Music and it's influence on your style - YouLookFab Forum

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Music and it's influence on your style

Mo

(website)

Veteran

After all this talk about personal style, and how everything from age to body type may affect it, I was wondering how much musical tastes play into everyone's look. I would think the Black Flag devotee wouldn't be in a frillly skirt and that the classical pianist might not take to zippered pants and combat boots. BUT, I find I like lots of music and started to wonder it if affects my style or not. For example, over the last 2 weeks I have watched 3 equally engrossing back stories on musicians and their bands. Kurt Cobain, Johnny Cash, and Black Sabbath. I love all three and realize they all bring very different things to the table.
So, do you think your musical tastes influence your (and other's) style? And if so, can it really be as apparent as Docs for the punk lover and cowboy boots if you're into country?

General

15 replies

Latest reply was from Aida

Sally

Veteran

Interesting enough none whatsoever. When I was at University, I used to dress like a gothic kind of mod look with blue black hair and black clothes. I remember going to a heavy metal/gothic club (dont' actually know what they music was) but it was awful! All I remember is everyone was dressed like me! and a friend commented on that.
I have always liked alternative rock/folk singers like Stevie Nicks, Jewel, Sarah Mclaughlan and Paul Cole. I dont think I dress like them though. Maybe a bit the jeans and ethnic tops.
Saying that I love this music video for the clothes and colour though I would never wear it myself. http://www.mojvideo.com/video-.....7a0596eda7

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

Mmm, no. I took classical piano lessons for 16 years, and met quite a few accomplished pianists who were VERY edgy in their fashion.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I don't really listen to much music anymore (noise=migraines). When I was younger, I was into alternative rock and other alternative music (Punk, Ska, Industrial, etc). I do always have that 'punk rock' piece of my heart, and I am leery of ever looking too "normal" in the way that I dress.

RandomThoughts (Andrea)

Veteran

When I was much younger, certainly. Punk rock, man! Nowadays not so much. If I had to name one music genre as "mine" it would be certain varieties of heavy metal but I don't think I look the part at all.

OTOH, though metal makes up the majority of my musical menu I do have a wide range of tastes. (Apologies in the metaphor!) My clothing choices are, I think, eclectic so in that way I suppose it "matches".

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

In the 80's music influenced my style a lot. I wanted to be part of Duran Duran and Depeche Mode because they were cooler than cool. In the 90's Eddie Vedder was my main man and his grungy plaid shirts rubbed off on me.

Today's music leaves me cold and so does it's clothing style :(. I sometimes still want to be cool like Chris Cornell though - even though I'm a buttoned up lass who wears pearls.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Hmmm, interesting. I know as a teen it definitely influenced mine, and many other's, style. But as we age I was just wondering how much of that we internalize without even realizing it. Or if, indeed, we grow more fully into ourselves and it takes a back seat if still a force at all.

Kate

Veteran

I don't think it does much. The only connection I can see is that I've always gone for "strong" female artists (Ani DiFranco, Alanis, Fiona Apple) rather than the girly pop artists (Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera). And for the longest time I didn't like to wear anything girly (no bows, lace, or pretty much any unnecessary details). I've gotten more used to detailing on my clothes, and now wear a LOT of dresses and skirts, but I still prefer strong female artists.

I guess the other parallel would be that I like for my style and my music to be approachable. I'm neither too trendy nor too experimental in both my music taste and fashion tastes.

rae

(website)

Veteran

I have always, always looked to musicians for style inspiration, albeit not always consciously. There were so many years in there, where I was trying to dress like Kurt Cobain or Axl Rose or someone, and I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working for my figure. One day it finally clicked that, oh yeah, Kurt didn't have boobs... o_0

Music still influences me in a big way, although I don't like too many of today's artists, so I'm pretty much still very 90s influenced. Nirvana, Trent Reznor, Veruca Salt (finally some girls to emulate), Pearl Jam.

Isabel

Veteran

What a great question !!!

For me the answer is none whatsoever....though sometimes I want to dress like Jon Bon Jovi or John Mellencamp. I am a really conservative dresser ( I am working on that ) but I have been a heavy metal fan since I was a kid ! People laugh their butts off when they find this out about me. They find this especially crazy since I am very spiritual : like Def Leppard and AC/DC are not spriitual ? My favorite band, though, is Queen. But I have never run around in tight white hot pants a la Freddie Mercury !

For some people that I know it completely affects them. The interesting thing is that these friends and family members are very artistic.

Today, I really love Coldplay and Rufus Wainright....but so many of you are right, there isn't much today

cciele

Veteran

I think the music I listen to -- reggae, funk, dance, metal, alternative, among others -- does tend to influence my style. I tend to dress in an edgy, eclectic, funky manner, much like the music I listen to.

Being in an alt-rock band also influences my style, in that my "stage" clothing needs to reflect the style of music (moody, melodramatic). Those clothes tend to spill over into my normal everyday outfits, since I can't afford different wardrobes

As far as the general influence that music has on style: people tend to dress like their "tribe," and if that tribe is centered around a particular type of music (e.g., goth, country, classical), I think one is more likely to dress to the tribe's code.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Hmmm no.

My favourite band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeryLA5vUm4

and my favourite dress
http://s575.photobucket.com/al.....edress.jpg

I don't see the connection.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

In my late teens to early twenties I was very goth (Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Cure, Sister of Mercy, etc), and dressed like it.
Now I listen to mostly dance-pop (eg Lady Gaga) and alternative pop (eg The Hundred in the Hands) , and am probably the most trendy I've ever been.

Tanya

Veteran

Hmm, the only time there was a connection between the two was in high school, which was in the 90's. I listened to a lot of alternative and grunge was very in. You could guess pretty accurately who listened to what in my school based on what they wore.

Nowadays, there is hardly any connection. I listen to many different things and wear a lot of different clothes too.

Isabel

Veteran

Ah....RoseandJoan brings us to another question, do our significant others reflect our music style? I ask this because your husband ( R&J) is totally rocker cool ( from what I have seen ) and HE lines with up your band !

My husband is a total rocker when he is not in business garb.

Aida

Veteran

Good question, and interesting answers so far! A year or two ago I'd say "none at all!" but now not so much. The music I listen to is punk, ska, metal, but also classical (especially baroque!) and jazz. I'm not sure that the music is the PRIME driving factor in how I dress, because I think my basic pieces are fairly clean and classical, and I loves me some high heels. But I'm finding I do tend to look for ELEMENTS that match up with that pop music like lots of hardware, darker and more neutral colors, etc. I admit I find it amusing when people meet me and are shocked to find me listening to Billy Talent or In Flames, but I am also finding that the more I explore "my style" the more I'm drawn back to elements that do echo the music I love.

/high five to all my punk/ska/metal sisters out there! \m/