50 Years of Music + Fashion: 2010-2019

Queens of Music, Masters of Style

What does a photographer who is also a Halloween enthusiast who also sings in a ‘90s cover band do with her new studio while under quarantine?

Step 1: Resist. Deny. Barter. Pout.

Step 2: Engage in heavy nostalgia, watching re-runs of Boy Meets World and listening to a playlist of Billboard top 100 hits from 1993.

Step 3: Notice a proliferation of cheap wigs, vintage and thrift store shopping gems, and bags of items waiting to be donated.

Step 4: Lightbulb.

One part self-preservation, equal parts boredom and a love of female musicians and the clothes they inspire, this photo project came with strict guidelines: Pay homage to one female musician each year from 1970-2019 who appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 that year using only items already found in my Austin apartment.

2010: Lady Gaga

“Bad Romance” Reaches #8

At year-end 2010, Lady Gaga had 4 singles on the Billboard 100, but “Paparazzi” remains my favorite. The video, more akin to a short film, features Alexander Skarsgård and …

OK. Now that you’re back from checking out Skarsgård: Accomplishing (to a meager extent) this look involved pantyhose as a belt, black eyeliner as lipstick, and a lot of Photoshop trickery to turn my green St. Patrick’s Day wig closer to blonde. I’m clearly missing the Mickey Mouse animation on the yellow jumpsuit, but you get it.

It’s not easy to talk about Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta’s style in any accessible way - it’s simultaneously not haute couture and also not for the masses. A woman who looks equally disarming in a meat dress as a black velvet gown, her look is unimitatable, partly because it’s always shifting.

2011: Nicki Minaj

“Super Bass” Reaches #3

I love juxtaposition. So I love the “Super Bass” video. It’s one thing to put Katy Wonderbread Perry in a bright, fluffy, bubble-gum colored wonderland. It’s another thing to put Nicki Minaj in one.

In late 2017, Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty made history by surpassing Aretha Franklin for having the most total appearances by a woman on the Billboard 100 chart - 76 appearances. That’s not for women of color. That’s for any woman, in any genre, in the chart’s 58-year history. Why does nobody talk about this?

I love her. I love her music. I love this video. I even like when she speaks in a fake cockney accent. But her impact on fashion is essentially to keep the ball of outlandish outfits rolling. For a description of Nicki Minaj’s style aesthetic, see the description above. Or just google “Cardi B style.” Art imitates art imitates art.

2012: Carly Rae Jepsen

“Call Me Maybe: Reaches #1

This song is the musical version of Regina George asking “Why are you so obsessed with me?” Because, seriously, why were we?

According to ABC News and Readers’ Digest, it’s because it’s actually kind of bad. The lyrics are so simple that anyone can repeat ad nauseum. The musical incongruity of rhyming “crazy” with “maybe” catches the ear. It’s also conceptually incongruous to command “call me” and caveat it with “maybe.” (It also brings up issues of consent and female demuremeness, but I won’t be a buzzkill) It’s highly compressed and, at a speed of 120 bps, literally keeps the listener in an aural comfort zone.

Annnnyway. I loved the song. I also loved the album cover - socks with heels, over panythose? Yeah, sure. I did that for about a month. Ignoring how dumb that was mirrored the experience of liking the song.

2013: Lana Del Rey

“Summertime Sadness” Reaches #6

When I first posted this photo, a friend responded with a picture of a rose smoking a cigarette. Yeah, that’s Lana Del Rey.

Her style - musically and otherwise- is straight-up old Hollywood, with dresses that would make a Modcloth buyer weep and vintage hairstyles inspired by the ‘40s or ‘70s, depending on the day. She also trends toward ‘80s hip-hop accessories, all of which combine to lend credibility to her claim that she’s a “gangsta Nancy Sinatra.”

Musically, her brand is as consistent as it is caricature. Grew up too fast? Check, if one presumes she was one of the “babies table dancing at the local dive.” A “taste for men who older?” Check. Drug and alcohol influences? Maybe a little. After announcing in her debut album her dedication to a man who loves her “with every beat of his cocaine heart,” she never really strayed. And I am still not tired of it.

