rock inspired fashion

I'm not sure if it's evident from my playlists, (I hope this sarcasm is coming across well), but rock is my favorite genre of music. It's much more than the music for me though. The fashion is something that undeniably goes hand in hand with the music and culture of the genre. It's where I draw the most inspiration from for my style and my own clothing designs.

Throughout this post, I highlight some of the biggest trends, and my personal favorites, with some history and examples from rockstars in the designated time period, as well as modern-day rockstars to show the longevity and timelessness of each of these iconic pieces. And just a side note, you can probably tell how much I love this style based on the fact I already owned all of these clothes. I got pretty much all of this clothing second hand or vintage, which in a later post I will touch on the importance of sustainable sources clothing.

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TREND #1: B L O U S E S

Pre-existing as a undoubtedly timeless piece, blouses were introduced into the Rock n' Roll Fashion around the late 60s and popular well into the 70s and 80s. They are being relevant once again, in regards to Rock Fashion, thanks to designers such as Alessandro Michele of Gucci and Harris.  They first popped up during the Psychedelic Era of the late 60s. Often times, the blouses were adorned with patterns, most popularly paisley and striped. Others had extravagant ruffles and pleating, or had layered scarves. A popular style of blouse is the pussy-bow blouse, seen below on Harry Styles and myself in the last photo, in which the shirt has a coordinating, and sometimes attached, self-tie bow. 

Musicians who were associated with Psychedelic Rock were unlikely to be seen without a blouse or two. Below, I added examples of the trend, worn by some of the biggest names of the time period: The Beatles, George Harrison, Pink Floyd, and Mick Jagger. I also added Harry Styles as an example, because he takes a lot of influence in his fashion and music from this era of Rock history. 

The Beatles 

Pattie Boyd and George Harrison 

Pink Floyd

Mick Jagger

Harry Styles

MY TAKE ON THE TREND:

This is arguably my favorite fashion statement piece. I think a fun, bold top with more neutral bottoms is my go-to look, because you appear rather put together, yet it's a really simple outfit to thrown on. All of the shirts I'm wearing were purchased secondhand. The first blouse is from Depop, and the other two are from the Goodwill in Fairfield.

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TREND #2: B L A Z E R S

Blazers are another classic piece that will never go out of style. In televised performances in the 50s and 60s, the musicians would dressed very uniformly in suits. Blazers and suits become more bold an unique as time passed, going from neutral solid colored, to plaid, to later metallic, sequined, and brightly colored. They started as a polite, formal addition to an ensemble, and later transformed with the Glam Rock movement into a bold, gaudy statement piece. 

The first photo is a picture of The Beatles during their performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. The early 60s blazers were rather plain, and in the photo series, you can see the progression of the blazer. In the later photos, you can see David Bowie in a very Bowie-esque ensemble, in a blazer with exaggerated shoulders, a cinched waist, and a unique pattern. The trend is still relevant in the present, pioneered by Harry Styles. On his tour, called Harry Styles: Live on Tour, he wore a new custom suit each night by designers such as Gucci, YSL, Alexander McQueen, and Harris Reed. 

The Beatles 

Mick Jagger

David Bowie

David Bowie

Harry Styles

Harry Styles

MY TAKE ON THE TREND:

By looking at me, it's probably obvious that I do not really care much about people judging my appearance, but I wish it was more conventional to dress in a full suit at school. Maybe I should find some more fancy excursions to attend haha. Both of these blazers are from Depop. A more causal way to style this piece can be with jeans and a tee shirt, it looks like a really put together outfit, but is not at all hard to achieve. I think it's a super classy look, but can also look aloof and intimidating (in a good way). 

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TREND #3:  A N I M A L   P R I N T

I think that cheetah print is one of those rare trends that are both gaudy and classy at the same time. It's something you can find in The Children's Place, on the runways, and in the Rock and Punk scene. Who knew it was so versatile!? This pattern become more and more prevalent in the 70s, in the Punk Rock, Glam Rock, and New Wave styles. 

Below I show iconic Glam and Punk rockers, such as Keith Richards and Debbie Harry who sport this look. Also, for examples more recently of this look, I added pics of Georgia May Jagger, daughter of icon Mick Jagger, who is clearly no stranger to a bold fashion statement and Harry Styles, who totally rocked a velvet leopard print suit for his London show. 

Keith Richards

Debbie Harry 

Georgia May Jagger

Harry Styles

MY TAKE ON THE TREND:

I, once again, got these two pieces from Depop. I think animal prints are something that are pretty polarizing. I used to hate it, but then something changed suddenly in me where I loved it and can't get enough. Someone actually has to stop me from spending all my money on cheetah print clothing haha. I almost considered it a neutral at this point. Whether you love it or hate it, you can't deny it's a statement. 

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TREND #4:  F U R

Fur in fashion has been around pretty much since the beginning of time (to exaggerate haha), so it might drag on to talk about the entire history of it. So, it started becoming more popular in the 50s, with the movie stars sporting fur out and about in their personal lives. Prices of fur were still rather high, so it was still considered a luxury item. Designers in the 60s began playing around with more casual and playful fur coats. Faux fur bursted onto the scene in the 60s as well, making it more accessible. In relation to Rock, many stars and icons were seen wearing fur in the 60s, as well as today. Rock icons, like George Harrison and Mick Jagger, were able to shape the way British men dressed. So, they helped in popularizing the mod look, incorporating furs. 

