In her first address to the American people since losing the 2024 presidential election, Kamala Harris projected an image of resilience, right down to the cut and color of her purple suit.

Vice President Harris addressed her supporters in a concession speech at Howard University, her alma mater, on November 6. Working with stylist Leslie Fremmer, Harris wore an angular, exaggerated-shouldered Tory Burch custom blazer and straight-cut pants. Strong-shouldered suits are the preferred power dressing of many women, from politics to business to entertainment. In his final campaign speech, this silhouette expressed Harris's strength in the face of defeat.

The colors also reflected the tone of her speech. To encourage Americans who voted for her to “never give up,” she chose a palette that blended the colors of the country's two major political parties - blue for Democrats and red for Republicans - into one unified shade.

Vice President Harris also eschewed her usual jewelry, such as a pearl necklace and Tiffany earrings, and instead wore a simple studded dress and a few gold bracelets. The most prominent accessory was a gold American flag pin pin pinned to her lapel.

The Vice President's speech, which lasted nearly 11 minutes, emphasized her desire for Americans to remain optimistic despite the defeat. She said, “My heart is full today. I am filled with gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, love for my country, and determination,” she began. 'The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, what we fought for, or what we voted for. But hear me, hear what I say, the light of America's promise will always burn brightly as long as we never give up."

“Sometimes battles take time,” she continued. But that doesn't mean we can't win.”

Prior to today's speech, Kamala Harris' final campaign trail attire was defined by a blend of her Capitol Hill suit and down-to-earth denim. Paired with black, navy, and coconut brown blazers and relaxed flared jeans, these looks could be read as her last-minute way of trying to appeal to voters across the aisle through her personal style. After all, there is nothing more universally American than blue jeans.

On the morning of November 5, hours before the election went to former President Donald Trump, Harris called voters from the headquarters of the Democratic National Convention. Wearing a navy blazer over jeans and an unbuttoned white shirt, she smiled as she spoke with voters on the phone; according to a PBS report, she told a volunteer, “This really represents the best of us.”

Kamala Harris again donned her signature suit, but with a bipartisan palette, she encouraged the November 6 crowd that the winner of the 2024 election will hold office. Smiling to the audience, she told Americans to keep their campaign promises.

“I know many of you feel like we are entering into dark times, and I hope for all of our sakes that we don't. But, America, this is how it is,” she concluded. 'If it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a billion shining, shining, billion stars--the light of optimism, the light of faith, the light of truth, and the light of service.'