2014: Iggy Azalea

“Fancy” Reaches #1

No doubt, I’m a fan of the Clueless-inspired video for Iggy Azalea’s biggest hit. But this shoot was inspired by the high-waisted, leg-exposing, crop-top clad, ponytail-grabbing, Adidas-rocking, lyrical rollercoaster that is “Work.”

Think I’m joking? This song made me a fan of this woman, hustler, and very likely textbook narcissist. I’ve rewatched it dozens of times and cut up my favorite workout pants to make these ridiculous shorts. She’s the reason I started wearing - and now own 26 - crop tops. (I counted.)

She also belongs to an unfortunate group of female rappers who share writing credits with at least half a dozen men. Which is a shame, because I regularly walk around the house spitting the tongue-twisting phrase “Ran through the bullshit like a Matador/Just made me madder and adamant to go at em/And even the score” like someone is paying ME.

2015: Tove Lo

“Habits (Stay High)” Reaches #16

The smash /sleeper / long-running hit “Habits” by my favorite out-of-control Swede actually reached #3 in 2014, but I had to reserve that year for my favorite out-of-control Aussie, so here we are.

The song was released in March 2013, re-released 9 months later, and didn’t hit the charts until a full year after its initial release. But when it did, it held the highest Billboard chart position of any Swedish musician since Ace of Base reached #1 in 1994 (True story - Robyn never got higher than #7)

Swedish music history aside, Tove Lo has redefined the phrase “I woke up like this.” Her style icons include Courtney Love and Janis Joplin. Her aesthetic can best be described as a woman doing the walk of shame to a gay pride parade, and I’m here for every bit of it.

2016: Beyonce

“Formation” Reaches #10

The blogger in me wants to make jokes. The 12 years of legitimate journalism experience demands honesty: I didn’t bother to listen to “Hold Up” or any of the other songs from the Lemonade album until I took this picture. I based it completely on video stills and the Titus Andromedon parodied version from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (go look it up).

The Associated Press named Lemonade the best album of the decade, and it felt the most relevant way to honor Queen Bey. This project forced me to listen to the album (research) after years of resisting on the basis of contrarianism. I wish I hadn’t waited, because it’s every bit as good as the masses claimed.

On a related note, I’ll get around to watching Tiger King roughly 3 years from now.

2017: Samantha Gongol

“Down” (Marian Hill) Reaches #21

What’s particularly funny about the pains I took to darken my hair for this photo is that Samantha Gongol goes blonde shortly after the “Down” video and pretty much stays that way.

Gongol makes up half of the Marian Hill music duo, along with Jeremy Lloyd (and occasionally jazz instrumentalist Steve Davit, a crowd favorite), and has never been atop the Billboard charts the way most on this list have. But they are second on my list of favorite current musical acts, directly behind the incomparable Lake Street Dive, so I jumped at the chance to include them when I noticed they made it onto the top 100 at all. Their Wikipedia page is depressingly short.

Gongol usually rocks a slicked-back ponytail, the color black, dark makeup, cropped tops, the color black, leather, tall boots, and, more often than not, the color black.

2018: Halsey

“Bad At Love” Reaches #5

I have spent roughly the last 5 years telling myself that Halsey’s music was too immature for me, (she says Panic! At The Disco changed her life) only to eventually give in, admitting that half the things I spend my life doing are too immature for me.

Quick aside - it’s really not. Her new album Manic includes songs about anxiety, drug addiction, suicide, consent, and one in particular about a miscarriage that will absolutely break you.

I actually like Halsey’s style, though it couldn’t be less like my own. I chose the video for “Bad At Love” as the inspiration for this shoot. I’m missing the tattoos (it took 4 days to get rid of the Sharpie from my Joan Jett tattoo, so doing it again was a hard pass) and I don’t have nearly enough gold chains. But the colors work, and I finally found a use for this hideously awesome jacket from my me’mere.

