Tim Walz’s Friendship Bracelet Won the Vice-Presidential Debate

Vance’s neckwear choice was definitely the more unexpected of the two, and (as many on Twitter have already pointed out) not in a good way. A pink textured silk tie can be a great move at a summer wedding paired with a lightweight suit or unstructured jacket, but neither the color nor texture did anything for Vance, who never seems to look comfortable in what he’s wearing. Walz’s tie, by contrast, was more serious and befitting of the occasion, down to its perfectly dimpled knot (another thing Vance’s hot pink number lacked). Walz also scored points in the accessories department—and with Swifties everywhere—thanks to the subtle presence of a Taylor Swift-style friendship bracelet under his shirt cuff.

The candidates’ shirts revealed slight differences, too, with Vance going for a more collegiate semi-spread collar and Walz opting for the full-spread. There’s a science to collar choice, with some very specific conventional wisdom about the relation of your tie and tie knot to your collar and lapels, and the debate offered an interesting opportunity for side-by-side comparison. For men with round faces like Vance and Walz, a narrower collar can help create a longer and more balanced look, making Vance’s choice a good call. Walz’s wide spread collar, by contrast, makes his face look even rounder and his head a little too small for his body. Fortunately for Walz, whose brand is more Carhartt and camo hats than suits, no one’s going to hold that against him. Vance’s pink tie, likewise, is just one among many weird takes that have defined his candidacy so far.