2023 has lacked almost nothing: from municipal elections to a pact for the amnesty law, it has been full of political events that lay the necessary foundations to continue building history. Each of them has been portrayed for posterity in the form of images, statements, interviews and parliamentary interventions, but also in the looks that their protagonists have chosen to wear them and appear before the scrutinizing gaze of the world. We recap some of the most notable, inspiring or popular outfits through which Spanish politics of the year that is coming to an end are narrated.
The political agenda for 2023 began strongly marked by what would be a year full of electoral events. Already in January, some parties were beginning to prepare the ground, holding presentation rallies to announce their candidates for the municipal and regional elections, which would take place in a large part of the country on May 28. Here, Cuca Gamarra (PP) attended one of those party events wearing a casual look crowned by a glamorous jacket made of what would end up becoming this year’s star fabric: velvet.
Feminist policies have continued to be one of the main focuses of political and media interest throughout 2023. After the approval in 2022 of the new abortion law and the law of only yes is yes – whose controversial reform was carried out with the votes in favor of PSOE and PP in the month of April -, they culminated in the entry into force of the law trans and LGTBI rights. At the institutional event on March 8, the former Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, stood out with one of her most daring looks, a unique, sustainably produced suit rented from the Joplin Atelier brand with a glamorous air in the purest Prince style. The outfit would also end up being prophetic: it had previously been worn by world soccer champion Alexia Putellas, Jenni Hermoso’s partner and initiator of the movement.
At the end of March, fashion was the protagonist of one of the main dialectical scuffles within Congress. During the failed motion of censure presented by Vox with Ramón Tamames as an alternative candidate, its leader Santiago Abascal questioned the rest of the Chamber’s assistants, stating that with their clothing they violated “the decorum” of the institution. The attention was then won by Gabriel Rufián, whose turn to speak would begin by opening his jacket and stating: “First of all, Mr. Abascal, am I okay? Remind him that Marcelino Camacho was wearing a sweater and Rodrigo Rato was wearing a tie. In fact, Tejero was also wearing a tie when he came here, so the clothing doesn’t depend much on what each person is.” The ERC spokesperson was wearing a striking gold tie that day, despite being one of the politicians who is most commonly seen appearing without it.
The general elections, which should have taken place in December, were brought forward by Pedro Sánchez to July 23 just after the territorial elections, something that surprised everyone and even angered many. One of the political figures who had gone most unnoticed in national politics until that moment and who obtained unprecedented recognition on the left outside of Euskadi during said campaign was the spokesperson for EH Bildu in Congress, Oskar Matute. One of the things that has contributed to the consecration of the character has been his aesthetics, which has remained firm regardless of the environment as a vindication of his origin, his principles and his identity. In the debate of parliamentary spokespersons that RTVE hosted, he attended with jeans, sneakers and his emblematic mandarin collar shirt.
Without a doubt one of the main issues that have dominated politics in 2023 has been the genocide of more than 21,000 Palestinians murdered so far by Israel since October 7. During the Columbus Day parade, the then Minister of Social Rights and currently deputy Ione Belarra wanted to publicly show her solidarity with the Palestinian people by wearing a scarf woven by women from the city of Hebron, located in the West Bank.
Red is one of this season’s favorite colors, but in politics it has always been associated with the power dressing of women like Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama. In Spain, for example, Queen Letizia has been one of its main ambassadors for decades, and today the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has also given something to talk about by choosing him at key moments such as election day. of 23J, while accompanying the PP candidate Alberto Núñez Feijóo. Here Yolanda Díaz, leader of Sumar, Minister of Labor and second vice president of the Government, wore it on the occasion of the signing of the pact between her party and the PSOE for the revalidation of Pedro Sánchez as head of the Executive at the end of October.
One of the last institutional acts that still had the presence of the previous Executive was the swearing-in of Princess Leonor in the Congress of Deputies. Among the faces of those who would soon leave the Government was the former Minister of Justice Pilar Llop who, despite having tried to maintain a low profile in terms of the media during the two years she remained at the head of the portfolio, ended up in the spotlight with the reform of the law of only yes means yes. However, with this outfit – almost a farewell outfit – she honored one of the most underrated facets of her: that of being one of the most stylish political representatives in recent years.
After a very complicated match that lasted for several months and with an unsuccessful investiture attempt by his opponent in the middle, in mid-November Pedro Sánchez finally managed to be sworn in as president again. For this he had the support of his Government partner, Sumar, and those of ERC, Junts, EH Bildu, PNV, BNG and CC, which comprised the absolute majority of the Chamber. For the occasion, Sánchez chose two of his best suits, but the prize went to the one chosen for the first of the days, during which he made his speech as a presidential candidate: a dark, sober suit, without fanfare, that fit him to the body like a glove. With it he accentuated the presence of his figure, which he has been able to exploit as a key element in his communication strategy since he landed in politics.
After the investiture, the family photo arrived at the doors of the Moncloa. Many of the faces that appeared in it were immortalized as part of the Council of Ministers for the first time: Óscar Puente (Transport), Ana Redondo (Equality), Jordi Hereu (Industry), Elma Sainz (Social Security and Immigrations), Ángel Víctor Torres (Territorial Policy) and, on behalf of Sumar, Mónica García (Health), Ernest Urtasun (Culture), Pablo Bustunduy (Social Rights) and Sira Rego (Childhood and Youth). The latter, despite having been almost hidden in a corner of the snapshot, came dressed in a spectacular two-piece from the Spanish brand Mattûi, consisting of a structured dressing gown-type jacket and pants with an elegant satin drape. The definitive detail was a pin in the shape of an inverted red triangle, an anti-fascist symbol, on his lapel.
2023 has ended marked by the climate of political tension aroused by the agreement for an amnesty law between the PSOE and Junts, since the demonstrations that took place in front of the PSOE headquarters on Ferraz Street led to a series of riots without precedents. At the beginning of December, the Popular Party called a rally against the amnesty with Nuñez Feijóo at the head, to which he attended dressed in a turtleneck sweater in the purest Robert Redford style that he usually wears on non-institutional occasions. And the turtleneck has already become an emblem for the opposition leader, especially since he starred wearing one on the cover of Esquire magazine when he began to build a political profile outside of Galician territory after having replaced Pablo Married at the head of the PP last year.
