George Washington: Fashion Icon

Abstract: This essay situates the anniversary of the Fairfax Resolves within a broader history of fashion, politics, and masculine identity in the early American republic. It argues that George Washington's carefully constructed image—particularly his buff and blue military uniform—played a consequential role in shaping how Americans expressed citizenship and political affiliation. By choosing colors associated with the opposition British political party for the Fairfax County Independent Company, Washington signaled ideological resistance to British rule. When he wore the same uniform while serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, he crafted a distinctly American military aesthetic. As civilians adopted buff and blue in their own attire, their dress became a symbolic practice that unified men across social and national boundaries. The widespread civilian adoption of buff and blue as a form of "sartorial citational practice" served as a subtle yet powerful political gesture, a means of aligning oneself with both the emerging republic and the modern age. Washington's later preference for black suits as a symbol of his station as US President further entrenched plain dress as a marker of American virtue, equality, and civic masculinity. Drawing connections between Washington and later figures such as the British dandy Beau Brummell, the essay shows how fashion was used as a powerful vehicle for distinguishing American identity.