Wednesday’s inauguration brought forth a variety of exciting fashion trends, with monochrome dressing at the forefront. Purple, a prominent hue of the day worn by Vice President Kamala Harris, and former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, represents unity, a blend of red and blue, while jewel tones added a royal nod.
Outfits worn throughout the day by President Joe Biden’s granddaughters Naomi, Natalie, Finnegan and Maisy, as well as Dr. Jill Biden and poet laureate Amanda Gorman, varied from pink, green and yellow, as well as classic camel, navy and white. Much like Wednesday’s fashions, the spring 2021 runways displayed monochromatic dressing as a prominent trend. Ella Emhoff, stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris and breakout style star of the inauguration, joined in on the jewel-toned theme in a Batsheva frock while making her own statement in a Miu Miu plaid topcoat.
Here, WWD rounds up the best monochromatic looks from the spring 2021 runways that represent yesterday’s fashion-filled looks.
Vice President Harris’ purple ensemble, designed by Christopher John Rogers, was the sartorial embodiment of unity, a message that was oft-mentioned throughout the day. Former First Lady Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, too, wore shades of the prominent color, which were also seen on the spring 2021 runway at Roksanda, Tod’s and Prada.
Roksanda, spring 2021
Courtesy of Roksanda
Tod’s, spring 2021
Courtesy of Tod’s
Prada, spring 2021
Courtesy of Prada
President Biden in Ralph Lauren and Dr. Jill Biden in Markarian.
Dr. Jill Biden sported a custom blue tweed jacket and dress designed by New-York based occasionwear label Markarian, for Wednesday’s inauguration ceremony. The calming hue’s presence was prevalent on the spring runways, as seen at Moschino, Proenza Schouler and Blumarine.
Moschino, spring 2021
Courtesy of Moschino
Proenza Schouler, spring 2021
Lexie Moreland/WWD
Blumarine, spring 2021
Giovanni Giannoni WWD
Jennifer Lopez arrives to sing during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021. (Patrick Semansky/CNP/Polaris) Europa Press 01/20/2021 (Europa Press via AP)
Europa Press via AP
For the inauguration ceremony, Jennifer Lopez and Naomi Biden dressed in head-to-toe white, paying homage to suffragettes; for Wednesday evening’s “Celebrating America” event, Dr. Jill Biden wore a custom Gabriela Hearst white coat with delicate floral embroideries, complete with matching accessories. The designer also offered monochromatic white looks on the runway, like this crisp shirt and skirt. Fendi and Michael Kors Collection, too, displayed a clean palette for spring.
Gabriela Hearst, spring 2021
Giovanni Giannoni/WWD
Fendi, spring 2021
Giovanni Giannoni WWD
Michael Kors, spring 2021
Courtesy of Michael Kors
President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and family, walk near the White House on Jan. 20, 2021. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Poo
Natalie Biden, chose a bubblegum pink Lafayette148 coat (from the brand’s spring 2020 collection) for her Inauguration Day outfit. On the runway, brands Patou, St. John and JW Anderson also displayed girly shades of pink in polished yet playful silhouettes.
Paton, spring 2021
Courtesy Photo
St. John, spring 2021
Courtesy of St. John
JW Anderson, spring 2021
Courtesy Photo
Robert “Hunter” Biden II, Maisy Biden, Natalie Biden, Finnegan Biden and Naomi Biden arrive at the Inauguration Day ceremony of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris held at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 20, 2021. (Photo by Oliver Contreras/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)
Photo by Oliver Contreras/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images
Finnegan Biden sported a classic camel coat by Brandon Maxwell, with coordinating mask and underpinnings. Rosetta Getty, Adam Lippes and Schiapparelli (who designed a custom haute couture look for Lady Gaga’s performance) offered shades of beige for spring through classic tailored looks.
Rosetta Getty, spring 2021
Courtesy of Rosetta Getty
Victoria Beckham, spring 2021
Andrew Vowles / Courtesy of Victoria Beckham
Schiaparelli, spring 2021
Courtesy of Schiaparelli
Vice President Kamala Harris’ sister Maya and niece Meena at the inauguration.
Instagram/Meena Harris
Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris, an author and the founder of clothing label Phenomenal Woman, coordinated Ulla Johnson’s blouse and skirt with Coach’s shearling coat, in shades of green. Later on, she wore an emerald Vampire’s Wife frock, which Kate Middleton was seen wearing earlier in 2020. Shades ranging from lime to emerald were seen on the runway at Givenchy, Edeline Lee and Bottega Veneta.
Bottega Veneta, spring 2021
Courtesy of Bottega Veneta
Edeline Lee, spring 2021
Courtesy of Edeline Lee
Givenchy, spring 2021
Courtesy of Givenchy
President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and family, walk near the White House on Jan. 20, 2021. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Poo
Maisy Biden opted for a navy coat and trousers, accessorized with a pair of Air Jordan sneakers. Dior, Nina Ricci and Marina Moscone displayed the classic color for spring in a variety of silhouettes.
Dior, spring 2021
Giovanni Giannoni/WWD
Marina Moscone, spring 2021
Courtesy of Marina Moscone
Nina Ricci, spring 2021
Couresty Image
Youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman, in Prada, prepares to speak at the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington, D.C.
Courtesy of Getty Images
Breakout inauguration youth poet Amanda Gorman wore a full Prada outfit, bringing optimism through her performance and vibrant yellow topcoat. Jil Sander, Christopher John Rogers and Elie Saab, too, designed looks with a similar sunny disposition.
Jil Sander, spring 2021
Courtesy Photo
Christopher John Rogers, spring 2021
Courtesy of Christopher John Rog
Elie Saab, spring 2021
Courtesy Photo
Ella Emhoff in Miu Miu, left, and Thom Browne.
Ella Emhoff broke away from the monochromatic trend and wore a Miu Miu statement coat over Batsheva’s jewel-toned frock. Statement coats on the runway were seen at Andrew Gn, Gucci and Y/Project.
Andrew Gn, spring 2021
Courtesy Photo
Gucci, spring 2021
Courtesy of Gucci
Y/Project, spring 2021
Courtesy photo

More Stories
The Second Skin Advantage: How Compression Tops Help Boost Your Strength Training Performance
Fashion Icons You Need to Follow for Inspiration
Merino Wool Tops from Dive Bomb: Breathability Meets Insulation