When Nancy Pelosi arrived at the Capitol today to announce, ultimately, that she’d be stepping down from her role as Speaker of the House, the internet went abuzz with comments on what she was wearing.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived to the Capitol and didn’t take any questions — notably wearing a white suit today. pic.twitter.com/VOMVLkYRjY
— Daniella Diaz (@DaniellaMicaela) November 17, 2022
Typically, those kinds of observations trigger a collective eye roll—and this afternoon, they still did (just search “Nancy Pelosi White Suit” on Twitter and you’ll see). But Pelosi has a history of seemingly intentional wardrobe selections—she wore the same suit to each of Trump’s impeachments—and today’s look, some believe, was meant to be noticed and to send a message.
She wears the white suits in big moments. https://t.co/SdB9X9eTeA
— TreeCanopy (@TreeCanopy5) November 17, 2022
Nancy Pelosi arrived today – a day when people expect her to make an announcement about her future – wearing a white suit, a color that has been a hallmark of her big moments; it is associated with the suffragette movement.
— Siobhan Hughes (@siobhanehughes) November 17, 2022
The white suit—referenced often as “suffragette” white for its association with the women’s voting-rights movement—has been a symbolic go-to for Pelosi over the years (further evidence: this New York Times article called “Nancy Pelosi and the Persistent White Pantsuit.”)
Let’s go through a brief recent history, shall we? Pelosi has worn white…
On Feb 28, 2017, for then-President Trump’s address to joint session of Congress.
Tonight, our Democratic #WomenWearWhite in support of women’s rights — in spite of a @POTUS who doesn’t! pic.twitter.com/kKJpfV5iUE
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 28, 2017
On November 19, 2021, when the House passed the Build Back Better bill.
.@SpeakerPelosi: “The Build Back Better Bill is passed.”
The House of Representatives passes President Biden’s Social Spending Plan. The bill goes now to the U.S. Senate. pic.twitter.com/zxTxPCPz70
— CSPAN (@cspan) November 19, 2021
December 5, 2019, when she announced that House Democrats would draft articles of impeachment against Trump.
“The President has engaged in abuse of power undermining our national security, and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections.”
Nancy Pelosi orders Democrats to draft articles of impeachment against Trump https://t.co/vtrQTKwIsd pic.twitter.com/qpHzJADGsN
— TIME (@TIME) December 5, 2019
On February 4 2020, at Trump’s State of the Union address (the night she infamously tore up her copy of the address).
.@SpeakerPelosi tears up of State of the Union speech.#SOTU #SOTU2020 pic.twitter.com/sIpi4G7KsL
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 5, 2020
Oh and the pin she wore today? Pelosi also wore it on that speech-ripping night in 2020. It was designed by Georgetown jeweler Ann Hand.
Amy leads Washingtonian Weddings and writes Style Setters for Washingtonian. Prior to joining Washingtonian in March 2016, she was the editor of Capitol File magazine in DC and before that, editor of What’s Up? Weddings in Annapolis.
