The sound behind fashion

How fashion is influenced by music

Alyssa VanHook, Creatib|November 14, 2022

What do you see when you look back at the 70s? Do you see long flowing skirts, unbrushed hair and bare feet? Hippie fashion dominated the young generation during that time and it all started with the music. Artists and bands that sang about the Earth and peace inspired millions to dress the way they did, but how does this translate to today?
For decades music has had an important impact on how common people dress. Society associates fashion with music to such a large extent that the two industries are intertwined.

“I listen to mostly a lot of punk rock,” senior Devon Maxwell said. “My style is also very punk rock. I take a lot of inspiration from the 70s and 80s when punk was getting more popular. My music taste portrays who I am; punk rock is very loud and all over the place and that’s typically how I am once you get to know me.”

The fashion world has capitalized on many different occasions on the connection between music and fashion. Brands like Adidas and Nike have a history of collaborating with rap and hip-hop artists so that fans can dress in the same relaxed style of sneakers and hoodies as their favorite rappers.
According to complex.com, rapper Travis Scott’s sneaker that was released by Nike has racked up a tremendous amount of sales. On Nike’s SNKR app, the collaboration broke records for new members and over 3.8 million entries were submitted to purchase the shoes. The shoes were released on July 21 of this year for a retail price of $150 and were so popular that they are now being sold on resale sites for over $1200.

“I listen to country music and my style is pretty laid back,” senior Landon Schipul said. “I like country because they sing about working hard and it has that blue collar vibe.”

The link between the values of popular music artists and their fans have had a monumental impact on fashion trends throughout modern history. Rock music especially has appealed to society for decades for its subcultural values but the style of the different subgenres have been drastically different. From 90s grunge style of flannels and messy hair to the Sex Pistols era England where leather jackets and crazy spiked hairstyles dominated punk style, rock has influenced the style of millions of teenagers all over the world.

“My favorite artist is Taylor Swift and I think I kind of dress like her too,”  junior Maggie Jones said. “Taylor’s music is kind of carefree and imaginative and I think I kind of dress in a free spirited way that connects to that.”

Rock is not the only genre that has been translated into the way people dress. Country music has spoken to millions of people for its theme of traditional values and ideals that many people can relate to like an emphasis on family and working traditional jobs. Country artists and fans typically dress in casual clothes like jeans and boots which can easily be worn to places like work and school.

Specific artists are another inspiration people draw their style from. Music icons like Stevie Nicks, Madonna and Kurt Cobain all have very distinct styles that have been replicated. These superstars are known for being influential to the masses and have made connections from their music to their fans.