Fashion Tips for Working Musicians
Bring a higher level to your stage presence
Introduction – Fashion and music are best buddies
Professional musicians should be good at playing their instrument, and since some of them play frequently the quality of their playing is exceptional. Fashion for working musicians should also be exceptional.
Being a fantastic musician doesn’t mean you can turn up at the gig dressed like you’re just going with the flow, with no real vision of what type of impression you want to achieve on stage.
It’s about everyone, the audience, your bandmates, and yourself. If wearing the right musician wear, the band’s stage presence will be a memorable one. And not just that, you will perform with more confidence, contributing to the band’s image.
Let us explore some of the most important fashion tips for working musicians.
1. Comfort maximized
Your band’s style should make a statement, and reflect your musical style, which we will be talking about in the next part of this article. But you should never sacrifice comfort. It is crucial that you feel as comfortable as possible while playing.
In most situations, musicians are regularly moving on stage, whether it’s just swaying to the rhythm, or making some real dance moves, especially if you are a vocalist with only a microphone in your hand. Some singers dance with a whole dance group with a wireless headset. Their clothes have to be of the most comfortable materials money can buy.
When choosing stage outfits, besides the visual aspect, always look for comfortable clothing that will allow you to move freely.
2. Reflect your musical style
The clothes you wear on stage should align with the genre and style of music you play. This is a very broad approach but works in general.
Styles that were worn 40 or 50 years ago may not work for the same genre today. Colors, fabrics, and patterns, all change through time in every field where fashion is important, and the same goes with the music industry.
Let’s look at this example of stage clothing for rock musicians. A hard rock band in broad terms in the seventies or eighties wore jeans or colorful tights (think Iron Maiden) and black leather studded jackets, while the 90’ and 00’s bands could easily wear ordinary jeans with black T-shirts and sneakers. Today, almost everything is OK, you can see hard rock bands perform in fancy suits.
If you play jazz, a more formal look is associated with the music. Dance music is all about small, tight, shiny metallic, and so on.
The best way to find out what to wear is to see what other musicians that play your musical style are wearing, and then align the details with your personal taste.
If you play frequent gigs and various styles of music, the best is to keep it simple, somewhere between formal and casual.
3. Build your image with signature pieces
Signature pieces are fashion items that add that final authentic touch to your band’s presence. It could be a special hat, jacket with wild motifs, gold glitter platform boots, a mesh ripped top, or a bunch of colorful bandanas like David Lee Roth.
If you persist in wearing these statement pieces, after time, they will become a part of your brand. Your audience will always associate you with these items in the future.
4. Adapt to venue and gig type
Different-sized and typed venues ask for different wardrobe styles. For intimate venues like small clubs or coffee houses, a more casual look will be something that will make the band more approachable and connected to the audience. Larger stages, on the other hand, may call for something more elegant and stylish.
Another thing to consider is that working musicians are not restricted just to playing concerts in regular venues. Sometimes your band will be invited to do a live radio interview and play a couple of songs in acoustic versions. These interviews are posted on social media streamed live so a more laid-back look will be a perfect choice.
5. Coordinate with bandmates
When gigging with a band, your band members’ outfits should be compatible with each other. The band is making music that is leaving an impression on the crowd, hopefully an authentic one. The way the band is dressed, if smartly planned, can reinforce your band’s identity drastically. On the other hand, if done wrong can actually hurt the band’s image.
Coordinated style
This style is where pieces do not necessarily match each other in terms of colors, but may have similar textures and some features that work in a harmonious way. One band member could have a black suit with a dark red shirt, while another player is wearing everything black with a dark red jacket with a paisley pattern.
The coordinated style is generally a better style than a matching style for bands who are more focused on their music and less on being remembered by what they wear.
Matching style
Some bands would never be what they are without the matching style, it’s all about the image you are looking for. Boy bands and Girl bands are famous for this type of styling. Bands from the sixties very often used this style, especially bands that played instrumental music like The Ventures or The Shadows.
I have seen a ton of wedding-corporate event bands playing in exactly matching outfits. It could work for a fifties or sixties, even a seventies tribute act, but in my opinion, will not work for a band that plays various types of music.
6. Accessories
Accessories could easily be mentioned in the signature pieces part of this article since they indeed can be signature pieces. But here we will say that accessories can be used in a subtle way to complement your clothing style. Even though being subtle they can truly elevate your look.
For instance, someone could be that person in the band with lots of accessories, where they can be different in style and color on different nights, but still memorable opposite to signature pieces which are always the same.
Choose accessories like jewelry or a tie that match your style. They can make a significant impact on your overall appearance. As you see, fashion for working musicians has many details to consider.
7. Oh yeah, grooming!
There is really no need to emphasize the importance of personal grooming. A musician’s overall presentation demonstrates professionalism, and grooming is an integral part of it. Always keep a polished look with well-maintained hair, skin, nails, and makeup if worn.
8. Only for the famous? Collaborate with brands
If you really want to stand out with your band’s fashion style, consider collaborating with brands. This is tough for someone who isn’t that famous, but there are other ways to do this. There is always a local designer who can benefit from a collaboration of this type. This way both your band and the designer can achieve goals important for their businesses.
You will have someone who will provide you not only with quality pieces but also work with you to design the best outfits for your unique style. At the same time, you will be promoting your designer which means that you’re supporting your local creative community.
FAQs
What is the best outfit for a musician?
If you are looking for some cool clothing for musicians check this selection on Amazon. Fitted clothes will look more stylish and professional than a loose look. Also make sure your stage clothes are appropriate for the temperature you’re playing in, especially if it’s an outdoor event.
What do musicians usually wear?
The answer to this question lies somewhere above. Stylish outfits for large events, casual for small venues. Colors, fabrics, textures, and designs, all contribute to the overall look, so spend some time deciding which wardrobe is good for you. Certain musical professionals like orchestras or bands supporting big stars are likely to be seen wearing a uniform dress code so that the audience is concentrated more on the music itself or the main star.
Conclusion
We have covered some of the most important tips on the best fashion for working musicians. As you see, it’s all about the music style you play, the type of venue, coordinating with others, and accessorizing.
But for the working musician, who plays lots of gigs, anywhere from 50, 100, or even 200 gigs a year, and does all the setup and teardown for their band, comfort is the number one tip to have in mind when building a decent collection of stage clothes. Important gigs played on large stages or for live streaming will call for stylish outfits.
In the end, always remember that the way you look on stage is a strategic tool that is as important as how you sound. If your sound and stage presence are well balanced, you will be more confident, so every gig will become a success.
