The Fashion Evolution Of JD Vance Is A Sight To Behold

Fashion and politics have long been interlinked — many politicians will alter their sense of style to better cater to constituents while seeking votes. Clothing can also be used to signal to others in leadership where you align. Just like specific political parties have co-opted certain colors (blue for Dems, red for the GOP, for example) Vice President JD Vance has been using his sense of fashion to curry favor with Donald Trump and his inner circle. And the full political transformation of Vance certainly includes the way he used to dress, as well as what he currently has in his closet.

As the MAGA era progressed, it began feeling as if candidates were trying to cater to Trump instead of voters. When Vance made deriding remarks about President Trump back in 2016, his sense of fashion was also incredibly different. Now that Vance is doing his best to not get iced out by Trump, not only has the senator from Ohio deleted some old tweets critical of Trump, but he's also started to change his wardrobe to mimic the president's. Here's the fashion evolution of Vance, from venture capitalist crony to vice president.

JD Vance rose to personal and political fame through venture capitalist pursuits (and a friendship with Peter Thiel, which helped fund his inevitable run for Senate). The tech industry crowd is known for a specific type of casual yet professional dress code, often combining outdoor gear with office attire. Think of slacks with a puffy vest, or a high-collar windbreaker with a button-down shirt. While attending the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference in 2017, Vance certainly dressed the part. Held in Idaho, this event draws big names from finance, tech, politics, and beyond. However, even with all that money, the dress code is still one for blending in with the crowd.

During this time, Vance was also on the promotional circuit for his memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," and was dutifully playing the part of a humble man from a blue-collar background. One of the strange things Vance would do was often appearing in interviews wearing the same gray flannel suit jacket — once on "Charlie Rose," again for a piece in The Washington Post, and once more during an interview at the 2017 National Book Festival. However, once Vance was ready to shift more toward a career in politics, his sense of fashion came along for the bumpy ride.

While JD Vance is often unrecognizable in throwback photos, he was slow to drop the Silicon Valley attire as he inched toward a political career. Seen here onstage to speak during TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, California, Vance is still dressing down — however, the quality of what he's wearing has improved. Even though the suit jacket with a button-down is still a bit too casual for a political event, pairing this look with jeans and boots is certainly the perfect fit for a tech summit. Although he does seem to sport his possible use of eyeliner here, Vance still looks more polished and put together than when he was doing his media tour in that overused gray jacket.

Even though he hadn't quite made the jump to politics just yet — this photo was taken in 2018 and Vance wouldn't announce his Senate run until 2021 — it's clear Vance was beginning to take note of his outward appearance. Ultimately, it wouldn't be until 2022 that a staple of his wardrobe would finally appear.

When JD Vance announced his campaign for his eventual Ohio Senate seat, he switched up quite a bit about his personality and sense of fashion. In 2021, he deleted all his tweets critical of Donald Trump and even found ways to dress like the president. Vance ditched the gray jacket in favor of navy-colored jackets and slacks — a suit color favored by Trump himself. However, he didn't just abandon the venture capitalist workwear; Vance also added a new feature with hidden significance — his beard.

Even though Trump himself has never sported any sort of facial hair — and Vance looks strange without his — it's safe to say that Trump approves of Vance's scruff. According to Politico, while Trump was still in the process of picking a vice president, he met Vance in West Palm Beach and the first impression was a good one. "You're one handsome son of a b***h," Trump exclaimed to Vance. Vance's beard has helped solidify his transformation from the tech world to the political arena. Not only is his beard part of what people first notice about him, but it's hard to remember a time when he didn't have one — a great strategy for a big personal and public shift.

Going into the Senate, JD Vance made sure to play the part of dutiful politician. Seen here attending an intelligence meeting in April of 2023, Vance is wearing a navy-colored suit and red tie. There are quite a few elements of this ensemble that suggest they were inspired by Donald Trump. Vance appears to have switched from tighter suit jackets to a boxier fit — closer to the kind that Trump himself wears. The shoulders are often wider and the jackets longer, plus that wide red tie is a dead giveaway that Vance was taking notes from the Trump school of fashion.

Known for his fondness for praise and loyalty, Trump possibly took notice of this shift in style from the freshman senator. Since imitation is the highest form of flattery, and Trump loves to be flattered, this was a good move on Vance's part to help smooth over any lingering bitterness between the two. Vance and Trump have a strange relationship haunted by a rocky past, but Vance's shift in politics and fashion possibly helped lead him and Trump to victory on Election Day 2024. What's interesting is that after the election, Vance seems to have opted to go back to a more familiar sense of style.

With the election secured, JD Vance started keeping to the background to let Donald Trump shine. However, the veep was still making the rounds. Seen here meeting with the Fairview Fire Department to discuss the impact of Hurricane Helene, Vance has returned to a style all too familiar — a high-collared pullover and jeans. This look is incredibly reminiscent of where the vice president started; the jeans are casual, and the top is laidback yet professional. While it's a sartorial step backward, Vance does appear to have a better command of this look than he did back before 2020.

Vance has notably had a weight transformation, which could contribute to the confidence he shows in this pose and outfit. However, he also was a major player in helping Trump get elected and has surrounded himself with incredibly powerful people for a while now. That's enough to give anyone an ego boost. This sense of confidence could also suggest that Vance might be done with his copycat tendencies and is ready to roll up his sleeves as vice president. Or, possibly, he might even be indicating future goals to snag the presidency himself.