For the most important moment in his career, President-elect Joe Biden has opted to wear a custom suit courtesy of Ralph Lauren.
The move signals a shift from the expected choice of Brooks Brothers, which forty-one of the past 45 presidents have worn for their Inaugurations, including Barack Obama and Trump.
Designed and produced in America, Biden’s endorsement of the designer is no surprise, given its patriotic trademark colours of red, white and blue, its mass appeal and its all-American image (the brand has previously designed for the US Olympics team.)
Ralph Lauren has a long history of non-partisan dressing - he has dressed both Democratic and Republican heads of state, including Melania Trump, who championed the designer for Trump’s Inauguration in 2017.
This isn’t the first time that Biden has thrown his weight behind the brand. For both of his televised Covid-19 vaccinations, the President-elect wore navy polo shirts from Ralph Lauren’s Pony range.
Hillary Clinton is also wearing Ralph Lauren for today’s ceremony in Washington D.C., which she is attending alongside her husband, former president Bill Clinton.
Biden’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, has similarly doubled down on all-American fashion for the Inauguration. Last night she wore independent New York designer Jonathan Cohen and today, she’s wearing an ocean blue ensemble by NYC-based luxury womenswear label Markarian.