American flags and sparkly costumes were all the rage at the RNC

From vintage sweaters to lights to sequins, many attendees stood out in the crowd of 50,000.

Fashion is a unique way to express yourself, whether it's ideologically, politically, wherever you fall on the spectrum, said Arizona podcaster Tiffany Marie Brannon.

She purchased her vintage hand-knit American flag cardigan on eBay and feels a sense of tradition when she wears the piece.

“It’s so cool to be able to wear a piece of history and the flag that represents my nation at the same time, and so I feel like I’m carrying someone else’s patriotism with me while I’m here,” she said. “It’s something that connects the spirit of America with fashion across the decades.”

Many delegates wore their own creations. Ranae Lentz of Ohio decorated a Ralph Lauren sun hat with fairy lights, American flag pins, Trump stickers and a red, white and blue stuffed elephant.

Beanie Babies are very practical when you buy them for your grandchildren, Lentz said.

John Tabacco, host of Newsmax TV's Wise Guys, had four sports jackets made with Trump's face on them for the convention, including a black-and-white version he called his official MAGA tuxedo.

“I figured if you have a MAGA sports jacket with Trump’s face on it and you can’t wear it to the RNC, then you shouldn’t have the jacket,” he said.

Tabacco wears sports jackets in part to express his pride as a Trump supporter to those who aren't within earshot. “If someone comes up to me and tries to make conversation, I advertise to them from afar, that's what I represent and I'm proud of it,” he said.

Deborah Yanna of Iowa hand-sewn a different sparkly jacket for each night of the convention. “It’s a way to represent President Trump in a sparkly way,” Yanna said. She wore these jackets not to draw attention to herself, but because I really like sparkles.

Fashion designer André Soriano gave convention attendees a sneak peek at his new patriotic men's collection by wearing his signature American flag jacket and matching cowboy hat.

As an American, I am proud to wear something that represents our great nation, Soriano said.

Amy Lee and Kimberley Nguyen of San Diego waved giant Trump flags while wearing custom-made traditional Vietnamese dresses and hats. They added dazzling silver Trump and MAGA details, and Nguyen fashioned each hat with phrases such as never surrender and Trump save America.

We want to show President Trump that the Vietnamese people support him, Lee said.

Jimmy Stephens, an alternate delegate from Tupelo, Mississippi, showed up to the convention in his Sunday best. Its lightweight seersucker fabric helps beat the heat, and the style is traditionally worn across much of the American South in the spring and summer.

You wouldn't wear this for just anything, it really has to be an occasion where other people are going to dress up, Stephens said.

Some congress attendees opted for suits rather than formal wear.

Blake Marnell has become a household name among Trump supporters since the former president brought him out on stage at a 2019 rally in his eye-catching brick-colored suit. At the 2024 RNC, he opted to pair his outfit with American flag-print 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 that carries a message.

Duane Schwingel has been dressing up as Uncle Sam since the November 2020 election. For this year’s RNC, he added a piece of white duct tape over his ears with the word “Fight!” scrawled three times in black marker.

There's someone else who has an earmuff, and I want to identify with that person to represent the bullet that they were willing to take for me and my country, Schwingel said.

“Whenever the suit gets too hot, I get on the Segway and ride down the street to dry off,” he said.

Penny Young Nance, CEO and president of the national nonprofit Concerned Women for America, accessorized her Wednesday outfit with a pair of American flag-print stilettos from Macy's. “For me, it's about putting your best foot forward and being confident in who you are,” Nance said of her outfit. “I love my country, but it's mostly just for fun.”

P. Rae Easley, an alternate delegate from Chicago, wore a red sequined MAGA hat and a Hawaiian shirt adorned with caricatures of Trump, the American flag and the state of Illinois. She hopes to inspire others to be public and proud of their pro-Trump affiliation.

“We wanted to make sure that when people saw me, they knew I was from the great city of Chicago with my MAGA hat and Illinois T-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 social backlash, so by wearing this hate, we’re letting people know they’re not alone.”

Nancy Mace, a congresswoman representing South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, doesn't usually put fashion at the forefront of her work. But at the RNC, she saw her chance to speak on the national stage.

“This is my first time speaking at the convention and I do a lot of things for women and women’s rights, so I decided to wear pink this week,” she said. “I’ll be in hot pink tomorrow night.”

Some delegates used props to get their message across. Mike Todd, an alternate delegate from Kansas, sewed political buttons onto his hat and suspenders that stood out against his red RNC 2024 T-shirt.

For some, the pressure to show off in style came from home.

Easley called his West Side neighborhood the fashion capital of Chicago and said looking good is more important than almost anything else there.

If anyone knew I wasn't dressed properly here, they'd be more upset about my lack of attire than about my showing up at a Republican convention.

Sylvie Kirsch is a graduate student in journalism at Northwestern University.