AOC’s $14,000 Vanity Fair Outfits: Did She Get to Keep the Clothes?

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s recent Vanity Fair photo shoot has inspired a wave of criticism from conservatives for a specific reason: the cost of her wardrobe. For the second time this year, Ocasio-Cortez has had to respond to comments about the cost of her wardrobe for a photo-shoot, and to confirm that she does not get to keep any of the clothes.

Laura Ingraham was one of many conservative pundits who called out Ocasio-Cortez for her Vanity Fair spread. She tweeted a quote from a Fox News headline: “AOC appears in Vanity Fair in outfits worth $14,000 to curse out Trump”

Ocasio-Cortez responded to Ingraham’s tweet shortly after. She wrote, “💯% worth it, would do again…(& I don’t know if you’ve been in a photoshoot Laura, but you don’t keep the clothes.)” She added in a subsequent tweet, “The whole ‘she wore clothes in a magazine, let’s pretend they’re hers’ gimmick is the classic Republican strategy of ‘let’s willfully act stupid, and if the public doesn’t take our performative stupidity seriously then we’ll claim bias.’ GOP, get yourselves together. It’s sad.”

Ocasio-Cortez wrote in another tweet, “Republicans are Very Mad (again) about my appearance. This time they’re mad that I look good in borrowed clothes (again). Listen, if Republicans want pointers on looking your best, I’m happy to share. Tip #1: Drink water and don’t be racist“

Here’s what you need to know:

No, Ocasio-Cortez Didn’t Keep Any of the Clothing She Wore for Vanity Fair

Ocasio-Cortez wore a number of outfits in her multi-page spread for Vanity Fair. Per a tweet by Sunanda Vashist, a political commentator, the sum total of the wardrobe, including accessories, was approximately $14,000.

The New York Post broke this figure down a bit more:

…an Aliette silk suit worth an estimated $1,000, $3,000 Carolina Herrera suit, $2,500 Christopher John Rogers suit, $815 polka dot Wales Bonner dress, $695 Christian Louboutin slingbacks, $1,450 diamond, gold and floating pearl Mateo earrings and Bvlgari earrings which run an estimated $2,000.

Vashist falsely tweeted, “Fun fact: $2850 Loewe suit was ‘gifted’ to her and she happily accepted.”

Again: Ocasio-Cortez was not gifted any of the clothing she wore for her Vanity Fair shoot. To reiterate this point, a former Vanity Fair employee tweeted in response to Vashist, “Ex-VF here. These clothes are loaned by designers to the mag for the shoots (and several other events, such as fashion-oriented parties) and then returned afterwards.”

This is a developing post and will be updated.