Kamala Harris made history Wednesday as she became the nation’s first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president. In Massachusetts, many celebrated the major milestone by paying tribute to Harris and her style.
Women all over the country wore pearls and Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers to honor the historic inauguration. Harris was often seen wearing both while she was on the campaign trail.
At Mint Julep boutique in Brookline, owner Brooke Garber was decked out in pearls Wednesday, wearing a pearl necklace and a pearl mask. She also had her favorite Chucks on as she watched Harris kick off her career in the White House.
“This is a huge day for women and it really doesn’t matter which side of the aisle you’re on. It’s a big day and that’s why I went big,” Garber said.
Garber is not alone in her outfit choice. The hashtag #ChucksAndPearls was trending on social media and NBC10 Boston viewers sent in dozens of photos of them wearing the same thing.
Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell, who's running for mayor, was wearing a pearl necklace too. Harris was Campbell’s commencement speaker at UCLA and she once joined her on the campaign trail.
Campbell said Harris is an inspiration for her political career and to women everywhere.
“I think it lays the foundation for me to change the face of politics here in the city of Boston,” Campbell said. “When it gets really hard in politics, I remember all the fights that Kamala Harris has endured to get to this point.”
Darren Duarte, the director of communications for the Brockton Police Department, has a special connection to Harris -- he went to college with her at Howard University. He shared her yearbook photo with NBC10 Boston. In it, Harris was wearing her signature pearls.
“She always knew what she wanted to do. As a freshman she ran for student council,” Duarte said.
Duarte said he is not surprised to see Harris make it to the White House and he wishes his former classmate nothing but the best.
“A lot of us who graduated with her are just proud that history is in the making and one of our classmates is making that history,” Duarte said. “There’s a lot of joy.”
