Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village : Political Fashion

Dress is more than mere objects and materials people put on their bodies. Dress can be a sign or symbol that refers to or stands for meanings not inherent in the material or object. In sum, the physical body when dressed reflects the 'social body' or surrounding societal system (Turner, 1991).

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Buttons and pins have been a part of election culture since the United States' first presidential inauguration, when metal pins bearing the phrase 'Long live the president' and George Washington's initials were worn by his supporters.

When Abraham Lincoln became president in 1861, pins with a ferrotype (a photograph made of tin and dark enamel or lacquer) of his image were the first campaign buttons to use a picture of a presidential candidate.

But the first mass-produced and collectible buttons for presidential campaigns didn't come around until 1896. Many campaign pins have stayed in the public consciousness because they featured slogans that became their own cultural moments.

The 'I Like Ike' slogan that was coined to encourage Dwight 'Ike' Eisenhower to run for president was very attractive to supporters because it was a roundabout way to express political leanings without committing to a certain party. At the time, Eisenhower was still serving as Army Chief of Staff and refused to commit to either the Republican or the Democratic party, meaning that citizens who liked Ike could make a statement about their political leanings without having to take a stand for a party.

'I Like Ike' paraphernalia is a prime example of a shift in campaign buttons from a straightforward show of support for a particular candidate to pieces of art that speak to the overall political discourse.

The Feminist movement of the 1960's and 1970's came through in campaign style as well. Showing support (or disdain) for presidential candidates through pins, buttons and fashion accessories is a practice nearly as old as the office of the president itself. Political accessories are hundreds of years old, but still remain wearable signs of the times.