How Trump-Era Politics Are Reshaping Fashion: From Barbiecore to Workwear

According to Halyard, the increased popularity of more conservative trends can be traced directly to the political movement itself. “These are symptoms of a larger push towards the right,” Halyard says. Of course, adopting these trends doesn’t mean you subscribe to the political ideals driving them, simply that the political climate bleeds into our culture at large. “In my opinion, we can track this shift with the rise of the manosphere, trad wives, and proliferation of ‘femininity’ coaches. MAGA’s influence is undeniable.”

Amy Odell, New York Times bestseller and author of the Substack newsletter, Back Row, echoes this sentiment. “Politics informs culture greatly, including what fashion brands make and what trends people gravitate toward,” she tells Teen Vogue. “Once, I talked to a trend forecaster who said whenever Republicans are in office, red trends.”

Trump’s tariffs likely come into play here, as well. In preparation for their economic impact, shoppers have seemingly begun investing their money in more timeless pieces, such as trench coats, loafers, and two-piece suits—essentially, items that will serve them through years of fiscal turmoil, Odell says. According to Business Insider, this is a longstanding consumer shopping habit which has remained consistent throughout previous economic declines — in 1929 and 2008 —noting a similar shift this year.

“For the masses who may be pulling back their spending during a period of economic uncertainty, workwear is a practical way to dress that can take you from season to season,” says Odell. “Plus, people may be going back to the office in greater numbers and have an increased need for that type of clothing,” she adds, citing Elon Musk’s DOGE-led push to return remote workers to the office.

Perhaps fashion’s workwear fixation is an unconscious attempt to retain employment status as the government rolls back workplace discrimination protections and cuts federal jobs by the hundreds of thousands. After all, the time to break office dress codes is not when the unemployment rate is 4.2% (compared to 4% in May 2024 and 3.6% in May 2023), with increases projected by the Federal Reserve over the coming years. Dress for the job you want to keep.