California Representative Blake Marnell showed us his “Make America Great Again” hat, signed by Donald Trump, on the third day of the Republican National Convention.
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While the Republican National Convention is a political event, it’s also an opportunity for attendees to show off their eye-catching outfits on the red carpet (yes, the convention center at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee is covered in red carpet).
For delegates and alternates, the attire they wore during the convention was a display of pride for their state, party and country, as well as support for their chosen candidate, former President Donald Trump.
Here are some of the most unique costumes seen at the convention.
Tennessee Representative Linda D. Buckles smiles for a portrait on the third day of the Republican National Convention.
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Linda D. Buckles
Linda D. Buckles’ sequined red hat has been to all seven party conventions she’s attended. The Tennessee native doesn’t change headwear, but she rotates the buttons on her hat and saves some for special occasions, like a pin with Trump’s likeness that she made in 2020 that she pins to the front.
“In 2020 [pin] Because in 2020, only five people from our state were able to go to the tournament, and I was one of those five.”
California Representative Blake Marnell smiles for a portrait on the third day of the Republican National Convention. Grace Widiyatmadja/NPR
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Blake Marnell
Trump liked the brick-orange suit Marnell wore to a 2019 rally, so he invited Marnell, now a delegate from San Diego, California, onto the stage at the rally.
Since that moment went viral, Marnell, known as “Bricksuit” or “Brickman,” has worn the suit frequently, including to this year’s Republican National Convention.
“It’s a metaphor. This lawsuit is meant to remind us of the hard border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and all the increased border control that comes with it,” Marnell said.
Marnell said immigration is the biggest issue for him as a representative and constituent.
“This is 100 percent my biggest challenge,” he said. “At this point, every state in America is effectively a border state.”
Guam Representative Sam Mabini Young poses for a portrait next to her husband, Mel Young, on the final day of the Republican National Convention.
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Sam Mabini Young
Mabini Young is often mistaken for someone from another U.S. territory, which is why the Guam representative wanted to clarify where she is from.
“I’m wearing an outfit that really celebrates where I’m from, Guam. I was born and raised in Guam,” said Mabini Young, whose outfit was inspired by the Samoan formal dress, puretasi.
“The design actually comes from parts of this region. But one thing we’ve learned from the islands is that we blend and borrow from each other, whether it’s the way we weave, the way we travel on the ocean, or the way we dress.”
Mabini Young said she hopes that if President Trump sees her outfit, it will show him that “Guam is a U.S. territory, we support him 100 percent and we are proud to support him as the next president of the United States.”
She wore matching shirts with her husband and styled her hair with a flower behind her right ear, which she said her husband teased her for wearing above her right ear.
“When a girl on the island wears a flower on her right side, it means she can get married… so I was criticized,” she said. “But I [told him] I just put it there because my hair is parted like this.”
Arizona Representative Stacey Goodman wears gauze over her ear in solidarity with Donald Trump on the third day of the Republican National Convention.
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Stacey Goodman
Stacey Goodman of Cave Creek, Arizona, wore gauze over her right ear in homage to Trump, who wore a bandage over his ear while attending the Republican National Convention — a look that a growing number of Trump supporters have been emulating after Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, last Saturday, leaving him with an injured ear.
“We support Trump 100 percent,” Goodman said. “We love him. We support him and we wish him the best.”
Hanging from her neck were pin badges, one representing her state and another representing her time as a police officer with the Suffolk County Police Department in New York. She exchanged pin badges with other delegates she met during the convention, but kept the Suffolk County one, a reminder of her time as a volunteer helping identify bodies after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Florida Representative Scott Thomas poses for a portrait on the final day of the Republican National Convention. Grace Widiyatmadja/NPR
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Scott Thomas
Thomas, from Jacksonville, Florida, saved her best outfit for last.
“Well, I wanted to create a celebratory mood,” he said on the final day of the convention. “This is a day that history will change, so I wanted to show my patriotism and support Trump.”
Thomas originally bought the red-and-white striped blazer for the 2020 Republican National Convention, but never got a chance to wear it because the COVID-19 pandemic forced the convention to be mostly online.
He pulled it out of the closet for this year and it’s still wearable. He also had his team medals attached to the jacket.
Wisconsin Representative Barbara Finger poses for a portrait on the third day of the Republican National Convention.
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Barbara Finger
It’s safe to say that Barbara Finger has a lot of military pride. She served in the Navy for 24 years and was stationed in a variety of places, including Hawaii, Japan, and Australia. That’s why she wore this camo dress not only to this event, but also in 2016.
She completed the look with a custom Cheesehead hat, paying homage to her favorite team, the Green Bay Packers.
“It’s kind of our symbol,” Finger said.
Wyoming Representative George Etchemendy poses for a portrait on the third day of the Republican National Convention.
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George Etchemendy
George Etchemendy chose to wear something on the third night of the tournament that was basically what he wears at his ranch in Douglas, Wyoming. He calls it “Western.”
The uniform consisted of Wrangler boots, cowboy hats, and western shirts, complete with bolo ties, a necktie usually made of braided leather and fastened with a metal clasp.
Texas Representative Kathy Ohlson poses for a portrait on the third day of the Republican National Convention.
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Cathy Olson
White jeans. Check. Cowboy boots. Check. And matching cowboy hats and Lone Star shirts. Check. That’s the coordinated outfit for Kathy Olson and her fellow Texas delegation (the party’s second-largest delegation after California).
Ohlson said this is their way of showing Texas strength.
“We see Texas as a leadership state in the country,” said Ohlson, who lives in Waxahachie, Texas. “It shows how strong we are, how united we are and how fun people we are.”
Delegate Rachel Wallace of Munford, Alabama, showed off the back of her jersey on the third day of the Republican National Convention.
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Rachel Wallace
Rachel Wallace’s favorite piece of convention memorabilia is a custom baseball jersey with “Alabama” and “Trump” inscribed in cursive on the back, designed by Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wall, she said.
“I’m already planning where I’m going to wear this next,” she says. “Even if it’s just to the grocery store, this might become a part of my daily routine. I could even wear it to work.”
She completed the look with sparkly blue and sparkly red bow earrings.
“So when I was little, whenever I went to church, if I wanted to look fancy, I’d wear a hair bow,” she says, “and here I feel like every day I want to look fancy, but I also want to be comfortable, so this is just the way I do it.”
South Carolina delegate Alvin Portee poses for a portrait on the third day of the Republican National Convention.
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Alvin Portey Jr.
Portee Jr., of Columbia, South Carolina, paid tribute to President Abraham Lincoln by wearing a hat with a portrait of the president.
“Abraham Lincoln lost his life because he wanted to abolish slavery,” said Portee Jr. He also wore a dashiki, a jacket worn in some African countries, to symbolize his African-American heritage.
