The Connective Culture of Music and Fashion By Kathryn Isabel Cook

By Kathryn Isabel Cook 

Music and fashion are both forms of expression—expression of self, of ideology, of love and hate. I often find myself thinking of music and fashion in the same context—when I am getting ready for a concert or a music festival, or when I am listening to a certain playlist while getting ready for the day. Music and fashion are like two mirrors reflecting light off of each other. These two art forms germinate in the political and cultural environments that they are produced in, so we can see the way that music and fashion change depending on the current popular belief system. They are so deeply intertwined with each other and have such strong roots in the way culture functions. Historically, they have both been mediums of protest, revolution, and change. 

I have always known that music and fashion were connected, but at a recent music festival I started to notice how deep the connection runs. There was an overall hippie energy immediately upon arrival. I began to notice that depending on which artist I was seeing, the outfits were entirely different. At The Strokes set I witnessed straight legged jeans and pashminas, stylish chunky shoes covered in mud. When the 4 A.M. EDM sets played, though, the outfits became more costume-like—Leotard-esque lingerie, tightly braided hair, glow in the dark accessories, face gems and body glitter. At a dubstep show I photographed two women wearing matching sexy nun costumes. It was like experiencing an alternate universe where you were more likely to be judged for wearing jeans and sambas than a latex bodysuit. When I was at a jazz show in Brooklyn, I saw calf-length dresses, skinny heels, tiny bags, and button-up shirts with the top button undone. Why do people listening to the same music often dress in the same style? 

I started to think about the corresponding fashion of many music genres. I thought about Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain and their vintage dress wearing. I thought about punk subcultures and their crust jackets. I thought about arguments I had witnessed online about the

difference between emo fashion and scene fashion. The one thing that always stood out to me was the notion that the music and the fashion of these subcultures were supported by the belief systems behind them, not by each other- like music and fashion were two peas, and the pod holding them together were values and ideals. This makes sense, two things that are always transforming, two of the most defining reflections of our society, are founded on principle. Music and fashion are often both identifiers. Most people would agree that you can tell a lot about a person by how they dress and what music they listen to. 

There has been an increasing rise in categorizing ourselves, following rigid rules of self expression so that people know what kind of person we are. Everyone wants to be witnessed. This is where I feel music and fashion are connected the most, as identifiers and as expression of self, influenced by the society around us. We don’t have to categorize ourselves into a specific aesthetic in order to build community around music and fashion. Instead, allowing ourselves to be authentic in our self expression sets the stage for genuine connection and creativity.