Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria walked to a polling station at Westminster Chapel in London on Thursday morning to cast their votes in the local elections. Victoria Starmer chose a cream blazer for the occasion, a garment that has become a symbol of power dressing for women in high-stakes moments.
The Power Blazer Tradition
Victoria Starmer's blazer, which resembles a £1,690 ivory Alexander McQueen crepe design, follows a long line of women who have used the power blazer at pivotal times. In the new series of Amandaland, character Amanda wears a beige double-breasted blazer for a high-stakes fictional moment. Earlier this week, the Princess of Wales launched the Foundations for Life report wearing a creamy beige high-waisted Roland Mouret suit.
Symbolism of the Cream Blazer
According to stylist and DC-based fashion consultant Lauren Rothman, who works with politicians and business people, the cream blazer conveys "a professional, creative aesthetic that says: ‘I’m in my own lane of power dressing, and that requires standing out while still signalling competence.’" Rothman describes the blazer as "the third piece" that turns clothing into presence. Blazers create visual structure, which is psychologically associated with authority, preparedness, and competence. Physically, they change how individuals carry themselves by framing the body in a powerful way.
A cream or off-white blazer adds another layer. Rothman explains, "It’s a high-visibility neutral. Psychologically that behaves very differently than black. It attracts attention. Where dark colours recede, white and cream advance. And so it really changes the power dynamic of how a woman occupies a room or a space."
Historical and Modern Examples
Harry Styles wears an oversized, off-white Marc Jacobs blazer in his new video for Dance No More, paired with bright red short-shorts. In the case of Victoria Starmer, standing next to her husband in dark tailoring, the cream blazer denotes "the modern evolution of power dressing." Similarly, Melania Trump welcomed the British king and queen to the White House last week wearing an off-white Ralph Lauren blazer and matching skirt. Hillary Clinton wore a Ralph Lauren cream wool crepe blazer to the third presidential debate in 2016, during which sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump were raised.
Rothman notes that creamy hues also offer approachability. Usha Vance, second lady of the US, wore a cream blazer recently in a YouTube episode of Storytime With the Second Lady. There is also a status element: "Not anybody can wear white," says Rothman. "It gets dirty." Those who rely on public transport may be more hesitant.
Historically, cream blazers are close to suffragette white, which in photos can appear more white than cream. "Using white during major symbolic moments in the political leadership world can become shorthand for female authority, solidarity, institutional breakthrough," says Rothman. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wore a caped white blazer, believed to be a Zara design, to the 2019 State of the Union address.
Rothman often advises clients to wear a white blazer, except when it doesn't make sense seasonally or for chronic spillers.