2019: Billie Eilish

“Bad Guy” Reaches #1

Duh.

50 Years of Music + Fashion: 2000-2009

Queens of Music, Masters of Style.

One part self-preservation, equal parts boredom and a love of female musicians and the clothes they inspire, this photo project came with strict guidelines: Pay homage to one female musician each year from 1970-2019 who appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 that year using only items already found in my Austin apartment.

2000: P!nk

“There You Go” Reaches #7

It wasn’t until this project that I finally watched P!nk’s debut video. In fact, I was going to include a different artist on this list until I did. Setting aside the fact that the early 2000s music videos seemed intent on placing women in skate parks without ever actually letting them skate, I couldn’t get over that hair and gangster AF floor-length yellow coat she wore. So here we are.

Alecia Moore’s style is hard to nail down - in just her first 3 years of fame, her hair color changed from pink to platinum blonde to black. She’s rocked pageboys, fauxhawks, pixies, and braids. But come on. We know this hair.

Fun Fact: Nothing in this image is the color it is supposed to be. I made my Photoshop subscription money back on this one.

2001: Britney Spears

“Stronger” Reaches #11

Yeah, I know she hit the ground running as early as 1999. But when it comes to Britney, is there ever really a year she doesn’t end up on the charts?

I remember the bucket hat (and obviously, the schoolgirl ensemble) in “Baby One More Time.” The red pleather jumpsuit in “Oops, I Did It Again.” The iridescent green waitress uniform in “(You Drive Me) Crazy.” I was there for all of it. But the first time I remember someone over the age of 16 talking about Britney Spears was the release of her “I’m A Slave 4 U” video. It was the inspiration for this outfit, and for a lot of our parents to suddenly become prudish about belly buttons.

Style-wise, Spears is most noteworthy in my memory for popularizing trucker hats. But countless articles from Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Elle disagree with me.

2002: Christina Aguilera

“Dirrty” Reaches #48

So, I was shocked to find out that Aguilera’s “Dirrty” only reached 48 on the charts. I remember this song being everywhere, again, often on the tongues of the finger-wagging Boomers who raised us.

This image is an amalgamation of her various looks, though mostly a nod to her “Stripped” album cover, released in black and white. The hair extensions and multiple shades were accomplished in this photo by tying in shoe strings and old friendship bracelets (high school comes full circle!). Had to throw in that corset in recognition of her later “Lady Marmalade” video, plus that horrendous denim hat she wore to the 2001 VMAs … the grey version of which I wear on the regular.

2003: Avril Lavigne

“I’m With You” Reaches #4

The ties … I just couldn’t with the ties in 2003, the year I graduated high school. Avril Lavigne was for my younger brothers at a time when I was discovering Tori Amos and Ani Difranco (10 years too late, but come on. A feminist is made, not born.)

Just because I felt like I had transcended simple tunes like “Sk8er Boi” and “Girlfriend” doesn’t mean the majority of my peers had. I saw backwards hats, pinstripes, baggy cargo pants, camouflage, graphic T-shirts, and Converse sneakers make a resurgence even into my college years. And who was I to judge? I was wearing North Face jackets and knock-off Ugg boots without the shame they deserved.

I couldn’t hate on the pink washaway streak in the hair, though. And one day I’ll work up the nerve of a 17-year-old girl and do it.

2004: Fergie

“Let’s Get It Started” (Black Eyed Peas) Reaches #21

If you have never seen the video for Black Eyed Peas’ 2004 debut “Hey Mama,” stop what you’re doing and watch it immediately. Yes, the song is still their best (come for me), but it’s Stacy Ferguson’s ability to dance in the world’s tiniest plaid skirt that you’ll notice first.

This video was everything my freshman year of college, and the song itself was responsible for my first Limewire-virus-inspired computer crash. I never got into the short skirts thing, but unnecessary leg warmers? Studded belts? Multiple bracelets? Vests as shirts? Newsboy caps? Check, check, just check to all of it. And I wasn’t alone.

