There has always been a connection between the worlds of music and fashion, but some debate as to which inspires which. Clearly the top music stars of any era want to look stylish and stay ahead of the clothing curve, but they drive the fashion industry too.
The stars of each age are idolized by their audiences and offer a vision of escapism and aspiration. That means fans are keen to embrace the clothing choices of their favorite singers and bands.
Many music stars even become muses for fashion houses, because the latter know the impact they can have. It is the influence of music on fashion that this article will explore.
There is nothing new in that process. From the earliest days of popular music people have looked at how the musicians dressed and tried to copy them. The first generation of rock and rollers led to the ‘Teddy Boy’ fashions of drape coats and winklepicker shoes, while the Beatles made everything from Cuban-heeled boots to their famous collarless jackets essential for young men of that era.
Sometimes brands will try to capitalize on the cultural power of pop music by getting stars to actually endorse products, but it is rarely that blatant. More often, music stars make fashion choices they like and their fans naturally follow that lead.
Those fashion choices can vary a lot depending on the genre of music, with each having clear clothing ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’. Let us look at some examples of this.
Pop
Pop music has a different relationship to fashion. The styles change much more often, and the stars need to find ways of differentiating themselves through their fashion choices.
Thus, although Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish are both hugely successful singers in the pop world, they have totally different approaches to fashion. Swift has a fairly mainstream style dominated by either sparkly or flowing dresses at events and glittering bodysuits on stage.
By contrast, Eilish has become famous for ‘dressing down.’ She has managed to make the simple denim jacket and stacked black denim jeans combination into a distinctive fashion statement that people all over the world are following. That is the power that a top pop music star can have in setting the style agenda.
Hard Rock
The world of hard rock has what could almost be described as a uniform. The bands take to the stage and photo sessions typically dressed in faded or ripped jeans and denim jackets. These are combined with boots or trainers and t-shirts with other band logos or macabre designs.
It was a style defined by earlier hard rock bands such as Motorhead and it remains largely the same today. For fans, adopting that particular style indicates that they are members of the hard rock and metal tribe.
Hip Hop
This is another genre of music that has its own fashion ideas. Many hip hop artists have teamed up with clothes designers. The most recent example of that is Rocky A$AP, who has created his own PUMA sneaker line.
Sneakers and sportswear are central to hip hop fashion, alongside clothes with designer brand names and gold jewelry. It is a look that fans of the music borrow.
Why Do Music and Fashion Inspire Each Other?
The relationship between the two worlds is difficult to fully break down. While designers employ music stars as muses to benefit from their cultural cache, singers like Eilish can reject high fashion in favor of more personal clothes statements and set new trends as a result.
Fans want to dress like their idols both to reflect the importance the music has to their lives but also to bask in some of the reflected glow of their stardom. It is not something that is likely to change.
The fashion industry looks to developments in the music world for inspiration.
