How the 2020 election changed voting merchandise

No matter what side of the political aisle you fall on, there is little denying that the 2020 election changed voting merchandise. Voting merchandise was once restricted to casual novelty T-shirts for the year of an election, usually for presidential candidates, with Congressional and Senate candidates not opting for all that extravagance. In politically charged cities that are heavy on car usage, it’s not unheard of to see a collection of bumper stickers on cars for candidates preferred presidential candidates going back to multiple presidential election cycles.

In 2020, voter merchandise has gone far beyond political party and presidential candidate affiliated T-shirts. Voting merchandise has become an entire fashion statement. Fashion brands have begun rolling out voting merchandise, some simply declaring “vote” in a more artistic fashion, The Norman Rockwell Museum’s Unity Project released merchandise urging shoppers and museum attendees to vote, and Fashion Our Future 2020 released a limited-run of apparel and accessories in an aid to Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts. What was once a way for people to wear their support for democracy has become fashionable.

Beginning in fall of this year, ‘Vote’ became the fashion slogan of the season. It began with First Lady-elect Dr. Jill Biden’s Stuart Weitzman vote boots, which sold out in record time. Dr. Biden wore the boots as she accompanied her husband president-elect Joe Biden to vote in the Delaware primaries back in September. Former First Lady Michelle Obama wore a gold “V-O-T-E’ necklace during a speech at the virtual Democratic National Convention earlier this year, which also went viral online. Even face masks, which became the “it” fashion accessory of 2020 by virtue of health and the coronavirus pandemic and no designer trickle-down effect, became part of the voting merchandise trend with sunglass brand and musician Lizzo creating a “vote” face mask. The Biden/Harris campaign also released their own set of branded face masks in support of their 2020 White House bid.

Even high fashion designers, like Prabal Gurung who is known to be very vocal about his support for progressive politics and Democratic politicians, released a limited-edition “Vote” T-shirt that has been worn by celebrities including Taraji P. Henson, Ally Maki, and Gigi Hadid. Michael Kors, one of the biggest household names in the fashion industry, also released a “Vote” T-shirt, and on the most mass-market end, Levi’s released a “Vote” hoodie. At this spring/summer 2021 runway show, Christian Siriano had supermodel Coca Rocha don a black gown that had the word “VOTE” emblazoned all over it.

How did voting go from a civil right we exercised to being part of the fashion conversation? One answer is the youth. Young people are often underrepresented and not reached out to enough by political campaigns. Campaign organizations have prompted fashion brands and partnered with retails to help with GOTV efforts. Fashion helps in moving the cultural needle very quickly. While standing in long lines, being bogged down with political rhetoric, and watching political debates might not be glamorous, fashion can be. In a way, this was fashion’s way to make voting great again.

In addition, Michelle Obama, who arguably did more for American fashion than any first lady in decades from her support of emerging American designers and her eventual status as a fashion icon. Anything she wore turned to gold. Her non-profit organization, When We All Vote, helped make the word “vote” a fashion statement through dropping vote logo limited-edition merchandise as if they were designer sneaker drops, and people responded by shopping with the same gusto they would like it was a Yeezy drop.

“Vote” labeled merchandise became such a hot trend that in the days leading up to the election, Good Morning America had an entire segment dedicated to vote themed accessories, apparel, and merchandise to wear to the polls (all non-partisan, of course, as there are state laws against wearing partisan merchandise while voting.) Some of the products featured include a very affordable vote T-shirt from Old Navy, worn by none other than actress Katie Holmes, a “vote” logo tote from Shopbop, and even Vote earrings from modern jewelry brand studs. What was once a civic duty is now en vogue.

The reason the fashion industry has been so gung-ho about GOTV efforts is because the industry had a lot riding on this election. International trade policy, apparel and manufacturing, and the way businesses are taxed are all hot button issues for the fashion industry, with the overall industry leaning more Democratic. With a large chunk of the industry also being LGBT individuals, their civil rights were seen as being on the line as well.

This election cycle, GOTV platforms had the support of everyone from luxury players, like Saks Fifth Avenue, to teen marketed affordable apparel retailers, like Aeropostale. Saks Fifth Avenue registered voters at its New York flagship and on saks.om. Tory Burch paid employees to volunteer at polls. Ralph Lauren declared Election Day a company-wide holiday.

To ask how this shift to brands becoming so voter centric came to be, there is one answer that trumps (no pun intended) all others: social media. It is not enough for brands to remain neutral or tone deaf to what is happening in the world, consumers expect them to take a stand, and will take to social media to demand they do so. Once upon a time, it was acceptable for brands to remain politically neutral, and they did so out of fear of alienating any consumers, but that is not the case anymore. The risk of being called out on the internet for remaining apolitical or tone-deaf runs much greater sales risks than making your voice heard for a movement.

This certainly wasn’t a one off for the fashion industry either. They have realized the power of capitalizing on voting, because by virtue of Instagram, it’s clear these products have sold. The word election is now synonymous with fashion, and we can expect this for the next presidential cycle in 2024 and beyond.