Fashion was at the forefront of the Republican National Convention as people showcased their best pieces alongside deeply held political and ideological beliefs.
From vintage sweaters to lights to sparkles, many attendees stood out in the crowd of 50,000.
“Fashion is such a unique way to express yourself, whether it’s ideologically, politically, however you see on the spectrum,” said Arizona podcaster Tiffany Marie Brannon.
Tiffany Marie Brannon displays her handknit American flag cardigan in front of a live broadcast of “The Charlie Kirk Show” at the Republican National Convention.
She sourced her vintage, handknit American flag cardigan from eBay and feels a sense of tradition while sporting the piece.
“It’s so cool that I get to wear a piece of history and the flag that represents my nation at the same time, and so I feel like I’m wearing someone else’s patriotism with me while I’m here,” she said. “It’s something that connects the spirit of America with fashion throughout the decades.”
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Many of the delegates sported their own creations. Ranae Lentz, from Ohio, decorated a Ralph Lauren sunhat with star lights, American flag pins, Trump stickers, and a red, white and blue stuffed elephant.
![Ranae Lentz](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=640%2C427 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=990%2C660 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C690 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C888 1333w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C984 1476w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/29/12917b80-454d-11ef-af4c-6f601b33e7b5/66998a07ef97c.image.jpg?resize=1763%2C1175 2008w)
Ohio delegate Ranae Lentz visits the floor of Fiserv Forum.
“Beanie Babies come in handy when you buy them for your grandchildren,” Lentz said.
John Tabacco, host of “Wise Guys” on Newsmax TV, had four sports jackets peppered with Trump’s face commissioned for the convention, including a black-and-white version that he dubbed his “formal MAGA tux.”
![John Tabacco](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/00/c0087874-454b-11ef-aee0-a7b2e4ca4ef0/6699876fd2552.image.jpg?resize=150%2C200 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/00/c0087874-454b-11ef-aee0-a7b2e4ca4ef0/6699876fd2552.image.jpg?resize=200%2C267 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/00/c0087874-454b-11ef-aee0-a7b2e4ca4ef0/6699876fd2552.image.jpg?resize=225%2C300 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/00/c0087874-454b-11ef-aee0-a7b2e4ca4ef0/6699876fd2552.image.jpg?resize=300%2C400 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/00/c0087874-454b-11ef-aee0-a7b2e4ca4ef0/6699876fd2552.image.jpg?resize=400%2C533 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/00/c0087874-454b-11ef-aee0-a7b2e4ca4ef0/6699876fd2552.image.jpg?resize=540%2C720 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/00/c0087874-454b-11ef-aee0-a7b2e4ca4ef0/6699876fd2552.image.jpg?resize=640%2C854 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/00/c0087874-454b-11ef-aee0-a7b2e4ca4ef0/6699876fd2552.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1000 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/00/c0087874-454b-11ef-aee0-a7b2e4ca4ef0/6699876fd2552.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1320 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/00/c0087874-454b-11ef-aee0-a7b2e4ca4ef0/6699876fd2552.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1380 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/00/c0087874-454b-11ef-aee0-a7b2e4ca4ef0/6699876fd2552.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/00/c0087874-454b-11ef-aee0-a7b2e4ca4ef0/6699876fd2552.image.jpg 1333w)
John Tabacco sports one of his four custom-made Trump sports jackets outside of Fiserv Forum.
“I figured if you have a MAGA Trump-face sport jacket and you can’t wear it to the RNC, then you shouldn’t have the jacket,” he said.
Tabacco wears the sports jackets in part to express his pride in being a Trump supporter to those outside of earshot. “If somebody’s going to come up to me and try to make small talk, I’m basically advertising to them from far away, ‘This is what I’m about and I’m proud of it,’” he said.
Deborah Yanna, from Iowa, handmade a different sparkly jacket for each night of the convention. “It’s an expression to represent President Trump in a sparkly way,” Yanna said. She wore the jackets not to attract attention, but because “I just really enjoy sequins.”
