As part of her cover story profile in Vanity Fair, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also had a gorgeous photo spread. She looks incredible on the cover, donning a white pantsuit from Black-owned luxury brand Aliétte, with more powerful looks from top designers inside. So naturally, plenty of people were excited to trot out the same old tired accusations of hypocrisy, criticizing the democratic socialist who wants poor and working-class people to earn a living wage and have access to structural systems of support, and who also dares to wear things beyond a simple burlap sack every moment of her life.
“AOC on the cover of Vanity Fair. The clothes are estimated to cost $14,000. So happy that AOC is upholding the long-established hypocritical tradition of Socialists who believe Socialism is for poor while they enjoy the fruits of Capitalism,” tweeted political commentator Sunanda Vashisht.
“AOC appears in Vanity Fair in outfits worth $14,000 to curse out Trump,” wrote Fox News’ Laura Ingraham.
The Daily Mail’s headline reads, “Socialist AOC appears in Vanity Fair in $14,000 of designer suits and Louboutins to call Trump a motherf****r for not paying tax – as she compares herself to Hillary and Pelosi (and gets to keep a $3,000 outfit).”
First off, that’s how fashion magazines work. Those aren’t her clothes. It’s a photoshoot.
Ah yes, Vanity Fair’s long-standing “bring your own clothes to the photo shoot” policy https://t.co/BiVDCGtGtV
— Doctor Senator (@CeeHawk) October 29, 2020
I don’t know who needs to hear this but Vanity Fair doesn’t let you keep the clothes from your photo shoot and Mark Hamill doesn’t get to keep the lightsabers https://t.co/VosAP4ngLq
— Midsammar💭 (@samthielman) October 29, 2020
(& I don’t know if you’ve been in a photoshoot Laura, but you don’t keep the clothes.)
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 29, 2020
Also, even if they were her clothes (as one of the gifted outfits now is), it wouldn’t negate her entire belief system. Republicans have been trying this line since before she even took office, pointing out that she went to private school in an affluent district (which her parents moved to and worked working class jobs so they could live modestly specifically so she could go to that school) and dressed nicely to her first days in Congress (in clothes she rented online).
They are so desperate to prove that she isn’t “authentic” because that seems to be the only way they know how to challenge her actual beliefs–to somehow “prove” that she cares about issues of class inequality as little as they do.
The whole “she wore clothes in a magazine, let’s pretend they’re hers” gimmick is the classic Republican strategy of “let’s willfully act stupid, and if the public doesn’t take our performative stupidity seriously then we’ll claim bias.”
GOP, get yourselves together. It’s sad.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 29, 2020
It’s not hypocritical to be a socialist and wear nice clothes. (Also it’s a photo shoot. They were loaned.) https://t.co/6WnDUaMoaI
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) October 29, 2020
Honestly, I would love to know what they think an “appropriate” outfit for AOC would look like.
Typical two-faced AOC… advocating for equality when it’s convenient AND washing her hair for a national magazine cover out of the other side of her mouth!
Little Miss too-good-for-a-burlap-sack-with-arm-holes over there. https://t.co/qAp8WjKeLN
— Ben Philippe (@gohomeben) October 29, 2020
Showimg up to my vanity fair photo shoot with a potato sack I brought from home https://t.co/5UmZpwfoJf
— Shuja Haider (@shujaxhaider) October 29, 2020
I KNOW, RIGHT!?
WHERE IS HER BINDLE?
WHY ISN’T SHE WEARING A WOODEN BARREL WITH SUSPENDERS? https://t.co/gSwZL9gksd
— Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) October 29, 2020
socialism is when Vanity Fair asks you to do a photo shoot and you show up covered in poop and they offer to wash it off and you say no i demand that you leave me in the poop https://t.co/XheUpgfOyt
— Law Boy, Esq. (@The_Law_Boy) October 29, 2020
For everyone who’s mad that she wore a $1,000 suit (which is honestly the most reasonably priced item I can imagine ever appearing on a Vanity Fair cover), the congresswoman has some advice.
Republicans are Very Mad (again) about my appearance. This time they’re mad that I look good in borrowed clothes (again).
Listen, if Republicans want pointers on looking your best, I’m happy to share.
Tip #1: Drink water and don’t be racist
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 29, 2020
(image: STEPHEN MATUREN/AFP via Getty Images)
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