Featured photo by Destiny Mizell
Story by Destiny Mizell
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It is no secret that concert attire becomes more of a spectacle each time a tour hits the road. Eccentric outfits fill social media feeds and concertgoers promenade in head-to-toe glam as they fill streets surrounding venues.
Of course the days of band tees and jeans at shows aren’t gone, but fans have grown much more expressive. The practice gained popularity in the late 2010s, but exploded post-pandemic.
Dressing as artists’ eras stitches fans closer together and upcycles the concert experience.
Fans use clothing and accessories to signify musicians’ albums (also known as eras), lyrics or make niche references. They invest hours of time shopping, planning, designing and crafting items for shows. Their craft store carts hold bracelet beads, bedazzlers, cowboy hats, feather boas, duct tape, sunglasses, face paint and more.
Devoting so much effort into a look that you will wear for only six-ish hours might sound over-the-top (and most of the time looks it, too). However, it sprinkles a magical component over the live music experience.
For those of us who feed off of live music, the prospect of the world turning off its stage lights felt detrimental.
The pandemic didn’t just deprive us of concerts for a couple of years. It eliminated the sensation of bass radiating through your body, from the soles of your shoes to the heart drumming in your chest. The echo of voices singing along to songs that saved you faded. We lost the celestial rush that washes over you whenever you immerse yourself in the sound and visuals while a favored artist performs.
Most especially, the pandemic pried away the connection that we feel amongst each other as fans. The moments spent observing surroundings and realizing you share the same adoration with outsiders dissolved into our own four walls.
Four years later, fans look forward to exchanging lyrically-charged friendship bracelets and observing each other’s outfits. This conjures intimacy and even weaves friendships within the fan base. One compliment can lay the baseboards for a lasting bond. Even one-time-encounters discussing how a denim jacket was painted fosters unity amongst one another.
The pageantry element adds a layer to the concert that innovates the connection with each other that we felt pre-pandemic. During, we were uncertain if live music would return and feared how they would change if they did.
Spending time building an outfit lengthens the show’s experience. Pouring over outfit combinations and hand-crafting embellishments for days makes us feel like we are able to live the event for longer than just one night. We cherish the moments more and are left with physical memories.
Most tend to think of influential artists like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Harry Styles when it comes to transforming a concert into a catwalk. Though their fan bases deserve flowers too, rocking music-inspired outfits to shows spans across genres.
Twenty One Pilots listeners dress as different Tyler Josephs, Josh Duns and their eccentric mascots for nearly a decade. Listeners have upped their game since COVID-19, especially with more material to gather inspiration from. When My Chemical Romance returned after a six-year hiatus in 2022, emos questioned if they should show up as “Danger Days” Gerard Way or a skeleton from “The Black Parade.” With Megan the Stallion recently announcing her Hot Girl Summer tour last month, some fans posted their outfit moodboards for feedback on Reddit and X before even securing tickets.
Extravagant fashion knits music lovers together regardless if they stan pop stars, alternative musicians or rappers. The creativity pays tribute to more than the artists; It’s really a commemoration of live music and the melomaniacs themselves.
Customizing clothing for concerts might seem too theatrical to some, but fans deserve to absorb every second of the process. Very few activities beat sporting head-to-toe musical flair while surrounded by people who appreciate someone’s art as much as you do.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Destiny Mizell and Assistant Lifestyles Editor Shamani Salahuddin, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, or follow us on Instagram at MTSUSidelines or on X at @MTSUSidelines.
