Ruby Cornelius and Valentina Sulpizi explore the link between what is trending in the charts and fashion
Music and fashion are potentially some of the most important things that underpin the pop culture world, but how similar are they? Many trends that we see in fashion can be linked to what’s trending in the music charts.
Starry Seventies
From wide-leg jeans and embellished sweaters from Gucci to fringe and a LOT of denim, the 70s will always be remembered for its fashion. There are several stars from the 70s who are notorious for their bold and fun fashion that are still influencing fashion today: Stevie Nicks, Cher, Elton John, and Diana Ross… there’s one thing that they all have in common: the unforgettable style of the 1970s. Common pieces were mini-skirts, bell bottoms (popularised by hippies), and vintage clothing along with the glam rock and disco styles with platform shoes and bright colours, covered with glitter and satin. Thinking about Cher, she stood out on her own, but her look really came to life when she was side by side with her husband Sonny Bono. The couple was never afraid to try different styles and experiment, and this is what made them so special; this is what made the celebrities in the 70s so unique – they were never afraid to be daring with colours, fabrics, lengths, and everything in between. They were free, without following trends, and a bit bizarre – whatever came to their minds they carried out. Cher’s famous wardrobe is an expression of her artistry. She never stopped expressing herself with her outfits – at 75 she is still wearing Rick Owens leather jackets. Thanks to 70s stars like Cher, this style has never really died and is making a comeback – or rather is already back.
New Style Nineties
During the 1990s, a new era of music was taking the country by storm: Britpop! Bands such as Nirvana were eventually overtaken by Oasis, who were arguably becoming one of the biggest bands in UK history, taking inspiration from The Stone Roses, The Beatles, The Sex Pistols, and The Rolling Stones – and this obviously brought a new wave of fashion trends.
Oasis, along with rival band Blur, brought out a casual style of fashion that included brands such as Adidas, Fred Perry, Stone Island, and Lambretta, bringing a new street style to Britain. Young people wore Adidas Sambas, football shirts, parkas, track jackets, and bucket hats largely taking inspiration from the style of Liam and Noel Gallagher.
But this change from 90s grunge to Britpop ‘bloke-core’ outfits was not entirely original to the 90s. Oasis openly talks about their adoration for The Beatles, so there is no surprise that their fashion can be seen as a revitalisation of the 60s mode.
For women, this street style could also be seen in models such as Kate Moss, and from Sporty Spice, Melanie C, and can even be seen in Ginger Spice with her iconic Union Jack dress.
The Trending Twenty-Twenties
Throughout the 2020s, we have already seen a huge number of music trends, and fashion trends that have passed through, but some have seemed to stick.
Trending artists such as Sabrina Carpenter and Harry Styles of course bring some incredible fashion trends, but we can still see many influences from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s today. The Britpop, ‘blokecore’ has more recently been mixed with more feminine styles for women, adding an Adidas shoe to dresses, and a track jacket bedazzled with bows to make a ‘blokequette’ fashion trend – mixing both modern trends of the ‘coquette’ style and the more 90s street style together.
From artists such as Harry Styles, we see a feminine approach to fashion from men, with his American Vogue cover in 2020, which depicted him wearing a lacy blue dress, and his chunky rainbow knit J.W Anderson cardigan which inspired many fans to learn how to knit their own cardigan to match. Styles also combined with the trends from the 90s and styled his Adidas Gazelles and Sambas for his tour which again saw a new wave of people wearing them. His style, along with some of Taylor Swift’s outfits from the Eras Tour can also be linked to 70s flowy blouses and fabrics that we have seen from rock ‘n’ roll legend Stevie Nicks. Sabrina Carpenter brings a dainty and feminine look, which has taken the masses by storm, with her lacy skirts, boots, and of course bows.
It seems that as ever fashion and music still do go hand in hand, but due to the endless possibilities given to us by online streaming, all music is available, so we see all styles coming together, from 90s streetstyle, to whimsigoth lacy outfits inspired by Stevie Nicks…Who knows what the Autumn 2024 trends will be!
