As the Trump administration and broader MAGA movement continue to shape the national political landscape ― and global events ― in profound ways, their influence has also extended beyond policy and into culture, particularly the aesthetics of our times.
There’s been talk of “conservative girl makeup,” “Mar-a-Lago face” and even MAGA-coded fashion for women. But politics can show up in menswear, as well.
From wraparound sunglasses to red baseball caps to uber-tight Henley shirts, certain fashion choices have taken on new meaning in today’s hyper-visible, hyper-polarized culture.
“It’s important to consider where fashion trends come from,” Danielle Sponder Testa, an assistant professor at Arizona State University’s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, told HuffPost. “They aren’t just plucked from a bag blindly, but are a reflection of consumers’ needs, moods and personal priorities. Therefore, we see trends emerging to build on the language of ‘conservative,’ ‘traditional’ and ‘masculine’ because it aligns with values and sentiments of a large cohort in the current U.S. population.”
Clothing and accessory choices that might have once read as purely functional or apolitical can now signal something more, especially with the rise of social media as a tool for communicating beliefs and values through style.
