AOC Dunks On Republicans Criticising Her For Wearing Expensive Designer Clothes On A Photoshoot
"Republicans are Very Mad (again) about my appearance."
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, our favourite politician (Jacinda Ardern aside) is on the cover of Vanity Fair‘s December issue. And as expected, without any delay, AOC’s critics have come out to play.
This time their attacks are aimed at the fact that she was wearing (borrowed) designer clothes which cost a total of $14,000. On the cover of a fashion magazine… which primarily features people in expensive designer clothes.
Their claim is that wearing expensive clothes stands in opposition to her socialist democratic values, and somehow lessens her ability to represent her constituents.
AOC on the cover of Vanity Fair. The clothes are estimated to cost $14,000. So happy that AOC is upholding the long established hypocritical tradition of Socialists who believe Socialism is for poor while they enjoy the fruits of Capitalism. pic.twitter.com/g8iTa1my1q
— Sunanda Vashisht (@sunandavashisht) October 29, 2020
I’m sure you’d look fine in a 50 dollar smart business suit from the good will. You should try it sometime. Wearing an outfit that costs more than the average yearly mortgage seems absurd when you claim to represent the poorest, borrowed or not.
— Leif Husselbee (@LeifHusselbee) October 29, 2020
AOC is having none of it. And nor should she, especially considering this is not the first time her fashion choices have come under fire. Earlier this year she was criticised her for wearing a $580 dress (that she had rented), and before that, she had to defend her $250 haircut.
Meanwhile, Trump deducted $70,000 from his taxes for haircuts, with little backlash from his side of politics.
It’s clear that AOC’s opponents are not criticising her clothes, but her as a person. And they will not miss any opportunity to keep doing so.
Republicans are Very Mad (again) about my appearance. This time they’re mad that I look good in borrowed clothes (again).
Listen, if Republicans want pointers on looking your best, I’m happy to share.
Tip #1: Drink water and don’t be racist
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 29, 2020
The whole “she wore clothes in a magazine, let’s pretend they’re hers” gimmick is the classic Republican strategy of “let’s willfully act stupid, and if the public doesn’t take our performative stupidity seriously then we’ll claim bias.”
GOP, get yourselves together. It’s sad.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 29, 2020
Female politicians of all stripes have had to perfect the particularly hard balancing act of how to present themselves in the public eye. In Australia, Annastacia Palaszczuk was given the moniker of ‘Princess Palaszczuk’ when she wore designer clothes, yet Julia Gillard was made fun of for not being fashionable enough.
The issue AOC faces not only this sexism, but the racism that comes with being a young woman of colour, for whom appearing professional is a matter of judgement from those biased against them. It was for this reason she chose to subvert the negative stereotypes associated with Latina women and hoop earrings, wearing them proudly for her swearing in, alongside a bright red lip and a white suit — a nod to the suffrage movement.
Lip+hoops were inspired by Sonia Sotomayor, who was advised to wear neutral-colored nail polish to her confirmation hearings to avoid scrutiny. She kept her red.
Next time someone tells Bronx girls to take off their hoops, they can just say they’re dressing like a Congresswoman. https://t.co/eYN5xYFcTE
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 4, 2019
AOC, like many other women in positions of power, use fashion to make a political statement. And it is one she won’t stop making any time soon.