Icons throughout the United States stepped out on Jan. 21, strutting meaningfully pieced together outfits for the 2021 Presidential Inauguration. Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Garth Brooks, Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, Amanda Gorman, and Bernie Sanders stunned the audience with iconic outfits and color choices. 

Lopez brought her familiar Hollywood glamour with her as she stepped out in front of the crowd for her musical performance. Chanel’s 2020/2021 Ready-to-Wear collection tweed coat adorned Lopez’s shoulders and her blouse underneath was a white silk piece from the French fashion house. She kept the glamorous look with wide-leg, white sequin pants and accessorized with pieces from Chanel. 

Gaga sang the national anthem and shared the special meaning behind her custom Schiaparelli Haute Couture dress, (a red silk skirt and fitted navy top) with a giant dove brooch that reminded many of outfits from The Hunger Games. Having the piece adorned on her chest symbolized “a dove carrying an olive branch. May we all make peace with each other,” said Gaga on a Twitter post alongside a photo of the dove. 

Garth Brooks ended the ceremony by singing “Amazing Grace” dressed in an All-American cowboy look. He walked down the Capitol stairs wearing Wrangler blue jeans, a blazer and button-down shirt, and a black cowboy hat. 

Upcoming and former women in the office looked regal. New Vice President Kamala Harris impacted all with her purple ensemble. The sharp-cut Christopher John Rogers coat and choice of pearls acknowledged African-American designers’ work as well as her old sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, the oldest all-black sorority in the U.S. Michelle Obama continued making political fashion statements as she wore a purple Sergio Hudson sweater and Palazzo pants plus a coat. Jill Biden waltzed into her position as First Lady by wearing a custom-made, Swarovski-crystal-accented aquamarine coat from the up-and-coming New York Makarian label. 

New and old represented themselves in the strategic outfits they wore to the inauguration. Amanda Gorman, a youth poet who was a star at the inauguration sported a bright yellow custom coat and a satin headband designed by Prada. Not leaving out accessories, Gorman showed off her earrings, which were a gift from Oprah. Classic Bernie Sanders, frugal and weather-minded, re-wore a pair of extra-large wool mittens made by a Vermont teacher out of repurposed sweaters and plastic bottles. Like all the outfits, Sanders made for a prime picture, which turned into a meme all over social media. 

2021 inauguration outfits were remarkable and made history. From being glamorous, meaningful, and weather-conscious, Lopez, Gaga, Brooks, M. Trump, Harris, M. Obama, J. Biden, Gorman, and Sanders left the U.S. with outfit ideas and social media platforms with fresh meme material.