![Deborah Yanna](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/d4/6d4e45fa-454b-11ef-a94f-1b8085129bd7/669986e50d0df.image.jpg?resize=150%2C200 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/d4/6d4e45fa-454b-11ef-a94f-1b8085129bd7/669986e50d0df.image.jpg?resize=200%2C267 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/d4/6d4e45fa-454b-11ef-a94f-1b8085129bd7/669986e50d0df.image.jpg?resize=225%2C300 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/d4/6d4e45fa-454b-11ef-a94f-1b8085129bd7/669986e50d0df.image.jpg?resize=300%2C400 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/d4/6d4e45fa-454b-11ef-a94f-1b8085129bd7/669986e50d0df.image.jpg?resize=400%2C533 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/d4/6d4e45fa-454b-11ef-a94f-1b8085129bd7/669986e50d0df.image.jpg?resize=540%2C720 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/d4/6d4e45fa-454b-11ef-a94f-1b8085129bd7/669986e50d0df.image.jpg?resize=640%2C854 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/d4/6d4e45fa-454b-11ef-a94f-1b8085129bd7/669986e50d0df.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1000 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/d4/6d4e45fa-454b-11ef-a94f-1b8085129bd7/669986e50d0df.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1320 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/d4/6d4e45fa-454b-11ef-a94f-1b8085129bd7/669986e50d0df.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1380 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/d4/6d4e45fa-454b-11ef-a94f-1b8085129bd7/669986e50d0df.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/d4/6d4e45fa-454b-11ef-a94f-1b8085129bd7/669986e50d0df.image.jpg 1333w)
Deborah Yanna salutes former President Donald Trump in her handmade sequined jacket.
Fashion designer Andre Soriano gave convention attendees a preview of his new men’s patriotic collection by wearing his American flag-patterned jacket and matching cowboy hat.
“As an American, I’m proud to wear something that represents our great nation,” Soriano said.
![Andre Soriano](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/fe/afee02d6-454d-11ef-a1ab-638dd7896783/66998ad8936f5.image.jpg?resize=150%2C200 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/fe/afee02d6-454d-11ef-a1ab-638dd7896783/66998ad8936f5.image.jpg?resize=200%2C267 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/fe/afee02d6-454d-11ef-a1ab-638dd7896783/66998ad8936f5.image.jpg?resize=225%2C300 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/fe/afee02d6-454d-11ef-a1ab-638dd7896783/66998ad8936f5.image.jpg?resize=300%2C400 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/fe/afee02d6-454d-11ef-a1ab-638dd7896783/66998ad8936f5.image.jpg?resize=400%2C533 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/fe/afee02d6-454d-11ef-a1ab-638dd7896783/66998ad8936f5.image.jpg?resize=540%2C720 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/fe/afee02d6-454d-11ef-a1ab-638dd7896783/66998ad8936f5.image.jpg?resize=640%2C854 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/fe/afee02d6-454d-11ef-a1ab-638dd7896783/66998ad8936f5.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1000 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/fe/afee02d6-454d-11ef-a1ab-638dd7896783/66998ad8936f5.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1320 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/fe/afee02d6-454d-11ef-a1ab-638dd7896783/66998ad8936f5.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1380 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/fe/afee02d6-454d-11ef-a1ab-638dd7896783/66998ad8936f5.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/fe/afee02d6-454d-11ef-a1ab-638dd7896783/66998ad8936f5.image.jpg 1333w)
Andre Soriano saw the Republican National Convention as a chance to promote designs from his upcoming men’s clothing line.
Amy Lee and Kimberley Nguyen, from San Diego, waved giant Trump flags while dressed in custom-made traditional Vietnamese dresses and hats. They added silver bedazzled “Trump” and “MAGA” details, and Nguyen fashioned each hat with phrases including “never surrender” and “Trump save America.”
![Amy Lee and Kimberley Nguyen](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=640%2C427 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=990%2C660 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=1035%2C690 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=1333%2C888 1333w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=1476%2C984 1476w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/da/4da4078a-454b-11ef-99c1-e329dc5dc907/669986afe5ec3.image.png?resize=1763%2C1175 2008w)
Amy Lee and Kimberley Nguyen wear custom, matching Vietnamese dresses and hats.
“We want to show President Trump that the Vietnamese support him,” Lee said.
