PM Modi's jackets, Rahul's shirts: How leaders use fashion for political messaging

Political messaging through fashion has long been a tool utilized by Indian politicians, with their attire serving to construct identities, signal ideology, project modernity, invoke tradition and generate attention-worthy visual moments in the age of social media. Rahul Gandhi's recent change from his usual white clothing to a pink shirt and later a yellow one drew online attention, with the yellow shirt and the line "Smash the patriarchy" becoming part of the social-media conversation.

However, this is not the first time a politician's attire has generated more headlines than their speech. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's signature jackets, bandhgalas, and regional outfits have become part of his public image, with fashion designer Gaurav Jai Gupta noting that fashion can communicate before a politician has spoken a single word.

The immediate recognition of Modi's wardrobe, which combines traditional Indian clothing with global tailoring, has made it a form of fashion diplomacy. In contrast, Rahul Gandhi's wardrobe has typically remained within the safe territory of political dressing, with white kurta-pajamas and jackets being his staple. However, a pink and yellow shirt during a specific event drew attention online, with the yellow shirt becoming an unlikely talking point due to its simplicity, recognisability, and emotional impact.

The Thackeray family also demonstrates the power of colour and clothing in politics, with Bal Thackeray initially adopting the urban office worker look and later using orange to appeal to an aspirational Maharashtra audience. As colour communicates emotion before language does, it can evoke spirituality, sacrifice, nationalism, and Hindu cultural identity, while white can communicate simplicity, peace, authority, or the traditional Gandhian vocabulary.