News Politics & Social Issues AOC and Cori Bush Say They Thrift Their D.C. Looks – and Honestly That's a Good Thing She responded to Congresswoman-elect Cori Bush's tweet about the difficulties of building her D.C. closet. By Alyssa Hardy Alyssa Hardy Instagram Twitter Alyssa Hardy is a fashion and culture writer living in New York City. She was formerly the Fashion News Editor at Teen Vogue and the Senior News Editor at InStyle. She recently launched a newsletter titled "This Stuff," which publishes twice weekly. In each edition, readers find timely commentary on news stories and current events in fashion, along with personal essays and musings on trends and celebrity style, featuring personal anecdotes from Alyssa's life as a fashion insider.Alyssa is a staunch advocate for garment workers' rights, and has a deep passion for educating others about fashion's environmental impact — tones that can be felt throughout 'This Stuff.' Her work has been featured in InStyle, Vogue, NYLON, Refinery29, TeenVogue, Ladygunn, Fashionista, and Allure. She is currently working on her debut book, a non-fiction exploration of ethics in fashion titled 'Worn Out.' InStyle's editorial guidelines Published on November 11, 2020 @ 07:59AM Pin Share Tweet Email A relatable problem that doesn't get enough attention? Dressing professionally and sustainably on a budget. It's something Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez knows well after her win in 2018. Now that she has figured out some tips and tricks (and quite frankly, become known for her style) she's bestowing some advice to incoming Congress member Cori Bush. On Twitter, the Missouri Congresswomen-elect posted a note about building her wardrobe for D.C. "The reality of being a regular person going to Congress is that it's really expensive to get the business clothes I need for the Hill. So I'm going thrift shopping tomorrow," she wrote. Then asked, "Should I do a fashion show?" AOC jumped in quickly with the advice writing, "Thrifting, renting, and patience as you get your closet together sis. Capsule wardrobe will be your best friend." She then added a tip from fellow squad member Ayanna Pressley. "@AyannaPressley has the accessory game down. Good news is that all these practices are very sustainable and good for the planet!" she wrote. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Opened Up About Threats During Her First Term in Congress For women in politics, fashion can be both a sense of empowerment and also the subject of sexist and classist scrutiny. Early on in AOC's first term, she was criticized by a journalist for wearing an outfit that didn't look it was worn by a girl "who struggles." Meanwhile, none of her male colleagues were attacked for what they were wearing.