![Jimmy Stephens](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/7b/67bf346e-454b-11ef-af6b-df239c785031/669986dbb1d36.image.jpg?resize=150%2C200 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/7b/67bf346e-454b-11ef-af6b-df239c785031/669986dbb1d36.image.jpg?resize=200%2C267 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/7b/67bf346e-454b-11ef-af6b-df239c785031/669986dbb1d36.image.jpg?resize=225%2C300 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/7b/67bf346e-454b-11ef-af6b-df239c785031/669986dbb1d36.image.jpg?resize=300%2C400 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/7b/67bf346e-454b-11ef-af6b-df239c785031/669986dbb1d36.image.jpg?resize=400%2C533 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/7b/67bf346e-454b-11ef-af6b-df239c785031/669986dbb1d36.image.jpg?resize=540%2C720 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/7b/67bf346e-454b-11ef-af6b-df239c785031/669986dbb1d36.image.jpg?resize=640%2C854 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/7b/67bf346e-454b-11ef-af6b-df239c785031/669986dbb1d36.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1000 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/7b/67bf346e-454b-11ef-af6b-df239c785031/669986dbb1d36.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1320 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/7b/67bf346e-454b-11ef-af6b-df239c785031/669986dbb1d36.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1380 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/7b/67bf346e-454b-11ef-af6b-df239c785031/669986dbb1d36.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/7b/67bf346e-454b-11ef-af6b-df239c785031/669986dbb1d36.image.jpg 1333w)
Mississippi alternate delegate Jimmy Stephens wore this seersucker suit, something he regularly sports at weddings and church.
Jimmy Stephens, an alternate delegate from Tupelo, Mississippi, wore his Sunday best to the convention. His seersucker suit’s lightweight material helps to beat the heat, and the pattern is traditionally worn throughout much of the American South during the spring and summer.
“You wouldn’t wear this to just anything — it really needs to be an occasion where other people are gonna dress up,” Stephens said.
Some convention attendees opted more for costumes than outfits.
![Blake Marnell](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/24/b2405cd4-454b-11ef-9c4a-47eef4ef0c65/66998758b77a2.image.jpg?resize=150%2C225 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/24/b2405cd4-454b-11ef-9c4a-47eef4ef0c65/66998758b77a2.image.jpg?resize=200%2C300 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/24/b2405cd4-454b-11ef-9c4a-47eef4ef0c65/66998758b77a2.image.jpg?resize=225%2C338 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/24/b2405cd4-454b-11ef-9c4a-47eef4ef0c65/66998758b77a2.image.jpg?resize=300%2C450 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/24/b2405cd4-454b-11ef-9c4a-47eef4ef0c65/66998758b77a2.image.jpg?resize=400%2C600 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/24/b2405cd4-454b-11ef-9c4a-47eef4ef0c65/66998758b77a2.image.jpg?resize=540%2C810 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/24/b2405cd4-454b-11ef-9c4a-47eef4ef0c65/66998758b77a2.image.jpg?resize=640%2C960 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/24/b2405cd4-454b-11ef-9c4a-47eef4ef0c65/66998758b77a2.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1125 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/24/b2405cd4-454b-11ef-9c4a-47eef4ef0c65/66998758b77a2.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1485 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/24/b2405cd4-454b-11ef-9c4a-47eef4ef0c65/66998758b77a2.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1553 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/24/b2405cd4-454b-11ef-9c4a-47eef4ef0c65/66998758b77a2.image.jpg?resize=1175%2C1763 1200w)
Blake Marnell accessorizes one of his three brick suits with a Make America Great Again hat signed by former President Donald Trump.
Blake Marnell has been famed among Trump supporters since the former president brought Marnell on stage at a 2019 rally in his eye-catching brick suit. At the 2024 RNC, he opted to pair the outfit with American flag-patterned cowboy boots and a MAGA hat signed by Trump.
“It’s a metaphor for my belief that America needs stronger borders,” he said. “So it’s fashion — with a message.”
Duane Schwingel has been dressing as Uncle Sam since the November 2020 election. For the RNC this year, he’s added a white piece of tape over his ears with “Fight!” scrawled three times in black sharpie.
“There’s someone else who’s got a patch on their ear, and I want to identify with that person to represent the bullet they were willing to take for me and my country,” Schwingel said.
