How do musician’s tour outfits influence fashion trends?

Courtesy of Anthony Pham

We all have our favorite musician who we may end up being able to see at a live show. However, we don’t always know what to wear to these shows; it seems like more of a fashion show rather than listening to the music.

Courtesy of the New Yorker.

Artists like Harry Styles set trends with their fashion choices at shows, influencing how their fans dress and shaping wider style movements. In his most recent tour, Love on Tour, he was commonly seen wearing Gucci collaborations that were expressive of bold patterns, colors, sequins, feather boas, and interesting silhouettes. These silhouettes included matching co-ords, suspenders, muscle tanks, etc. With each outfit, he wore a pair of Adidas Sambas, Spezials, or Gazelles.

With the help of his stylist, Harry Lambert, Styles’ is always the best dressed in the stadium. However, from the adoration of Harry’s outfits, fans are able to put together their concert outfits easier by imitating Styles’ iconic looks. During the tour, fans started to wear similar outfits to Styles’ by incorporating bold patterns/colors, graphic tees, patterned flare pants, suspenders, and always styled with a pair of Adidas.

Although Styles’ fans were wearing similar styles, his influence reached a broader audience. According to Statista, the annual sales before Harry Styles’ “Love on Tour” (2020), were estimated around 18,454 million euros. During his tour, the sales increased 4,076 million euros landing in a total of 22,511 million euros in 2022, the end of the tour. (Tighe, 2024) https://www.statista.com/statistics/268416/net-sales-of-the-adidas-group-worldwide-since-2000/

Courtesy of Fox News

In addition to Styles’, Sabrina Carpenter’s world tour has had an impact on fashion trends as well. Sabrina is commonly seen in designs by Jared Ellner for her tour outfits. These curated outfits feature skin colored tights, embellished bodycon mini dresses, touches of lingerie, and the Naked Wolfe ‘Spice’ platform 90’s inspired boots. Now, her fans are beginning to imitate her looks on the “Short n Sweet” tour by wearing knee high platform boots paired with bedazzled bustiers/mini dresses.

I believe that musicians have a greater influence on current fashion trends than traditional outlets like fashion shows, TV, or red carpets. In today's world, music has become deeply integrated into everyday life, shaping culture and connecting people in exciting and personal ways. With the rise of social media and streaming platforms, fans are more engaged with their favorite artists than ever before, closely following their every move, from music videos to live performances. As a result, musicians' fashion choices—whether on stage or in casual settings—often set the tone for broader style trends. People now look to artists for inspiration rather than to TV stars or other celebrities, who may not feel as accessible or relatable. This shift in cultural influence highlights how music has evolved into a driving force in fashion.