Drawing Fashion Inspiration from Your Favorite Music

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Courtesy of Devin Toolen

This is a Dua Lipa style outfit that you could wear on a night out with your friends.

Devin Toolen, Staff Writer

It is easy to associate fashion and music. Music artists tend to have a certain vibe that links them to a style that they consistently wear. For example, in 2019, Ariana Grande was practically synonymous with an oversized sweatshirt and knee-high booties. As someone who is always wondering what to wear, I sometimes like to use music as a source of inspiration. Let us put our headphones on, hit shuffle and plan outfits based on music.

First up on shuffle is the pop genre. Dua Lipa is one of the most prominent pop artists of our time. A lot of her popular songs like “Electricity,” “Don’t Start Now” and her new song “Levitate” with DaBaby give off major feel-good vibes. Even Dua Lipa herself exudes positivity and confident energy on her social media.

When I listen to her music, I think of going out on a summer night with friends. For a Dua Lipa-inspired outfit, I would style a white silk cami top with fun patterned pants, kitten heels and a mini bag. You can get a silk cami from popular shops like Express, Banana Republic or Urban Outfitters. For printed pants, check out Jaded London or Motel Rocks. Both shops have a nice selection of pants with great prints. Kitten heels and mini bags are easy items to thrift, so check out your local Goodwill.

Next up on the queue is pop rock or alternative music. Songs like “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” by The 1975, “Are You Bored Yet” by Wallows and “4EVER” by Clairo fall into this category. These songs definitely give off a different feeling than the pop genre.

Listening to them makes me feel like driving around admiring a sunset. For these songs, I would style a long sleeve tee under a graphic short sleeve tee-shirt, paired with cargo pants, Converse All-Stars and a beanie on top. You can get a cool graphic tee from a thrift store and cargo pants from Pacsun. H&M sells great basic long-sleeved undershirts, and for a beanie, check out Urban Outfitters.

Fast-forwarding a bit, we fall into our next genre, Hip Hop and R&B. “Be Honest” by Jorja Smith, “24” by Money Man and Lil Baby and “See You Again” by Tyler, The Creator and Kali Uchis are on the queue. These are great songs with awesome beats that make me feel like I am at a live show (we cannot forget what that is like).

For this outfit, I would style a corset or bustier top with baggy jeans, Air Jordan 1’s and a racing jacket for warmth. You can get a corset or bustier top from shops like NastyGal, ASOS or MissGuided. Baggy jeans can be thrifted, but you can also get them from shops like Topshop, Revice Denim or Uniqlo. Jordan 1’s are some of the hardest shoes to get a hold of, but check out StockX or GOAT for resales and House of Heat for drop dates. A racing jacket is definitely an item you will need to thrift, so check out Urban Exchange in Philadelphia or the online thrift store Depop for some good deals.

The last genre on the shuffle is Latin music. Songs by Rosalía including “Con Altura,” “Di Mi Nombre,” “TKN” and J Balvin songs like “Una Locura” and “Snapchat” are on the queue. Latin music always features a good beat to make you want to dance with your friends.

A matching top and bottom set would be a great outfit for these songs. Omighty and IAMGIA are great stores to buy matching sets. I would recommend styling a set with platform Doc Martens and a mini bag.

Obviously, not everyone who listens to a certain type of music will dress the same way. However, it is really fun to play around with your personal style and try to dress based off of a song or music genre you like. By taking cues from musical artists, you will find yourself exploring fashion in ways you never imagined.