strategic advantage" to Hinson's look, one in which she is "cultivating a visual identity that cannot possibly be misinterpreted" in an era where social media presence, if only for a split second, is crucial.

"Her denim dress, red bandana and sparkly American flag shoes all signal that she's a Republican wooing rural voters – and indeed she is." Tie off, cowboy boots on.

Once a reliable Republican stronghold, Texas has become a battleground between top prosecutor Ken Paxton, 63. This person was controversially endorsed by Trump over a longtime senator, and Democratic state lawmaker James Talarico, 37.

On the campaign trail, both contenders have been making similar clothing choices, wearing relaxed blazers and cowboy boots.

"The necktie is dead on the campaign trail in both parties, " notes Ordway.

"The younger man dresses up to look serious, and the older man dresses down to look like one of the guys."

Fashion critic Friedman notes that Talarico's handcrafted Lucchese cowboy boots "are a very deliberate choice that allows him to speak to all different kinds of constituencies in Texas".

"Those boots mean something that is very deeply rooted in Texas semiology, " Friedman notes, referring to the study of signs and their interpretations.

"Former US President George W Bush wore Lucchese cowboy boots, so suddenly you're crossing all sorts of party lines and tapping into all sorts of different electoral groups with your shoes."

Meanwhile, Paxton's style of dress has come under fire on more than one front.

It has drawn the disapproval of Trump who has pressed voters to focus on his record as it "speaks a lot louder than the suit he's wearing that doesn't look so great".

Meanwhile, the Republican candidate has additionally been criticised by his opponent for wearing a pricey watch and polo shirt from the luxury hotel chain Four Seasons as a debate concerning the high cost of living dominates the midterms.

"The criticism around his apparent luxury watch and Four Seasons polo raises another style-branded question: casual clothes don't necessarily communicate an ordinary lifestyle, " notes Zee, a stylist and faculty associate at Arizona State University's Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.

A five-star resort-branded polo can carry luxury associations just as clearly as a suit.

"The watch's identity and value were unconfirmed, but the perception illustrates how an accessory can complicate a candidate's message, " he explains.

Meanwhile, a uniform, if it reads naturally, is an incredibly effective tool, notes Friedman, and a great way to be recognised nationwide.

It's an approach adopted by Republican Senator and former congresswoman for Tennessee's 7th congressional district, Marsha Blackburn. This person is running for governor of her state.

Senator Blackburn is often seen in structured jackets and skirts, sometimes with patterns.

For now, ' The necktie is dead' : How US midterm candidates are dressing for votes remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.