Nancy Pelosi leads Democrats in wearing dark colors to symbolize ‘somber’ mood of impeachment proceedings

Erin Donnelly
·Yahoo Life Senior Editor
Updated

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is letting her clothes do the talking as the House of Representatives prepared to vote Wednesday on articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

Pelosi was among many Democrats arriving at the proceedings in black dresses and suits — a sartorial gesture reportedly symbolizing the seriousness of the task before them. CNN’s Dana Bash reports that a Pelosi colleague shared that Democrats were “intentionally” wearing the dark hue to “signal it is a somber day.”

Pelosi — who is no stranger to bold style statements, from her red coat to her white ensemble at the State of the Union — arrived at the Capitol in a black collared dress accessorized with her gold mace brooch, which symbolizes the Speaker’s mace and her authority.

Pelosi is known to wear the gold mace brooch to symbolize her authority as Speaker of the House. (Photo: REUTERS/Tom Brenner)
Pelosi is known to wear the gold mace brooch to symbolize her authority as Speaker of the House. (Photo: REUTERS/Tom Brenner)

Bash also tweeted that Pelosi, who was the recipient of a heated letter from the president on Tuesday, told her she “felt sad” about the impeachment proceedings. Meanwhile, Trump took to Twitter to say that she’d “go down in history as [the] worst Speaker.”

NBC News reports that Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan revealed that female members of the House had informally discussed wearing dark clothing. The congresswoman wore a dark gray tweed blazer with a black lapel.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, was seen in a black coat paired with a burgundy blouse, while Rep. Pramila Jayapal joined the debate in a black top underneath a dark purple striped jacket. Rep. Barbara Lee followed Pelosi’s lead in a black blazer and dress.

Male House colleagues, including Rep. Ted Lieu and Rep. Joe Kennedy III, also wore dark gray and black suits.

One Republican congressman, however, made his own sartorial splash. Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania sported a snowman-print necktie with “Ho Ho Ho” written on it.

Other lawmakers opted for less solemn attire, too. Famed for her hats, Rep. Frederica Wilson chose a festive red sequined topper, while her Democratic colleagues Gerald Connolly, Steve Cohen and Earl Blumenauer also took the floor in statement accessories.

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