subject: How the current music trends are informing boys fashion [print this page] How the current music trends are informing boys fashion
The worlds of music and fashion have long gone hand in glove, whether it's the clothes performers wear in music videos, costume changes at live events or the soundtrack to catwalk fashion shows. There are many reasons why music and fashion tend to go together, from helping define a social group to the simple fact that people who enjoy similar music tend to share similar values in other areas of life. That's not to underestimate the active role that modern music trends can play in shaping fashion choices of the younger generation.
Thanks to music television and mp3 players bringing music into more areas of life, today's music scene is more diverse and vibrant than ever, meaning young people have a wide range of options when choosing their favourite sounds. Nor is the music climate as divisive as it once was, especially looking back to the heyday of the mods and rockers in the 1960s, where a tailor-made suit or leather jacket would define which define which army you served under on the fashion battles on Brighton Pier.
Today's music culture is not so rigidly black and white, but there can still be a gulf between social groups that is inevitably traced back to music. One of the genres where this is most prominent is the world of hip hop, which has a long association with designer sports brands stretching back to Run DMC promoting Adidas in the 1980s. While schoolboys aren't likely to go out in search of expensive 'bling' to demonstrate their wealth, many still seek to define their image through designer sportswear labels - a fashion style that hasn't been confined to the playing fields for a very long time.
Another music-related fashion that has evolved over time and still prominent in boys clothes is goth culture, very loosely defined as incorporating everything from heavy metal fashion to fetish clothing. While high school punk fans would no doubt object to such an establishment term as 'fashion' to describe their piercings and waxed hair, goth subculture is an enduring phenomenon that can often provide a welcoming environment for kids who feel alienated from other aspects of the modern world, seeking solace in an all-encompassing music and fashion choice.
While not everyone you see in the street can be immediately pinned down to a music preference, many still wear their music choices on their sleeves as a way to define themselves in the world.
