Fashion Within the Concert Scene
Ever since I was in middle school, I have been an avid music fan, and extremely passionate about live music in particular. I have attended more than 50 concerts over the years, with over 5 more planned over the next few months. I usually will attend concerts alone, or with a few select friends that I feel “get” the music on the same level as me. Live music is truly where I feel the most like myself.
One of my first concerts in 2015.
I have been active on “Stan Twitter”, a side of Twitter where stans, defined by Oxford Dictionary as “an overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity”, would communicate amongst each other regarding their favorite artists. It was within this niche that I truly discovered my love for music.
I started regularly attending concerts when I was 14 years old, and not in the casual way. I was the type (and still am) to arrive to a concert 6 hours before the doors opened in order to be guaranteed a space at the very front. I wanted to feel my hands against the metal barricade guarding the stage, or I simply wasn’t close enough.
At a show in 2018.
Not only was I obsessive about arriving to the venue early, I was extremely meticulous about what I would be wearing to the show.
I would oftentimes buy entirely new outfits for concerts, curating each and every last accessory to align perfectly with the current theme or era the artist was in. I wasn’t the only one who did this, either. I often noticed other hardcore fans doing the same thing.
A friend and I before a show in 2016.
It became almost part of the anticipation to find the perfect outfit. Aligning the outfit perfectly with the current era the artist was in was oftentimes difficult. I would spend lots of time sourcing each accessory, often becoming obsessed with all the small details. This is when I realized how important fashion was becoming to me.
When speaking to some of my other concert-crazy friends, I realized that they put just as much time and care into their outfits as well. I spoke to two of my close friends regarding their outfits to Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour last year.
My friend Bailey, who attended in Kansas City, MO shared that she chose her outfit to resemble Taylor Swift’s most revent album, Midnights. She ordered her outfit custom from Etsy, making sure to work out all of the intricacies before hand. She told me “the stars matching the theme and a dress she wore [to the VMA’s afterparty]” were her main inspirations for her outfit.
Bailey at the Eras tour.
Another two of my friends, Henry and Sophie, attended Taylor’s Eras tour in Chicago, Illinois. Henry shared a lot with me about his experience.
“In June 2023, my sister Sophie and I traveled to Chicago to see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. In honor of our first Taylor Swift concert and in the spirit of her musical catalog of “Eras” we dressed up to the lyric “Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes” from her 2019 hit song “Cruel Summer”. I wore a red tuxedo with devil ears and accompanying dice necklace and Sophie dressed as an angle in all white with wings and a halo. On our hands, we painted the number 13 which is a tradition among Swifties at Taylor Swift concerts since 2009. We got many compliments and had fun singing the lyrics when Taylor opened the show!”
Henry and Sophie at the Eras tour.
I have been dressing for concerts for years, but my proudest moment was when I saw Lana del Rey this past October in Charlotte, North Carolina. The concert was a bit last minute, so I didn’t have much time to prepare an outfit. I got an idea for an outfit only a few days before the show, using a dress I already had in my closet and ordering some accessories for express shipping off of Amazon. I posted some photos from the concert on my Instagram after arriving back at the hotel, finding myself posted on Lana del Rey’s Instagram the following afternoon.
A photo of my concert outfit posted on Lana del Rey’s official Instagram.
I believe that fashion will always be a part of concert culture, and will continue to evolve. The creativity and unique ideas that fans create will always amaze me. I am so passionate about both live music and fashion, and I am so grateful to be able to express both together.
At a show in 2022.