A New Wave of Concert Fashion
The year is 2021, and I’m surrounded by an arena full of Harry Styles fans decked out in colorful boas and boots, waiting for Styles to take the stage at Love on Tour.
While dressing up this elaborately for shows is not a new phenomenon, the approach to concert fashion has shifted since the pandemic. In the past few years, fans have been dressing up much more to fit the vibe of the artist, creating a new wave of fashion trends within concert culture, subcultures within fandoms, and a way for fans to connect with one another and with the artist.
In the past, fans attending shows of musicians like Madonna, KISS, or David Bowie, for example, would embody their styles to enhance the experience. Additionally, rave and festival culture has seen attendees dressing up in specific wear for decades. Rave fashion was cemented in the ‘90s when wearing neon colors, bold prints, and bright accessories became prevalent and people attending raves wanted to express the music through their outfits. Similarly now, there has been a resurgence in concert fashion since the return of shows post-pandemic. One of my personal favorite parts of attending a show is planning my outfit; it adds another layer of excitement and anticipation. I plan what I am going to wear to a show months in advance to ensure it perfectly emulates the artist. This new wave of concert culture has allowed fans like myself to display a form of self-expression with their outfits, creating a sense of community.
Photo by Dina Litovsky via The New Yorker.
Going back to 2021, one of the first concerts for which I extensively planned my outfit was Harry Styles’ Love on Tour. Lasting almost two years, Love on Tour was one of the most talked-about tours post-pandemic. Fans from all across the world were putting together outfits with feathered boas, bubble necklaces, and fruit-inspired accessories. Styles had become known for his sense of fashion, and his fandom wanted to emulate his style. This tour exemplified the resurgence of fans motivated to go all out with their garb.
More specifically, people began making DIY outfits replicating some of Styles’ most iconic looks at the time, like the jumpsuits from the “As It Was” music video and his 2021 Grammy performance outfit with leather and boas. I was lucky enough to attend five shows on this tour, decked out in boas, bubble necklaces, boots, and bows.
Another tour I attended multiple times was The 1975’s At Their Very Best Tour. After the band released their most recent album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, the aesthetic of the band shifted significantly. Moving from neon colors and urban imagery to black-and-white minimalism, this new era influenced fan outfits. More specifically, Being Funny in a Foreign Language introduced polished and sophisticated stylistic and visual components. During this tour, many fans began dressing similarly to frontman Matty Healy, adopting his more classic and refined look. His use of dress shirts and ties became a recognizable part of his stage persona, leading countless fans to wear black bottoms and white button-ups paired with a tie to match his new style.
I took a similar approach when I saw them in 2022, wearing black leather pants and a sheer white tank top with a black satin bow, complemented by a black tie.
Currently On Tour:
Charli xcx is double-headlining The Sweat Tour with Troye Sivan after releasing her sixth studio album, Brat, back in June. Brat has had incredible success, especially with the branding. The particularly loud shade of green and basic arial font has taken over the industry and become synonymous with Charli’s music. Fans have leaned more toward streetwear influence, sporting “brat green” clothes and large statement accessories. The Brat font has also made its way onto fans’ t-shirts with funny sayings and lyrics of Charli and Sivan’s songs. As cited in Vogue, Charli’s stylist Chris Horan stated that “Anything bitchy and never anything too perfect” is what makes an outfit “brat.”
Sabrina Carpenter Tour Outfit Inspo via Pinterest.
Sabrina Carpenter kicked off The Short N' Sweet Tour in late September and fans have since encapsulated her unique style when attending her shows. Carpenter’s aesthetic is feminine, glamorous, and very 50’s inspired. The fashion of fans has been full of pastel colors, sequins and glitter, mini dresses, bows, and go-go boots. My favorite accessory fans have been incorporating is a kiss stain reminiscent of one Carpenter had on the Short N’ Sweet album cover.
Earlier this month, Billie Eilish started her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour. Eilish is known for her signature streetwear style with oversized clothing and bright colors. The most common article of clothing worn by fans on this tour has been jerseys, reflecting Eilish’s common choice of shirt on tour. Attendees have gravitated towards sporting blue, orange, and red to match the album and tour poster. Other popular clothing pieces have been oversized denim, ties, hats, and graphic tees. Instagram accounts like @billieeilishtours and @hardandsoftour created a fan project of dress code themes for fans to follow if they want when attending. Some themes include Something Blue, Pajama Party, Stars, and Billieween.
