Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, otherwise known as “AOC,” wore an outfit that looked like a cape to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. Some people called it a cape-vest thing. Technically, it appears to be called a cape blazer. Her color choice was also very symbolic.
AOC joined some fellow Democrats in wearing white for the SOTU. White is the color often associated with the suffragist movement (and who doesn’t remember Hillary Clinton’s white pantsuits).
GettyAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the SOTU.
Leave it to AOC to draw a lot of the pre-SOTU attention… with a cape. Or cape blazer as it were. You can see more photos of the New York Congresswoman in the cape later in this article. Some fans liked the look. Some just wanted to know where you can buy the cape blazer.
House Democratic women are wearing suffragette white for #SOTU to stand in solidarity
“Wearing a cape, like a mother f*cking Super Hero,” wrote one person on Twitter. “@AOC *WHERE* did you get that cape? I need to add flair to my Capitol Hill wardrobe,” wrote another.
Here’s what you need to know:
Ocasio-Cortez Wasn’t the Only House Woman to Wear White
Two badasses wearing suffragette white and their WFP pins before the #SOTU tonight. Thank you to @AOC and her guest, @popdemoc co-exec director, @workingfamilies National Committee Vice Chair, and Jeff Flake whisperer, @AnaMariaArchil2. 👊🏼
The House Democratic women also donned white for the SOTU, and they posed together on a spiral staircase.
US House Democratic women dressed in white for Tuesday night’s #SOTU pose together on a spiral staircase on Capitol Hill.
📷: Alex Brandon / AP
Rep. Lois Frankel wrote on Twitter, “Standing hand in hand with @HouseDemWomen wearing #Suffragette white to #SOTU as we fight #ForThePeople!” Previously, she wrote, “By wearing suffragette white to #SOTU2019 tmrw we’re sending a message to everyone that voted for @HouseDemocrats & delivered us the majority that we’re working #ForThePeople, promoting the economic security of women & their families!”
Standing hand in hand with @HouseDemWomen wearing #Suffragette white to #SOTU as we fight #ForThePeople!
The Working Families Party posted a photo of Ocasio-Cortez in her outfit on Twitter, writing, “Two badasses wearing suffragette white and their WFP pins before the #SOTU tonight. Thank you to @AOC and her guest, @popdemoc co-exec director, @workingfamilies National Committee Vice Chair, and Jeff Flake whisperer, @AnaMariaArchil2. ??”
Here’s another photo:
Women in white: @AOC and Ana Maria Archila, who confronted Jeff Flake in an elevator during Kavanaugh hearings, ready for SOTU
Here’s how AOC’s cape looks from behind:
SPOTTED: One of the most popular freshman @AOC taking pictures with Democratic Congresswomen wearing white. It’s to symbol women and honor the women’s suffrage movement. Also spotted in the center @SpeakerPelosi (CA-12) #SOTU
Here’s a picture from Getty:
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) greets fellow lawmakers ahead of the State of the Union address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives on February 5, 2019 in Washington, DC. President Trump’s second State of the Union address was postponed one week due to the partial government shutdown.
What was the cape-vest thing? Unconfirmed, but it looks similar to Zara’s cape jacket blazer, described as “NWT ZARA White Flowing Cut Cape Jacket Blazer.” It sells for $85 online in case you want to emulate the look. A Zara cape with slits goes for a few dollars more. Here’s another Zara cape blazer.
There are also somewhat similar versions of the look online. Venus also sells a cape sleeve blazer. Julia Jordan has a similar look in black.
Fans Enjoyed the Cape Look
AOC dons a CAPE and dresses in white to honor the suffragettes alongside Nancy Pelosi for Trump’s second State of the Union t.co/seX4cNd1M0
A lot of people on Twitter had positive things to say about AOC’s cape. “How does AOC look glamorous every second of her life? Also sleeves are officially OVER we all wear cape-vest things now,” wrote one man. Some people turned to memes and GIFs.
“This makes me stupidly happy, and not just because omg -I have AOC’s cape-jacket thing- and will remember this picture every time I wear it,” wrote a woman.
As for AOC, she’s been very clear about her feelings regarding the SOTU.
One House woman explained why Democrats chose white. Frankel told Roll Call: “The white really harkens back to the day of the suffragists,” Frankel said. “I know there’s a debate about whether the suffragists really wore white, but I think historically and symbolically, white is associated with the suffragette movement.” In 2018, the Democratic women chose a different color for Trump’s SOTU: black, in reference to the #metoo movement.
According to The Washington Post, suffragist women wore white to get news coverage early on in the movement, and their colors were based somewhat on the suffrage movement in England, where the colors were white but also purple and green.