How Pantsuits Became An Election Day Meme
I’m seeing a lot of women posting photos of themselves wearing pantsuits as they go to the polls today to vote for Clinton. The Pantsuit Nation meme is a nod to the fact that as recently as 1993, wearing a pantsuit was an overt political act. That’s the year that Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) and Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kansas) committed the radical act of wearing pants to the Senate. “The Senate parliamentarian had looked at the rules to see if it was OK,” Mikulski told CNN. “You would have thought I was walking on the moon. It caused a big stir.”
Clinton has spent much of her career fending off criticisms of her clothing and appearance. Her embrace of the pantsuit has become a symbol of her cool confidence and desire to get down to work. No wonder then that her pantsuits have inspired an Instagram account, a secret Facebook group for her fans and even a flashmob.