Dude...
But seriously, it's time to roll with another topic. The old saying goes that, "The clothes make the man." Is this true? Because after watching a film on teen marketing in my Media Critical Theory class, I seem to think that music actually makes the man. Why does music, rather than film or various other forms of entertainment and culture, bring with it an entire dress code? Why is music so tightly knit with cultural dressing styles? People who listen to Hip Hop often wear baggy clothing and flat billed ball caps. People who listen to Indy music often wear clothing purchased from Goodwill or the Salvation Army. With Emo music comes thick black framed glasses and tight jeans. Metal and other Hard Rock brings about black clothing with metal spikes and chains. Why?
I am not asking this question because I think that this relationship is silly or because I actually expect us to come up with a perfect answer. I am simply putting forth this idea so it can be discussed and debated. Why do music and fashion often go hand in hand? It obviously has something to do with identifying oneself, but dig a bit deeper. Why music? I love pizza but I don't wear shoes made of pepperoni. I love comics and superheroes but I don't wear a cape (Though I really wish that I did). What is it about music that inspires people to dress a certain way?
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8 comments:
It's the TUBE! You dress like the tube, you think like the tube...
Least that's what the old dude on Network would tell you. Honestly I think that if somebody listened to emo rock and didnt see what the band was dressed like they probably wouldnt dress the same. It is an interesting topic though. Even a few years ago when Kanye West first got big he was known for the polo shirt with the popped collar, and suddenly there are thousands of people wearing polo's with popped collars.
This is another one of those things that I never gave much thought about until somebody brought it up...
Often times .. the quest for answers only leads to more questions ..
People tend to connect to music rather intimately. Perhaps they feel it is a part of their identity, and thus, they like to dress accordingly. However, there are other possibilities. I believe that some people dress and act the way they do solely for attention. Whereas, others simply wish to show commitment to something that means a lot to them, or to feel a bond with others, strangers even.
You also must understand, as I'm sure you do, that associating music with fashion or dress is not a universal truth. Not everyone does it. In fact, there are many people who choose to dress in ways that go against their musical choices, and these people probably get a lot of heat for it. Also, I am sure nudists don't let this issue keep them from tuning in.
I think it's also a lot to do with the fact that musicians are, or at least act like, real people. If you actually did become a renegade crime fighter, Derrick, I bet you would wear a cape and dress like those who you look up to. With musicians we like to think of them as people like us, and we look up to them, so we can't help but act like them a bit.
I do think this shows up in other places too. How many wannabe writers do you see wearing strange hats and turtlenecks? How many grade school boys do you see dressing like NBA players? Many is the answer.
p.s. I can't remember how to log in.
Imitation is often considered the most sincere complement. That being said, I understand the concept of "monkey see, monkey do." When a person likes something they will often display it with their behavior and/or appearance. But I think we are talking about a different kind of phenomena altogether, though you may see a similarity.
If a young child likes Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, he will likely have a Jordan jersey. Point taken. Let me give a similar circumstance from the music side of things. A few years ago Avril Lavigne became popular, and one of her stage traits was that she was a woman wearing a necktie. So many of her fans began wearing neckties. These situations are the same concept...
BUT, this is not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a certain fashion look that comes to summarize an ENTIRE genre. Rock has leather and chains. Emo has the glasses and tight pants. Who originated these styles? Was it a single person in a single band? Or was it something invented by a corporation to generate a trend that could in turn be used to make money off of? Or was it something that was started by fans of the music? Where do these fashion trend stereotypes start?
Peopel just do it to fit in with others, simple as that. They see their "Idols" doing it, and they want to be just like them. And people dont dress up like their favorite super hero and go to work like children do school, because older people have developed a since of fear to what others think of them. They have to fit in, its the way they have lived their lives since they were 10.
i have no idea, derrick. that is a really good question. for me personally, i happen to like cheap things, and i enjoy getting secondhand clothes from cheap stores. then i happened to find a type of music i really enjoyed, the 'new indie.' i did not know there was a correlation between the clothing style and the music style but came to observe it only after-the-fact. maybe the trends started because certain people (musicians or not) were into a type of music and type of dress coincidentally, and it grew from there...
I think we can all agree that I am the best dressed of the friend group males, yet indie is about all I listen to. Although, I am probably the least musically-talented of the friend group males also...
Sorry I've been gone for a bit - my thought is that both in music and fashion, identifying styles tend toward the extreme in any particular genre. For instance, you don't hear people blasting the Beatles or Brown Eyed Girl or John Williams out of a car stereo because these are popular across different social groups. A ubiquitous medium does not define, and therefore people do not often feel the need to let others associate such a medium with their identity. With regard to fashion, you don't often see a t-shirt and jeans glamorized on TV unless someone is trying to send the message that (s)he is too cool for fashion.
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