Television viewers have seen the presidential candidates battle it out verbally for the coveted spot of presidential nominee for months, and along the way have worn outfits that are at times appealing and at others off-putting.
While what candidates say may be the most important thing to get elected, their attire plays a larger role in getting elected than many would like to admit.
Dressing well—or poorly—nonverbally communicates a message from each candidate. After all, bizarre outfit choices can send their own message to voters.
For the Republican candidates, Donald Trump and Carly Fiorina are business people known not only for their memorable campaigns, but also their fashion choices.
Like his fellow Republican party candidates, current frontrunner Trump always has the tailored suit-and-tie look down to a science. That being said, the elephant in the room remains: that hair.
Most often, it looks like someone used the blur tool on Photoshop to rewind the aging process for Trump’s hairline. The franken-hair and off-orange skin tone make Trump the worst fashionably savvy of the Republican debates.
On the other end of the spectrum is Fiorina. Before bowing out of the race, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard was best dressed of the Republican candidates for the simplicity of her style.
Fiorina always kept her outfits clean and simple with a nicely tailored pencil skirt and matching blazer. The subdued colors of the skirt and blazer combination went well with her short, powerful bob style haircut.
Looking at the Democrat candidates, having only two candidates makes this an easy choice. As Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders make their trek toward the Democratic nomination, their political ideologies and outfit choices are strikingly different.
Clinton may have good taste in fashion on most days, but during the Feb. 11 debate, her outfit choices land her as the worst dressed Democrat.
Clinton’s banana-colored, kimono-esque blazer paired with dark black dress pants created quite the eye sore.
Sanders wins the best dressed Democrat. The senator from Vermont wore a quirky, polka-dot tie with his black suit and glasses, adding a personal flair to an ordinary outfit during the Feb. 11 debate. Sanders likes to accentuate his suit with patterned ties, making the ensemble more interesting.
While most candidates have decent style, some are more prominent—for better or for worse—than others. Whoever wins the election has work to do as leader of the free world and unofficial style ambassador to millions.
Follow Erica Szpylczyn on Twitter
