From David Bowie to Bad Bunny, writer kylemunz examines the history of decadent rock star fashion and why it matters right now.
flaunts a pink manicure and pearl necklace, their fans fawn, the Internet erupts with a thousand think pieces about the state of gendered fashion, and no-fun social conservative types clutch their own pearls. This is hardly anything new. If you flip through vintage issues of, you’ll realize that all that’s really happened is that our rock stars have returned to dressing like rock stars, with all the sexed-up trimmings.
Indeed, there might be no better barometer of an era’s defining sexual mores and gender politics than what’s in the closets of our most esteemed male musicians. Some notable examples of the current moment: At the 2021 VMAs, Lil Nas X commissioned Versace to create a pec-baring homage to Prince. Styles has made a habit of wearing womenswear or genderless designers for his music videos, from the sheer Lazoschmidl blouse in “Lights Up” to the red Arturo Obegero two-piece he chose for “As It Was.
What’s next, now that a man in a sequined jumpsuit ceases to elicit much of a reaction? Likely, we will reach a point at which it will seem outmoded to classify fashion by gender at all. In the early aughts, male style in the Top 40 was bleak. Nickelback scored eight No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock charts, but precisely zero memorable outfits. The respectability politics of the Obama years prompted a fixation on tailored suiting, culminating in Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z’s 2013 metrosexual anthem, “Suit & Tie.
The previous generation skirted questions about its identity by embracing the comforting vagueness of androgyny. “You’ve got your mother in a whirl. She’s not sure if you’re a boy or a girl,” Bowie sang in “Rebel Rebel.” “I’m not a woman. I’m not a man. I’m something that you’ll never understand,” echoed Prince 10 years later. In 2022, after LGBTQ+ communities have been fighting for decades to be themselves, such sly displays would run the risk of falling flat.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
So, Harry Styles Thinks a One Direction Reunion Is PossibleI may or may not be thinking about this for the next 6-7 business days.
Read more »
Inside Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde’s amped-up romanceHarry Styles and Olivia Wilde are never far apart — and they’re only just getting closer. The singer who launched a thousand screams is on a global PR blitz for his new chart-topping album, &…
Read more »
See Harry Styles As a Closeted Officer in ‘My Policeman’: First-Look PhotosSee the first photos of HarryStyles starring as a closeted, married police officer in the upcoming romantic drama MyPoliceman here:
Read more »
Investigating the Harry Styles Puke Shrine With Kaitlyn TiffanyThe writer and author kait_tiffany explores her obsession with One Direction in 'Everything I Need I Get From You: How Fangirls Created The Internet As We Know It.' Below, we chat with her about incels, puke shrines, and the power of online fandom.
Read more »
Harry Styles Proves He Adores Olivia Wilde With Sweet PDA - E! OnlineAmid Harry Styles’ Love On Tour concert series, the singer made time for an adorable outing with girlfriend Olivia Wilde. See them embrace PDA in London.
Read more »
Prince Harry Took a Tumble During a Polo MatchPrince Harry took a tumble off his horse during a polo match, but both he and the horse were unharmed in the fall.
Read more »