The Fashion of Love on Tour
Image Courtesy: Young Hollywood
Harry Styles is back on the road performing arena concerts across the nation. This past week, Love on Tour made several stops in Florida: Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale. Fans across the state flocked to his shows donning voguish attire. Feather boas, sequins, technicolored makeup, and pantsuits were among many of the fan outfits going viral on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
Styles himself is no stranger to a bold fashion look. He wore a leather suit paired with a green boa to the Grammy’s this year, sparked an international conversation regarding gender when posed in a dress for the cover of Vogue, and made an appearance at the 2019 Met Gala in a sheer blouse with a single pearl earring. His fashion choices for the Love on Tour appearances do not disappoint, for he often rocks monochrome shirts, pants, and suspenders, or a colorful vest and suit. Styles’ fearlessness as he explores different eras of fashion and blurs the lines between traditional gender constructs creates a concert environment that encourages fans to do the same. Working with renowned stylist Harry Lambert, Styles has made it clear that he is all about evolving men’s fashion and pushing for more gender-fluid fashion.
Image Courtesy: Tyler Mitchell for Vogue
His unique style has caught the attention of fans who now dress to the nines for his shows. After nearly a year and a half of staying indoors, it’s no surprise that his supporters take this opportunity to express themselves and go all out. As one Twitter user said, “Love on Tour is my Met Gala.” The hashtag #hslotoutfit has also been trending on TikTok, as users create videos with enticing transitions to showcase their stunning outfits. Garnering over 85.4M views, this TikTok trend has one of the most substantial followings on the app and has encouraged those attending the tour to dress up in flamboyant attire. Some of the TikToks under this hashtag has even been dedicated to sharing fashion inspiration for the shows.
Image Courtesy: TikTok
Drawing fashion inspiration from Styles himself, the crowd of the Orlando show I attended was a sea of patterned pants, cutout dresses, bright eyeshadow, and statement shoes. Most of the outfits I saw reminded me of looks from the ’70s—wide-leg pants, funky patterns, and oversized sunglasses. I also spotted several feather boas and pearl necklaces, a nod to Styles’ previous memorable looks. One of the most common themes I saw among fans’ outfits was gender-bending style. Women in suits, men in skirts, both wearing eyeliner or sporting painted nails.
Image Courtesy: Strike FSU
Fashion and clothing at their core are meant to be fun, freeing even. Clothing is one of the many ways that individuals can express their authentic selves. Styles’ shows have become one of the few places where people from different places and backgrounds can come dressed as they want, without fear of being judged. It's a beautiful phenomenon, honestly. As I stood in the general admission crowd on Thursday night, surrounded by people in showstopping attire, I soaked in the unconventional atmosphere of acceptance and authenticity.
Strike Out,
Writer: Alyssa Cuevas
Editors: Noelle Knowlton & Lexi Fernandez
Graphics: Alison MacCloud
Tallahassee
