When people think about MAGA aesthetics, beauty often comes up first ― from the oft-criticized “conservative girl makeup” to the so-called “Mar-a-Lago Face” trend in cosmetic surgery. But style watchers say politics can also show up clearly in clothing.
“When I look at fashion today, clothes become a kind of visual language,” Edith Chan, a celebrity stylist and image consultant, told HuffPost. “It communicates values, identity and sometimes politics without a single word being spoken.”
On one end of the spectrum are overt markers like MAGA hats, campaign T-shirts and slogan-heavy merch. Loud garments drenched in red, white and blue also carry a strong association with conservative politics in the modern age.
“But what I find more interesting are the subtle signals, the ones that aren’t political on their own, but start to feel coded in certain contexts,” Chan said.
Below, fashion historians, stylists and cultural critics break down the pieces, brands and aesthetics most commonly associated with MAGA-coded style for women ― and why they’ve taken on this meaning today.