Fun Fact: Stacy Ferguson used to sing in a soulful AF all-woman group in the mid-‘90s called Wild Orchid, and the difference in her look is hilarious.

2005: Kelly Clarkson

“Since U Been Gone” Reaches #2

I sometimes forget that Kelly Clarkson was the first-ever American Idol winner. With 3 Grammys, a handful of Country Music Awards and a talk show to her name, not every winner of that show went on to such great heights. In fact, other than Carrie Underwood, nobody has come close.

Style-wise, Clarkson has run the gamut. But the “Since U Been Gone” video, clad in Converse sneakers, multiple bracelets, a graphic T-shirt and the World’s Least Flattering Pants, was in that lovely era before we learned we had to blend our highlights, and when fedoras reigned supreme.

I don’t own the World’s Least Flattering Pants. Those belong to Clarkson. Unlike the fedora she totally stole from that dude in the video. So I pulled out some distressed sweatpants, in remembrance of his trashed apartment.

2006: Rihanna

“SOS” Reaches #1

Robyn Rihanna Fenty had a song hit #1 each year from 2006 to 2012, and she generally lands atop the charts whenever she opens her mouth. Also, remember “Pon de Replay,” her first single in 2005? It flew under the radar and only hit a measly #2 on the charts. But we love her anyway.

I’ve loved Rihanna’s style in each of those years, most notably in the 2010 Warhol/Jamaican/Salt N Pepa-inspired “Rude Boy” video and also the acid-washed 2011 “We Found Love” video, which won her her 6th Grammy. (She has 9 to her name)

That said, in trying to honor her in this shoot, it was the 2007 hit “Umbrella” that was the easiest and most obvious. And also my first chance to wear a vest as a shirt.

2007: Taylor Swift

“Teardrops On My Guitar” Reaches #13

Oh, I’m going to get so much ire from half of the 3 people who actually read this blog. To the 1.5 of you who don’t care that much about Taylor Swift, we are sisters in arms.

For the rest of you. Yes, I know how many inaccuracies are in this photo. Yes, I know she doesn’t wear a cowboy hat in the “Teardrops on My Guitar” video. Yes, I know her dress is green. No, I don’t particularly care. Consider this image an homage to the Taylor Swift I liked - the one who wrote “15” and “Mine.” The one who blew us away with songwriting and who so perfectly transcended her roots in what I’ll kindly call “Americana” and not country to become one of the greatest pop stars of this generation. Not the one who, honestly, seems like kind of an asshole.

Also, she wore almost this exact dress to the 2005 Academy of Country Music Awards, so I’m counting it.

2008: Alicia Keys

“No One” Reaches #3

Years I tried to get Alicia Keys’ likeness and failed:

2001: “Fallin” (I couldn’t get the hair right.)

2003: “You Don’t Know My Name” (I couldn’t get the hair right.)

2012: “Girl on Fire” (I couldn’t get the hair right.)

So here we are, rocking (appropriately) a Wonder Woman wig tied back in the world’s puffiest ponytails, an off-the-shoulder sweater and grey jeans for the “No One” video, which had a distinctly golden hue. The song was the most-listened to song on the radio in 2008 and won her two Grammys.

I still tear the necks out of my sweatshirts in an attempt to get this look. I loved that video.

2009: Miley Cyrus

“Party in the USA” Reaches #2

Oh, Miley. The world watched you stop just short of growing up, and they still have hope that you one day will.

Not me. Cultural appropriation aside (sarcasm, we should never ignore that) I find her brash tendencies, ever-changing public presentation of her sexuality and inability to keep her foot out of her mouth fascinating. It’s a nice reminder to all of us straight, white women out there how the rest of the world sees us when we speak without thinking.

OK, Miley bashing aside. There’s a lot to be said for transcending a life of privilege to launch your own career advanced by a network dedicated to showcasing lives of privilege, and to then gain your own sense of self while continuing to embrace your hard-won life of privilege.

Fine. I can’t stop Miley bashing. But I really liked her shorts in this music video.

