10 Times Kamala Harris Looked Gorgeous When Abandoning Her Pantsuits

If anyone knows how to rock a pantsuit, it's Kamala Harris. The former vice president is known for holding her own in a political arena dominated by men, and her inner confidence comes through not just her actions but also her outfit choices. Previously the attorney general of California, Harris has been in the spotlight for longer than most people realize, and a look back through her vast catalogue of public appearances shows that she has always favored the androgynous pantsuit, even before it became trendy to do so. Though her go-tos are black, brown, and muted colors, she has also sported more vibrant shades, nailing everything from fresh lilac to bold berry. Overall, she's the undisputed queen of power-dressing, but Harris is also no stranger to other styles.

Earlier in her career, Kamala Harris, who also looks beautiful without makeup, attended more red carpets in between the political events, often going for elegant black-tie gowns that favored metallic details, sequins, and floor-length hemlines. But since rising so high in the Democratic party, she's also explored matching tailored coats to midi dresses of the same color for the ultimate monochrome moment. And occasionally, she's taken a break from all the formalities and opted for low-key denim or sequins. Kamala Harris has certainly been through a style transformation that's run concurrently with her successful political career, and it has proven that she embraces fashion in her own way, finding the balance between expressing herself and nailing the most event-appropriate outfits. 

In April 2025, Kamala Harris swapped her muted pantsuits for a bright butter-yellow dress and matching coat. Not only is this pastel shade appropriate for Easter, but it was also a trending color at the time — butter yellow was en vogue in spring 2024, and it stuck around in spring 2025. Harris completed the sophisticated look with dark-beige pointed court shoes, drop earrings, and a necklace. Overall, this ensemble is giving Kate Middleton's most regal looks of all time, from the harmony of the monochrome to the conservative neckline and hem length to the classic pumps. 

Campaigning in Georgia in 2024, Kamala Harris ditched one integral part of her pantsuit: the pants themselves. Maintaining her usual oversized blazer, matching top, and elegant pointed-toe pumps, she swapped the suit trousers for blue jeans that she finished off with a brown belt. This was the perfect way to make the blazer seem that little bit more casual, or perhaps her goal was to make the jeans seem elevated with the suit jacket. Either way, there's so much we love about this, but we particularly noted that the bootcut jeans complemented the oversized blazer.

Before she was a vice president on the global stage, Kamala Harris attended several public events as the attorney general of California. Back in 2014, she graced the black carpet at the LACMA Art + Film Gala in honor of Barbara Kruger and Quentin Tarantino, presented by Gucci. Harris opted for a black-and-gold figure-hugging gown with metallic detail and a flattering V-neck. She paired the dress with a textured black clutch, wearing her hair in her usual side-parted barrel curls. We once would have said that her best look was her signature pantsuit, but this dress is definitely a contender.

Kamala Harris has long been an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, notably serving as the first vice president to appear on "RuPaul's Drag Race." In 2019, she participated in a Pride parade in a look that was a million miles from her usual garb. Wearing a black graphic Pride shirt with rainbow sequins that made up the writing, Kamala topped off her look with what seems to be a rainbow denim jacket featuring sequins in the style of a Pride flag, complete with a dazzling gold collar. This is great inspo for a fun Pride parade outfit no matter where you are in your journey.

In 2015, Kamala Harris joined myriad stars at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, once again proving that she knows exactly how to rock a red-carpet gown with confidence. This time, she opted for a navy-and-black column dress which featured fun mesh and sequin detail on the bodice, along with a flattering high neck. The Pamella Roland frock mixed playfulness with sophistication by balancing the sequins and mesh out with a full-length black skirt. Though the former VP also appeared to have brought a shawl, we're glad she let this striking dress have its moment.

By now, a clear pattern is emerging: When she's not wearing pantsuits, Kamala Harris loves a sequin moment. Attending a White House state dinner in 2024, Harris donned a long-sleeved all-black 'fit, finished off with sequins on the skirt and around the cuffs of the wrists. The conservative neckline of the blouse could have appeared too matronly without the addition of another more playful texture, but the glitter effect of the sequins (and the crystal embellishments at the bottom of the skirt) ensured that Harris was still turning heads that April. 

Before there was Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" tour, there was "Renaissance," and Kamala Harris wasn't going to miss it for the world. Attending the concert as a "date night" with Doug Emhoff, Harris put together a look that surely would've been Beyoncé-approved: a sparkly gold button-down (again with Harris' beloved sequins) and chic white pants. Once more, Harris paired this goddess-esque look with pointed-toe shoes, this time gilded to match the rest of the ensemble. Beyoncé wanted us to wear chrome for her "Renaissance" tour, and Harris not only understood the assignment but also one-upped it by going for gold instead of silver.

Nope, wearing sequins is absolutely not new to Kamala Harris. All the way back in 2015, the former vice president attended The Broad Museum Black Tie Inaugural Dinner with husband Doug Emhoff. She turned up in full glam with a metallic sequin gown that featured many details that could have taken this into Boringville, including a midi hemline and three-quarter sleeves. But Harris made sure to avoid that by going for a dazzling sequin finish and gladiator-inspired heels. We'd love to see how she styles sequins for the holidays because she slays it every other time of year. 

Monochrome coats and dresses do lead to a sophisticated and royal-esque moment, but you can achieve just as much elegance with a color contrast. While attending a Covid-19 memorial just before the 2021 presidential inauguration, Kamala Harris went with a black dress and black leather boots (suitable given the context), topped off with a long coat somewhere between camel and dark yellow. The detail on the coat helped turn this into a fashion-forward moment, and the fact that it was on the back of the coat wins Harris even more style points for not trying to distract from the important event itself. 

To celebrate the inauguration of Joe Biden in 2021, Kamala Harris, as his vice president, embarked through the streets of Washington, D.C. in the inauguration parade. She made sure she stood out with an indigo dress and matching coat, complemented by black leather gloves and low-denier tights to ward off the cold. Harris can pull off the elegant coat-and-dress combo just as well as she rocks the pantsuit, but our favorite part about this look is the inky saturated color: a perfect tribute to the Democrats while also veering away from traditional blue, perhaps foreshadowing Harris' approach to politics.