GRAPEVINE — If the success of a party is measured by the sheer volume of sequins, few could compete with the Conservative Action Political Conference.
There are bedazzled bomber jackets emblazoned with MAGA and high-top sneakers with the letter T for President Donald Trump. There are American flag capes and gold-plated Trump watches, sparkly red and blue cowboy hats and MAHA, or Make American Healthy Again, nameplate necklaces.
“I want to sparkle for Trump,” Katherine Yates, 59, said with a laugh. The retired chiropractor from Fort Worth showed off a red, white and blue sequined jacket and newly purchased MAGA scarf. “I don’t mind standing out.”
Dina Vitacca (left) watches as Kristen Gunaca tries a sequin jacket in the exhibit hall during the Conservative Political Action Conference, on Friday, March 27, 2026 at Gaylord Texan Resort and Conference Center in Grapevine.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
Fashion is of course not the point of the influential conservative conference, where the Iran war, immigration and the midterm election are driving conversation. Yet fashion — specifically MAGA fashion — is undoubtedly on display as thousands gather for the event in Grapevine.
Political Points
In the vendor hall, shoppers browsed sequined bomber jackets, which have been called the “uniform of the modern MAGA lady” and the “it accessory” for the Trump faithful.
Sandy Schoepke, of New Braunfels, sells Trump-inspired wares through her small business Courageous Heart Investments. Pieces include a pair of $300 gold Trump tennis shoes, $25 silver Trump hair pins and $400 gold jackets embellished with Trump’s name and “The Golden Era.”
People buy merchandise during the Conservative Political Action Conference, on Friday, March 27, 2026 at Gaylord Texan Resort and Conference Center in Grapevine.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
Why have sequins taken off?
“Republican women are loud and proud,” Schoepke said. “We love our bling.”
The trend is perhaps not entirely surprising, as sequins have long been a symbol of wealth and status. The word originates from the Arabic word sikka, which means coins.
The tiny pieces of bling can be traced at least back to King Tut, according to Smithsonian Magazine. When Tut’s tomb was discovered in 1922, gold sequin-like disks were found sewn onto the Egyptian royal’s garments. Historians believe they were meant to ensure his financial stability in the afterlife.
People around the world later sewed tiny gold discs to their clothing as both a status symbol and to keep their money close to their bodies to prevent theft. In the 1920s, after Tut’s tomb was discovered, sequins “became all the rage on garments,” the magazine said.
At CPAC, it’s not only women dressing up. Men donned the signature red MAGA hats, but also T-shirts, blazers and ties with Trump’s face.
Eidan Medina, a 21-year-old from South Florida, wore a yarmulke, also called a kippah, the Jewish skullcap, printed with Trump’s face. Medina said the cap often draws attention from Jews and non-Jews alike.
“I’m a conservative, Jewish American,” he said, “and this is a way to show my support for President Trump.”
Ariel Kohane wears a kippah with a photo of President Donald Trump during the Conservative Political Action Conference, on Thursday, March 26, 2026 at Gaylord Texan Resort and Conference Center in Grapevine.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
Nearby, 16-year-old Josiah Baker, who is from Georgia, wore a full suit of stars and stripes and a black top hat. His girlfriend, Leona Alvarado, also 16 and from Georgia, wore a matching American flag dress and cape and cowboy boots. Both said they wanted to express their patriotism with clothing.
“I joked about ordering this suit,” Baker said, “and then I decided to really do it.”
Watching Trump ally Steve Bannon speak Friday, Lily Qi, who is from Delaware, wore an American flag cape and leggings, white tennis shoes with the letter T, navy blue socks with “Trump 2024″ and a white cap with MAGA written in gold letters.
Qi, 60, said she cannot resist buying American flag or Trump merchandise to show her love of the U.S. and the president.
“This is a great country,” she said. “People need to wake up. He made America great again.”
Yates, the Fort Worth chiropractor wearing the sequined jacket, said she loves fun clothes, but that’s not the only reason for her pro-Trump apparel.
“We’re showing people they can be proud of their country. This empowers people,” she said. “It gives them permission to walk outside and feel comfortable in a Trump hat.”
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