![Duane Schwingel](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/c9/cc9b672c-454b-11ef-81f2-a32d66d836ba/66998784ea28e.image.jpg?resize=150%2C200 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/c9/cc9b672c-454b-11ef-81f2-a32d66d836ba/66998784ea28e.image.jpg?resize=200%2C267 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/c9/cc9b672c-454b-11ef-81f2-a32d66d836ba/66998784ea28e.image.jpg?resize=225%2C300 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/c9/cc9b672c-454b-11ef-81f2-a32d66d836ba/66998784ea28e.image.jpg?resize=300%2C400 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/c9/cc9b672c-454b-11ef-81f2-a32d66d836ba/66998784ea28e.image.jpg?resize=400%2C533 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/c9/cc9b672c-454b-11ef-81f2-a32d66d836ba/66998784ea28e.image.jpg?resize=540%2C720 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/c9/cc9b672c-454b-11ef-81f2-a32d66d836ba/66998784ea28e.image.jpg?resize=640%2C854 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/c9/cc9b672c-454b-11ef-81f2-a32d66d836ba/66998784ea28e.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1000 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/c9/cc9b672c-454b-11ef-81f2-a32d66d836ba/66998784ea28e.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1320 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/c9/cc9b672c-454b-11ef-81f2-a32d66d836ba/66998784ea28e.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1380 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/c9/cc9b672c-454b-11ef-81f2-a32d66d836ba/66998784ea28e.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/c9/cc9b672c-454b-11ef-81f2-a32d66d836ba/66998784ea28e.image.jpg 1333w)
Duane Schwingel models his Uncle Sam costume. He wrapped white tape around his ear to symbolize the wound former President Donald Trump received during an attempted assassination.
Whenever the costume gets too hot, “I get on the Segway and zip down the street and dry off,” he said.
Penny Young Nance, CEO and president of national nonprofit organization Concerned Women for America, accessorized her Wednesday outfit with a pair of bedazzled American flag stilettos from Macy’s. “For me, it’s about putting your best foot forward and feeling confident,” said Nance of her outfit. “I love my country, but it’s mostly just fun.”
![Penny Young Nance](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/37/737ecab2-454b-11ef-802d-bb67a5f91319/669986ef6b1d3.image.jpg?resize=150%2C200 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/37/737ecab2-454b-11ef-802d-bb67a5f91319/669986ef6b1d3.image.jpg?resize=200%2C267 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/37/737ecab2-454b-11ef-802d-bb67a5f91319/669986ef6b1d3.image.jpg?resize=225%2C300 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/37/737ecab2-454b-11ef-802d-bb67a5f91319/669986ef6b1d3.image.jpg?resize=300%2C400 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/37/737ecab2-454b-11ef-802d-bb67a5f91319/669986ef6b1d3.image.jpg?resize=400%2C533 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/37/737ecab2-454b-11ef-802d-bb67a5f91319/669986ef6b1d3.image.jpg?resize=540%2C720 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/37/737ecab2-454b-11ef-802d-bb67a5f91319/669986ef6b1d3.image.jpg?resize=640%2C854 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/37/737ecab2-454b-11ef-802d-bb67a5f91319/669986ef6b1d3.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1000 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/37/737ecab2-454b-11ef-802d-bb67a5f91319/669986ef6b1d3.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1320 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/37/737ecab2-454b-11ef-802d-bb67a5f91319/669986ef6b1d3.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1380 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/37/737ecab2-454b-11ef-802d-bb67a5f91319/669986ef6b1d3.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/37/737ecab2-454b-11ef-802d-bb67a5f91319/669986ef6b1d3.image.jpg 1333w)
Penny Young Nance paired a simple white dress with bedazzled American flag stilettos for her Day Three outfit.
P. Rae Easley, an alternate delegate from Chicago, wore a glittery red MAGA fedora and a Hawaiian shirt laden with Trump caricatures, the American flag, and the state of Illinois. She hopes to inspire others to be public and proud of their pro-Trump affiliations.
“We wanted to make sure that when people saw me they would know that I am from the great city of Chicago with my MAGA cap and my Illinois shirt,” she said. “Our goal is to turn the city red, but a lot of people are a little shy because they’re afraid of the social backlash, so by wearing this hate we let people know that they’re not by themselves.”