50 Years of Music + Fashion: 1980-1989

Queens of Music, Masters of Style

One part self-preservation, equal parts boredom and a love of female musicians and the clothes they inspire, this photo project came with strict guidelines: Pay homage to one female musician each year from 1970-2019 who appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 that year using only items already found in my Austin apartment.

1980: Stevie Nicks

“Sara” (Fleetwood Mac) Reaches #7

I grew up with the name Stevie Nicks synonymous in my ears with Fleetwood Mac; it wasn’t until adulthood that I realized quite how far her superpowers reached. Including her solo career, Nicks is one of the best-selling musical acts of all time, having produced more than 40 Top 50 hits. She’s the only woman to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.

Cool. Wikipedia research done. Fashion blogs describe the red threads in Nicks’ style throughout the years as including fringe, tassels, kimonos, leather, and lace. Check to all that in my closet. How to accomplish the “witchy” vibe that also makes an appearance in her outfits? A time-turner necklace from the Harry Potter film franchise, of course.

Fun Fact: This is the first image I shot for the project and was originally going to be the only photo.

1981: Olivia Newton-John

“Physical” Reaches #1

I remember watching Grease and hearing my grandparents comment that Olivia Newton-John did “a pretty good job with the acting,” which is how I learned she was a singer. A singer who, along with 4 Grammys, has been honored with the Order of Australia and the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Nobody can deny the style impact that her Sandy character had - in fact, the anonymous buyer who purchased her leather jacket at auction in 2019 donated the $243,200 in proceeds to cancer research facilities in Australia. But I went with the neon-saturated, leg-warming, headbanded, unnecessarily belted look that appeared in her “Physical” video as a nod to all the 1981 gym rats, of which I absolutely would have been one if given the chance.

1982: Joan Jett

“I Love Rock and Roll” (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts) Reaches #1

Vegetarian, feminist, professional wrestling fan, and surprisingly coy about her sexuality, it’s hard for a woman like me to not admire Joan Jett. Especially upon learning that Jett formed her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. For some reason, the image of a woman in the late 1970s placing a newspaper ad for “three good men,” and holding auditions seems just highly badass.

A fan of Los Angeles’ “glam rock” scene - which she incorporated into her first, all-girl rock band, The Runaways, Jett’s style eventually morphed into an edgier look filled with leather and studs. Since I would place “edgy” right at the bottom of a list of words that would describe my closet, this photo was no easy task. Thankfully, my me’mere’s penchant for leather got me the belt, while her love of motorcycle culture landed me this sweet Harley Davidson top a few years back. Hand of Fatima necklace for extra feminist vibes.

1983: Pat Benatar

“Love is a Battlefield” Reaches #5

Even though I chose Olivia Newton-John to embody the early ‘80s obsession with spandex and aerobic gear, it was Pat Benatar who began popularizing it in the late ‘70s and into the next decade. From 1980-1983, the years she won 4 Grammys in a row for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, she stayed more or less clad in the stuff.

That said, I chose the rag skirts popularized in the 1983 post-apocalyptic video for “Love is a Battlefield” because, well, my spandex collection is limited, while my dress-up box is filled to the brim with tutus, crinoline, and torn pantyhose. The hair is courtesy of a lot of teasing and a little bit of Photoshop, while the pose is hiding my leftover Joan Jett tattoo. Day 1 of shooting came with some mistakes: Namely, permanent marker is not meant for skin, and, other than for this shoot, my green crushed velvet top has no purpose now that I live in sweltering Texas.

1984: Pointer Sisters

“Jump (For My Love")” Reaches #11

I knew the Pointer Sisters as the inspiration behind the (again) spandex-clad scene from my beloved Saved By The Bell, wherein Jessie Spano gets hooked on caffeine pills, the drug beloved by seemingly all white girls in the ‘90s. But it was "Jump (For My Love)” that earned them their Grammy in 1984, and the album cover that led to the outfit in this photo.

