My mom would always tell me "It's not a fashion show!" while getting ready to go somewhere.
But it is now! Like most events, concerts usually warrant a special ensemble. (Well.. depending where you’re going, and how much you care.) But USUALLY, you want to wear something interesting, right? Maybe you get a new top in a fun color, or a dress that’s fun to dance in.
Now think of getting an outfit for a concert… and take it to the next level. This means lots of planning, multiple ideas, and incredible pieces. That's exactly the kind of thinking that went into the looks for Harry Styles: Love on Tour. Concert-goers of this tour are pulling out all of the stops to dress for Mr. Styles. Here's the question though... why? This is one of the first events where outfits are really part of the experience, you know, apart from the Met Gala. Well, when you have a tour planned that is postponed TWICE, anticipation begins to build. What better way to prepare and get even more excited for a show than to plan a spectacular outfit for it?
Another factor taking place: trends. As fans began to talk about Love on Tour outfits, the idea spread. Soon enough, almost all fans attending Love on Tour were planning a lively outfit to wear to their show date. These looks weren't just any type of outrageous attire, however. Love on Tour outfits all seem to be inspired by Harry's style. Key elements include: lots of sparkle and shine, TONS of cherry motifs, and retro vibes. Some fans went with Harry's signature wide leg pants, and some went a... different way. If you're familiar with Styles' discography, you'd know he has songs such as "Cherry", "Watermelon Sugar", and even "Kiwi." Seeing the similarity? The pit sections for the tour were even named "Cherry" and "Watermelon." How did this influence outfits? Well, some fans decided to take the fruit theme literally, and actually dress as fruit. Like, full-on fruit costumes. This was partially for fun, and partially to grab Harry's attention. And... it eventually worked! One night, Harry noticed a fan dressed in a banana costume, and made a song out of it. So, what happened next? Of course, more fans dressed as bananas! Yet another trend of Love on Tour, but this time being fueled by the chance of being noticed by Harry. And thinking back on it, that was probably the intention of the first incredible Love on Tour outfits, because if you're the only shiny and sparkly one, you might stand out. In the end, it turned into a dress code of sorts for the tour, which is even more enjoyable!
slide through for our outfits :)
Between attending one night of the show and seeing countless pictures and videos on social media, I've seen a lot of Love on Tour looks! Popular pieces included: matching suit sets (usually in a bright color), metallic fringe on just about everything, colorful printed pants, and feather boas. Seriously... so. many. feathers. Walking into the venue after the larger parts of the crowd, we saw feathers of ALL colors, dropped from boas. Other fun accessories included cowboy hats (but with sparkle and color, of course), large framed colorful glasses, and allllll of the fruit themed jewelry. The best part of this is it was all up to each person's individual style, so outfit combinations varied. Personally, I started with a pleated gold and purple metallic skirt and built my look around that. I ended up with a purple/pink velvet button down that I wore open over a blank tank, paired with bright white boots. Now, was my outfit fully inspired by a Harry look? No. But, I did take inspiration from anything shiny and bright, and I loved the outcome!
So, what was the point of it all? Clearly, no single person was going to stand out to Harry, (okay, except for the bananas.) But in the end, dressing for Love on Tour was half of the fun! I attended the Pittsburgh show, and the weeks leading up to that night was lots and lots of outfit planning with my friends. It made for great pictures the night of, and it's generally exciting to wear something shiny and sparkly for the night! It was so exciting to see how other creative minds came up with their outfits. It is always inspiring to see other people's style and the clothing representation of themselves.
Overall, Love on Tour was a great experience for the show itself, but also all of the fashion. This was the first time in a long time that I spent so much time on planning an outfit, but it was so enjoyable! Special thanks to the Styles fans that started the fashion show, because it made the experience that much better! Going forward, this may inspire fans of other artists and concerts to have a little more fun with their style. You never know, maybe everything WILL turn into a fashion show!