![P. Rae Easley](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/58/5585ba52-454b-11ef-a72c-f34d094a308d/669986bd25195.image.jpg?resize=150%2C200 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/58/5585ba52-454b-11ef-a72c-f34d094a308d/669986bd25195.image.jpg?resize=200%2C267 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/58/5585ba52-454b-11ef-a72c-f34d094a308d/669986bd25195.image.jpg?resize=225%2C300 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/58/5585ba52-454b-11ef-a72c-f34d094a308d/669986bd25195.image.jpg?resize=300%2C400 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/58/5585ba52-454b-11ef-a72c-f34d094a308d/669986bd25195.image.jpg?resize=400%2C533 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/58/5585ba52-454b-11ef-a72c-f34d094a308d/669986bd25195.image.jpg?resize=540%2C720 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/58/5585ba52-454b-11ef-a72c-f34d094a308d/669986bd25195.image.jpg?resize=640%2C854 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/58/5585ba52-454b-11ef-a72c-f34d094a308d/669986bd25195.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1000 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/58/5585ba52-454b-11ef-a72c-f34d094a308d/669986bd25195.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1320 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/58/5585ba52-454b-11ef-a72c-f34d094a308d/669986bd25195.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1380 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/58/5585ba52-454b-11ef-a72c-f34d094a308d/669986bd25195.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/58/5585ba52-454b-11ef-a72c-f34d094a308d/669986bd25195.image.jpg 1333w)
P. Rae Easley sports a button-down shirt with an American flag design on her left side and a combination of a cartoon version of Trump and the state of Illinois spelled out.
Nancy Mace, a congresswoman representing South Carolina’s 1st District, does not normally emphasize fashion while on the job. But at the RNC, she saw her chance to express herself on a national stage.
“This is my first time speaking at the convention and I do a lot of stuff for women and women’s rights so I decided I’m going all out pink for this week,” she said. “I’ll be in neon pink tomorrow night.”
Some delegates used accessories as their statement. Mike Todd, a Kansas alternate delegate, fashioned political buttons to his hat and suspenders that popped out against his red RNC 2024 t-shirt.
![Mike Todd](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/eb/7ebb00bc-454b-11ef-918e-f790ac2268ea/6699870246466.image.jpg?resize=150%2C200 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/eb/7ebb00bc-454b-11ef-918e-f790ac2268ea/6699870246466.image.jpg?resize=200%2C267 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/eb/7ebb00bc-454b-11ef-918e-f790ac2268ea/6699870246466.image.jpg?resize=225%2C300 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/eb/7ebb00bc-454b-11ef-918e-f790ac2268ea/6699870246466.image.jpg?resize=300%2C400 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/eb/7ebb00bc-454b-11ef-918e-f790ac2268ea/6699870246466.image.jpg?resize=400%2C533 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/eb/7ebb00bc-454b-11ef-918e-f790ac2268ea/6699870246466.image.jpg?resize=540%2C720 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/eb/7ebb00bc-454b-11ef-918e-f790ac2268ea/6699870246466.image.jpg?resize=640%2C854 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/eb/7ebb00bc-454b-11ef-918e-f790ac2268ea/6699870246466.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1000 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/eb/7ebb00bc-454b-11ef-918e-f790ac2268ea/6699870246466.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1320 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/eb/7ebb00bc-454b-11ef-918e-f790ac2268ea/6699870246466.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1380 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/eb/7ebb00bc-454b-11ef-918e-f790ac2268ea/6699870246466.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/eb/7ebb00bc-454b-11ef-918e-f790ac2268ea/6699870246466.image.jpg 1333w)
Kansas alternative delegate Mike Todd sports buttons with slogans like “Obamacare makes me sick!” and “God Guns and Trump” on the floor of Fiserv Forum.
For some, the pressure to show up in style came from home.
Easley called her West Side neighborhood the “fashion capital” of Chicago, and said that looking good is more important than almost anything else there.
“If anybody knew I was here not dressed up to par, they would be more upset with me not being well dressed than they would be with me coming to a Republican convention.”
Sylvie Kirsch is a graduate student in journalism at Northwestern University.