Fashion is capable of constructing its own sovereign narratives compared to the stories expressed through words. And politics is possibly one of the fields where this phenomenon is always revealed most lucidly. The two intense days of investiture debate have given a good account of this, after which Pedro Sánchez has finally seen his mandate renewed with a total of 179 supports.
Alison Lurie stated that "between cliché and madness, the language of clothing embraces all the known varieties of discourse: eloquence, wit, information, irony, propaganda, humor, pathos and even authentic poetry." It was to be expected that in an unusual context of high fragmentation and unprecedented agreements, the role would also be distributed in a choral manner, far transcending the figure of Sánchez himself.
And with such tight numbers, whose positive arithmetic had cost so much sweat and tears, each of the political formations participating in the agreement had their corresponding long minutes of glory. To the point that the chamber followed aesthetic communication logics contrary to those formally established in logistics.
So much so that the focus of attention in iconographic terms fell precisely on those who did not even have the opportunity to go up to the rostrum; who, foreseeably, will not be part of the new Executive either. There have been several details about Ione Belarra and Irene Montero that have not gone unnoticed. Podemos has been denouncing the silence to which they consider that Sumar and the PSOE have relegated them since the failed investiture of Núñez Feijóo, during which they did not leave any space for any of the representatives of the purple formation to intervene. So on this occasion, the former Ministers of Social Rights and Equality decided to take advantage of the power of clothing to make their political demands clear.
Thus, on voting day, Montero used her own body as a banner, in the purest AOC style at the 2021 MET gala, clad in a T-shirt with the face of the feminist, black and lesbian activist Audre Lorde, under the which could be read the proclamation “your silence will not protect you”; a bag with the motto of her most emblematic law, “only yes is yes”; and a purple suit in honor of her party. Although perhaps the most vindictive of all her garments was the kufiya that both she and Belarra - they were not the only ones, also Santiago or Vidal, among other representatives of the left - wore around their necks as an explicit symbol of solidarity with the people. Palestinian.
As for Yolanda Díaz and her closest companies, however, a watermelon pin could be seen attached to her lapel, which is used in some countries and institutions where the use of the kufiya is prohibited, but which, since it is not This is the case of Spain, which has earned it some criticism as it is a more sweetened and less attractive option than the first. The leader of Sumar went to the chamber this Wednesday in jeans, a small touch of folksy informality, and with a white jacket of which she has already become a flagship and which has become part of her personal brand. This is the same one with which she appeared on some of her campaign posters and which she also chose for the RTVE electoral debate.
And the woman from Ferrol likes to opt for white on special occasions, be it campaign events and even the days when she has to go to the polls. Traditionally, white has been equated with purity, but also with weakness and surrender in times of war. Even, as Eva Heller explains in Color Psychology, it is even considered “the color of the low voice.” Wearing white is, therefore, a declaration of intentions that seeks to avoid conflict and at the same time show elegance and social status, since it is also identified with the color of the upper classes who do not carry out tasks or activities that get dirty.
In fact, the one who usually wears white and who however on this occasion opted for gray and bluish tones and a print made in Yankee power dressing, in pure Nancy Pelosi style, was Cuca Gamarra (PP). Possibly the intention was twofold. On the one hand, do not overshadow his teammate and his desk with too much light; on the other, not risk literally “whitewashing” Sánchez's candidacy.
On the other hand, a good part of the media scrutiny these days fell on the Junts per Catalunya deputy Míriam Nogueras, a party whose vote would be decisive and who until the last moment maintained a certain tension showing their discontent with the speech that Sánchez had given, which they accused of “not being brave.” However, the one from the independence party appeared with a quite casual-chic look and similar to those she usually chooses for everyday events: a light jacket with the sleeves rolled up, a plain white T-shirt without a rounded neckline and pubble pants from diplomatic line.
With hardly any accessories beyond his sports watch and some everyday rings. And, although it is true that Nogueras, who belongs to a family of Catalan textile businessmen, tends to use this type of casual style outfits regularly, in the investiture debate he sent a message in line with his tough speech, which He closed by reaffirming his intentions: “our commitment is to the people of Catalonia. With no one else.” From which it can be inferred that, for her, electing the president of Spain did not involve a ceremony of special significance that required anything different from the typical office set.
On the other hand, the one who would stand out as one of the most decorated of the day would be Mertxe Aizpurua, who did not want to go unnoticed, with a magenta blazer, the most intentionally shocking element that could be seen in the stands, framing a black lace neckline and adorned with striking earrings reminiscent of artisanal crafts. Aizpurua illustrated with her aesthetics what she enunciated with her words: desire for relevant respect on the part of EH Bildu for the institutions of the State, yes; but with presence, visibility and identity strength.
Of course, once the cliché of understanding color as the only means of communicating the party's brand was overcome, there were still those who still stuck to this simple but effective strategy. In addition to the fact that several socialist deputies did the same - including Minister Teresa Rivera - Begoña Gómez attracted attention both days by displaying a bright Ferrari red – actually, more like PSOE red – with which she wanted to support her husband from the henhouse, with an enchanted face and tears of emotion.
Addressing the outfits of the men at the investiture – about whom the widespread fallacy that “they all dress the same” still hovers – serves to show the plural ways of inhabiting masculinity in politics that current times offer. And the contrasts are notable.
On the one hand, the ERC spokesperson, Gabriel Rufián, dressed in a blue suit, avoiding the typical dull colors, very fitted, which gave him a youthful appearance typical of the deconstructed modern man, in line with the irony and punk tone that usually characterizes her interventions and their content, in which some explicit recognition of feminist achievements is never lacking. On this occasion, in the same vein as previously mentioned about Aizpurua, Rufián did wear a tie, just as he already did at Feijóo's investiture, as a sign of respect for Spanish institutions, despite the fact that he usually does without them. she.
On the other hand, Aitor Esteban (PNV) and Patxi López (PSOE) embodied classic masculinity that does not hide or pretend to be what it is not, that of a loose suit and unbuttoned jacket. Esteban, in addition, spiced up the image with a gesture typical of the man who could be your trusted bank director: very visible hands, going in and out of his pockets..., which culminated with a speech of basketball metaphors and allusions to rugby.
The image distilled by Santiago Abascal was surely the one that most symbolized a more aggressive masculinity, something that corroborated his equating Pedro Sánchez with Hitler, his constant allusions to the socialist's "tyranny" and "coup d'état" and his abandonment The Lower House once put an end to its turn. Nor did his reference to Nero go unnoticed, taking viewers back to the imagination of the Roman Empire.
In aesthetic terms, Abascal is known for often wearing suits a size smaller than his own, in order to show off his corpulence, appear strong and convey an almost brutal message. As a detail, it is peculiar that the width of his lapel far exceeded the recommended thickness in proportion to the distance between the neck and the shoulder, having been the far-right leader who on some occasions has reprimanded other deputies for not dressing “correctly.”
For last, ironically, there are the two leaders who orally led the debate and whose formations enjoy greater representation in the legislature. Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Pedro Sánchez stood out for their absolute sobriety in clothing, something that also sends a more than clear message. Both sought to keep the focus on their words, without generating unnecessary distractions, since the majority of attention already fell on them for purely organic reasons.
Of course, as a last point, perhaps it should be noted that on Wednesday, the day in which “Yolanda” intervened - as he himself wanted to publicly address her -, Sánchez was repeating the outfit. Including the dull magenta tie that he wore at the presentation of the government agreement with his Sumar partner. And sometimes in the subtle details there are political winks.
