President Joe Biden’s inauguration brought a rainbow of colors to the steps of the U.S. Capitol. The First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden wore a jewel-toned blue coat by Markarian, while former First Lady Michelle Obama wore a striking burgundy ensemble by Sergio Hudson, and Lady Gaga sang the national anthem in a powerful, crimson red Schiaparelli skirt. Even among these strong color choices, ripe for fashion psychology examination, one stood out from all the rest. The country’s first-ever Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, shone in a color-blocked outfit consisting of a bright yellow wool coat, accented by a thick red nylon headband, both from Prada.
Written especially for the inauguration, Gorman started her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” with the following question:
When day comes we ask ourselves,
where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
She figuratively answered her question in the last few lines of her work:
for there is always light
if only we’re brave enough to see it,
if only we’re brave enough to be it,
Yet, she also answered the question with her coat, which dared to showcase the United States’ promising future with a shade of yellow very close to that of the aptly-named “Illuminating,” one of Pantone’s picks for their annual Color of the Year for 2021.
Gorman receives praise from President Joe Biden, having recited her poem, ‘The Hill We Climb’. (Photo: Drew Angerer/ Getty Images)
After the four-year Trump presidency, against which Biden has sought to gainfully juxtapose his coming term, and the massive scale of death and destruction caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, it should come as no surprise that Gorman chose this vivid garment to present her work at this momentous occasion. As a primary color, yellow serves as a foundation upon which a gamut of others is formed. We may subconsciously understand this process, creating our perception of yellow, including this specific variant, as what Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone’s Executive Director, describes as a “vibrant yellow [that] expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude.” With this coat, Gorman visually demonstrated her belief and participation in the building of a strong foundation for the future, which she goes on to describe in the rest of her poem.
Psychologist Kendra Cherry, M.S., has written about the meaning and function of several colors as part of the growing field of color psychology. Yellow, she notes, is not only cheery, warm, energetic, it is attention-grabbing. As German writer and scientist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe stated in his Theory of Colors (1810), yellow “carries with it the nature of brightness, and has a serene, gay, softly exciting character.” Red, he explains, “conveys an impression of gravity and dignity, and at the same time, of grace and attractiveness.” As seen on The Psychology of Fashion’s Color Psychology Cheat Sheet, the color red heightens senses, grabs attention, and inspires a visceral response. Goethe would agree; being on the same side of the color wheel that Sir Isaac Newton first created in the 17th century, and on which he expanded, Goethe states that together, “the feelings they excite are quick, lively, aspiring.” Gorman purposefully picked a dynamic combination of primary colors that go hand-in-hand with the powerful assessment and call to action at the crux of her piece.
Gorman, her poem, and her outfit certainly inspired action in those who watched and listened to her on Inauguration day. Not only have her forthcoming books been slated to print in an edition of one million copies each, she has also gained the attention of the fashion system at large. Attentive consumers who want to convey the same message as Gorman quickly bought up the coat, causing it to sell out at all major online retailers that same day. Meanwhile, on the industry side, just a single week after her national debut, she has signed with IMG Models, whose roster includes major names such as the Hadid sisters, Hari Nef, and Chrissy Teigen. With all eyes on now on Gorman, it will be interesting to see what her color choices will be at other major events in the future. And let’s hope her optimism collectively buoys us through 2021.
In the world of post-pandemic dressing, one word has taken social media by storm: cheugy (pronounced: chew-gee). In the worlds of fashion and lifestyle, cheugy describes a look, a thing or a person that’s considered out of date.