Come as You Are? Sorry, Wrong Party

Republicans Stay on Message With Their Conventionwear

Another difference between Republicans and Democrats: Republican delegates coordinate their convention outfits. Democrats do not.

You could read a lot into that -- like, Democrats are a big, messy tent, with all sorts of competing factions, while Republicans have better message discipline -- right down to their exuberant costuming. Or you could scrap the analysis and just enjoy all the sequins.

What patriotic ties! What fabulous flare! The Texas delegation is the gold standard, with a different outfit for each night. Other delegations envy their enthusiasm and their sartorial rigor.

"So they envy us," Alice Rekeweg, a delegate from Houston, says on Wednesday afternoon. "Wait till they see us tomorrow!"

Rekeweg wears navy, as per instructions, along with her Texas Republican blue scarf. (Men wear matching blue ties.) The night before, they all wore red polo shirts, and the night before that, denim shirts with Texas logos. Thursday night: Texas flag shirts. And always: matching straw cowboy hats.

"And then we take it from there -- some of us get carried away," Rekeweg says, gesturing to her outfit, which includes red-and-black cowboy boots with the outline of the Lone Star State on them, and rhinestones spelling out "USA" on her hat, and a big fake white mum on her sweater with an explosion of ribbons hanging down, decorated with sayings like "Support Our Troops." This was handmade by her daughter, she says.

"We're known for dressing alike," says Robin Armstrong, the state party's vice chairman. "We coordinate everything every night."

"We're always jealous 'cause Texas does such a great job," says Wendy Carter, a Michigan delegate from Ann Arbor. But on this night, Michigan is giving Texas a run for its money with coordinated hockey jerseys in honor of "hockey mom" Sarah Palin, the vice presidential nominee.

"We will upstage 'em," says Frank Scimeca of Holland, Mich.

Colorado wears what one delegate calls a "stars 'n' stripes Western cowboy shirt." Thursday will be a red Western cowboy shirt. And the Hawaii delegates have matching red and white Hawaiian shirts, though on Wednesday night they're laid back about wearing them. Some do, some don't. The delegation's enthusiasm reaches its fullest expression on the Hawaii floor sign, which is decorated with several philodendron leaves, as well as -- naturally -- a flower lei.

-- Libby Copeland