RNC Fashion: The best dressed wore their beliefs on their sleeves

From vintage sweaters to lights to sparkles, many attendees stood out in the crowd of 50,000.

“Fashion is such a unique way to express yourself, whether it’s ideologically, politically, however you see on the spectrum,” said Arizona podcaster Tiffany Marie Brannon.

She sourced her vintage, hand knit, one-of-a-kind American flag cardigan from eBay and feels a sense of tradition while sporting the piece.

“It’s so cool that I get to wear a piece of history and the flag that represents my nation at the same time, and so I feel like I’m wearing someone else’s patriotism with me while I’m here,” she said. “It’s something that connects the spirit of America with fashion throughout the decades.”

Many of the delegates sported their own creations at the convention. Ranae Lentz, an Ohio delegate, decorated a Ralph Lauren sun hat with star lights, American flag pins, Trump stickers, and a red, white, and blue elephant stuffed animal.

“Beanie babies come in handy when you buy them for your grandchildren,” Lentz said.

John Tabacco, host of Wise Guys on Newsmax TV, had four sports jackets peppered with Trump’s face commissioned for the convention, including a black and white version that he dubbed his “formal MAGA tux.”

“I figured if you have a MAGA Trump-face sport jacket and you can’t wear it to the RNC, then you shouldn’t have the jacket,” he said.

Tabacco wears the sport jackets in part to express his pride in being a Trump supporter to those outside of earshot. “If somebody’s going to come up to me and try to make small talk, I’m basically advertising to them from far away, ‘this is what I’m about and I’m proud of it,” ‘he said.

Deborah Yanna, Trump’s top volunteer in Iowa, handmade a different sparkly jacket for each night of the convention. “It’s an expression to represent President Trump in a sparkly way,” Yanna said. She wore the jackets not to attract attention, but because “I just really enjoy sequins.”

Fashion designer Andre Soriano gave convention attendees a preview of his new men’s patriotic collection by wearing his American flag-patterned jacket and matching cowboy hat.

“As an American, I’m proud to wear something that represents our great nation,” Soriano said.

Amy Lee and Kimberley Nguyen from San Diego, California, waved giant Trump flags while dressed in custom-made traditional Vietnamese dresses and hats. They added silver bedazzled “Trump” and “MAGA” details, and Nguyen fashioned each hat with phrases including “never surrender” and “Trump save America.”

“We want to show President Trump that the Vietnamese support him,” Lee said.

Jimmy Stephens, an alternate delegate from Tupelo, Mississippi, wore his Sunday best to the convention. His seersucker suit’s lightweight material helps to beat the heat, and the pattern is traditionally worn throughout much of the American South during the spring and summer. “You wouldn’t wear this to just anything – it really needs to be an occasion where other people are gonna dress up,” Stephens said.

Some convention attendees opted more for costumes than outfits.

Blake Marnell has been famed among Trump supporters since the former president brought Marnell on stage at a 2019 rally in his eye-catching brick suit. At the 2024 RNC, he opted to pair the outfit with American flag-patterned cowboy boots and a MAGA hat signed by former President Trump. “It’s a metaphor for my belief that America needs stronger borders,” he said. “So it’s fashion — with a message.”

“Everybody’s familiar with the concept of a meme – an image that suggests or reflects an idea,” added Blake, who brought three versions of the suit to the convention. “This is just a meme in real life. It conveys more of a message than just a pattern.”

Duane Schwingel has been dressing as Uncle Sam since the November 2020 election. For the RNC this year, he’s added a white piece of tape over his ears with “Fight!” scrawled three times in black sharpie. “There’s someone else who’s got a patch on their ear, and I want to identify with that person to represent the bullet they were willing to take for me and my country,” Schwingel said.

Whenever the costume gets too hot, “I get on the segway and zip down the street and dry off,” he said.

Penny Young Nance, CEO & President of national non profit organization Concerned Women for America, accessorized her Wednesday outfit with a pair of bedazzled American flag stilettos from Macy’s. “For me, it’s about putting your best foot forward and feeling confident,” said Nance of her outfit. “I love my country, but it’s mostly just fun.”

P. Rae Easley, an alternate delegate from Chicago, wore a glittery red MAGA fedora and a Hawaiian shirt laden with Trump caricatures, the American flag, and the state of Illinois. She hopes to inspire others to be public and proud of their pro-Trump affiliations.

“We wanted to make sure that when people saw me they would know that I am from the great city of Chicago with my MAGA cap and my Illinois shirt,” she said. “Our goal is to turn the city red, but a lot of people are a little shy because they’re afraid of the social backlash, so by wearing this hate we let people know that they’re not by themselves.”

Nancy Mace, a Congresswoman representing South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, does not normally emphasize fashion while on the job. But at the RNC, she saw her chance to express herself on a national stage. “This is my first time speaking at the convention and I do a lot of stuff for women and women’s rights so I decided I’m going all out pink for this week,” she said. “I’ll be in neon pink tomorrow night.”

Some delegates used accessories as their statement. Mike Todd, a Kansas alternate delegate, fashioned political buttons to his hat and suspenders that popped out against his red RNC 2024 t-shirt.

For some, the pressure to show up in style came from home.

Easley called her West Side neighborhood the “fashion capital” of Chicago, and said that looking good is more important than almost anything else there.

“If anybody knew I was here not dressed up to par, they would be more upset with me not being well dressed than they would be with me coming to a Republican convention.”

Sylvie Kirsch is a graduate student in journalism at Northwestern University.