Below is a picture of George Harrison and Pattie Boyd at their wedding, wearing huge fur coats, as opposed to the traditional wedding garments. Mick Jagger and Harry Styles casually sport fur coats, and Jesse Rutherford wears it to contrast his statement patterned bodysuit. 

George Harrison and Pattie Boyd

Mick Jagger

Harry Styles

Jesse Rutherford

MY TAKE ON THE TREND:

I love love love this trend. Both of these faux fur coats are once again from Depop. I think a good fur coat is such a classy statement. The top coat is a vintage piece, in a mod inspired style and 70s inspired pattern and colors, from the 90s. Wow! The second coat is such a versatile piece. You can add it to a casual look to spice it up, or you can add it to a formal look to add an edgier element. 

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TREND #5:  A S I A N   I N S P I R A T I O N S

Asian Inspired fashion grew exponentially in the late 60s into the early 70s with the Psychedelic and Folk culture. Many icons took pilgrimages to countries in Asia, specifically India. "Hippies" and other people in the counterculture wore shapeless clothing, kaftans or frocks, made from fabric based on traditional clothing from East and South Asian cultures, such as embroidered silk from China. Asian inspired styles, such as mandarin collars, wide sleeves, and patch pockets. 

The musicians shown below highly celebrated this trend. The Beatles especially grew a great appreciation for India. John Lennon met with Mahesh Yogi, known as The Maharashi, and he had a big spiritual and cultural impact on the band. George Harrison is known to have introduced many Wester ears to the sitar in many of their later songs, such as Love You To and Norwegian Wood. Other artists, such as The Rolling Stones,  Elton John, and Donovan introduced the sitar into their music as well. Michelle Philips, of The Mamas and The Papas, is known for her Eastern Inspired fashion. Harry Styles, as I used as an example many times before, wore a Chinese inspired suit on the Late Late Show. 

John Lennon and Paul McCartney

Michelle Philips 

Michelle Philips 

Harry Styles

MY TAKE ON THE TREND:

I also got this shirt from Depop, like I got most of the items in this post. I quite enjoy the Asian inspired fashion because I'm half Chinese, so my dad's side of the family loves to mix Eastern and Western styles. This jacket in particular is a great piece for the coming seasons, since it is perfect for warmer spring days, and colder summer nights. 

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TREND #6:  S T R I P E D   S H I R T S

Stripes first became relevant in Medieval Times. Criminals, prisoners, clowns, prostitutes, and hangmen wore striped clothing. Later, Queen Victoria redefined stripes after dressing her nephew in a striped sailor suit. This detached the idea of evil and devilish from the pattern and associated it more with the sea and sailors, making it a nautical staple. Coco Chanel made stripes even more mainstream in the 20s. Then, in the 1950s, stripes were a staple for movie stars' more casual looks. In the 60s and 70s (where is becomes relevant to the subject of this post), striped shirts were adopted by people who wore them as a symbol of rebellion, more akin it its origins. 

Elvis Presley famously wore stripes as a part of his Jailhouse Rock outfit. Later artists associated with Rock and other alternative subcultures, such as Mick Jagger, Debbie Harry, and Kurt Cobain wore stripes as a staple pattern. Contemporary artists, Dom Harrison, also known as Yungblud, has a signature look that consists of a pink and black striped shirt. 

Elvis Presley

Mick Jagger

Debbie Harry

Kurt Cobain

Dom Harrison "Yungblud" 

MY TAKE ON THE TREND:

I love stripes. I used to wear striped t-shirts so often last year and the years prior. I think it's a super classic look that can never do any wrong. I got this shirt at the Goodwill in Rockaway. I think stripes are a great pattern that you can wear to make an outfit more interesting and to give a different vibe to the look as a whole. With such a rich history, there's not a chance stripes will ever go out of style, so if you like the trend, find some pieces you really enjoy to become a staple in your wardrobe. I personally adore the shirt I'm wearing in the photo above, because it's unique, because of the buttons in the front and the accent sleeves, and I think it's a cool take on the classic striped tee.

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TREND #7:   L E A T H E R   J A C K E T S

The leather motorcycle jacket was first introduced in 1928 by Irving Schott. It became a symbol of rebellion and the effortlessly cool guy in 50s, thanks to Marlon Brando in the movie "The Wild One" and James Dean in "Rebel Without A Cause". The counterculture, specifically the Punk Rock movement, adapted this jacket in the 70s and 80s. They added buttons, safety pins, patches, and studs to add an edge to their look.

This became another timeless piece. Early Punk artists, like The Ramones, The Clash, Billy Idol, and Blondie made this jacket iconic. Artists today wear leather jackets as an homage to these early Punk Rockers and Golden Age Hollywood actors, adding their own personal flare to it. Alex Turner used the leather jacket in a really classic way, inspired by Dean and Brando. Whereas, Jesse Rutherford and Kelsy Karter take more of the punk inspiration for their looks.

The Ramones

The Clash

Billy Idol

Jesse Rutherford

Alex Turner

Kelsy Karter

MY TAKE ON THE TREND:

I think a leather jacket is something everything should have. It's a simple way to elevate a simple outfit, or to give a dressy look an edgy vibe to it. I added some pins onto the jacket for a more punk style. I don't wear it too often, but it's nice to break out every now and then.

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images used:

cover image:
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blouses:
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blazers:
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asian influences:
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fur:
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animal print:
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stripes:
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leather:
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