Of course, I look nothing like Bonnie, June, Ruth, or Anita Pointer, and the group generally embraced fashion trends of the 1940s as their career was taking off in the late ‘70s. So I went with emulating the song’s album cover - the long skirts, baggy shirts, and belted midriff that characterized the year I came into the world (and the entirety of Shelley Long’s wardrobe in Cheers) have always been my favorites. Repurposing a Wonder Woman wig seemed appropriate.

1985: Madonna

“Material Girl” Reaches #2

She has inspired many, and her own fashion inspirations include Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich. Companies such as Macy’s and Benetton designed entire outfits to capture her "look,” which often included wearing underwear as outerwear. Her friends have included Gianni Versace and Stella McCartney. She somehow got women to embrace the corset again.

Her impact on fashion was anything but temporary - I barely needed an inspiration photo to pull this outfit together, and Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” album was released before I even had object permanence. When we think of the relationship between musicians and designers, we forget that Madonna popularized that dynamic.

1986: Bananarama

“Venus” Reaches #1

In researching girl bands of the 1980s, there was no shortage of options, but Bananarama existed in the crosshairs of the London post-punk scene (they used to live in the Sex Pistols’ rehearsal space) and the more glamorous, feminine style they eventually embraced with their “Venus” video.

Founding members Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward actually met while studying at the London College of Fashion. Even after the success of their 1983 hit “Cruel Summer,” the band continued to make their own clothes, including the infamous bows worn in those dope high ponytails. Pedal pushers were also the name of the game, but I did what I could with biker shorts. Cheap plastic sunglasses for added mid-’80s effect.

1987: Debbie Gibson

“Only In My Dreams” Reaches #4

Let’s talk about Debbie Gibson, or as I like to think of her, “late ‘80s Taylor Swift.” This is a girl who, at 16 years old, wrote the Billboard Top 100 single “Only In My Dreams,” which landed her a record deal. Then, at 17 she became the youngest artist to write, produce, and perform a Billboard number-one single for “Foolish Beat.” You can check her out in the Guinness Book of World Records, because it’s a title she still holds.

I feel like this is enough of a reason to choose Debbie Gibson over Tiffany when trying to capture the “mall pop” look of the late ‘80s, but her signature black hat solidified it. (Hi, Blossom!)

Fun Fact: Remember Bugle Boy jeans? I didn’t until my mother gave me these grey, high-waisted, androgynous pants to rock over Christmas a few years back. They are everything.

1988: Susanna Hoffs

“Hazy Shade of Winter” (The Bangles) Reaches #2

Oh, boy, when I told my mother I was skipping the Bangles for this project, I thought I would be disowned. And she would have been justified - the band’s “Manic Monday” 45 was responsible for not only my ability to properly use a record player but also the awakening that comes from learning the phrase “bedroom voice.”

But when you grow up with Susanna Hoffs, how do you channel her unless you’re sure you’re going to nail it? You don’t. You release yourself from expectation. You toss on your only off-the-shoulder top, throw your hair into a “half up, half down,” as my mother called it, stare at anything but the camera lens, and cross your fingers nobody calls you out for utilizing the portion of your wardrobe that come from H&M instead of thrift stores.

1989: Paula Abdul

“Forever Your Girl,” “Cold Hearted” and “Straight Up” Reach #1

One of my earliest memories was watching my mother vacuum while listening to the song “Straight Up,” one of Abdul’s THREE No. 1 singles in 1989 alone.

My mother’s love for the “Forever Your Girl” album left me fascinated with her, so her history as a former Laker Girl and choreographer for Janet Jackson videos was old news. The fact that she choreographed the famous giant keyboard scene in Big with Tom Hanks was not. But the heavy emphasis on dance choreography in her videos was a big reason the dance-obsessed Westhoff girls ended up with just a little more Paula Abdul than Madonna in their ears.

The outfit - I pulled this together from my memory of the videos. Strapless black dress from “Opposites Attract,” black tights from “Cold Hearted,” and since I don’t have a sparkly bustier to my name, a gold-threaded blazer as a humble stand-in for the “Straight Up” ensemble.