Here's why a ton of people are wearing white on this historic Election Day

If you noticed an abundance of people wearing white on Election Day this year, you aren't imagining things.

There has been a movement to don the color to celebrate that, for the first time ever, a woman is a major party's candidate for president - and, among Hillary Clinton supporters, to express hope that this election could result in the first female US president. 

The connection between the color white and women's political empowerment has its roots in the suffrage movement.

In 1908, according to History.com, the Women's Social and Political Union picked three colors to represent the movement for women's suffrage: white for purity, purple for dignity, and green for hope. Women dressed in white became a symbol for the suffrage movement, as they rallied and protested for the right to vote.  

Since then, white clothing has reemerged as a symbol again and again as women have broken through the glass ceiling in politics on many fronts.

Shirley Chisholm wore white when she became the first African American woman elected to Congress, as well as in her 1972 presidential campaign. When Geraldine Ferraro delivered her acceptance speech as the first female vice president candidate for a major ticket in 1984, she also wore white. 

Clinton herself donned a white pantsuit (another sartorial choice highly associated with the candidate) for the third presidential debate. 

On social media, the #wearwhitetovote hashtag has been picking up momentum as Election Day has drawn closer. 

 

Today, the hashtag has been flooded with voters wearing white to the polls.  

 

 

It looks like Clinton wore greige (off-white?) to cast her vote on Election Day in Chappaqua, New York.