In case I haven’t harped enough about letting the way you dress and present yourself say something about your personality, I have another example for you. It came to me as I was sitting at a concert this weekend at Turner Hall with my dad. I think that some of the coolest and most stylish outfits come from musicians onstage and offstage. On this particular evening I went to see bluegrass/folk artist Carrie Rodriguez in an acoustic set with Pieta Brown and Kelly Joe Phelps. Aside from the foot tapping, instruments talking to each other, rad show that the three put on, I was struck by the manner in which each dressed and the way in which this paralleled their musical personalities.
Today I would like to share with you four artists who, I think, let their personalities shine through on stage and off not only in the music they play, but the particular attention they pay to their style. I’ll offer as a disclaimer that I’m a bit of a bluegrass nut, so the majority of my inspiration comes from the banjo plucking, mandolin playing artists of this genre.
1. Carrie Rodriguez: Aside from the fact that I want to transplant her hair onto my head (I’m obsessed with her big curls), Carrie has a stylish country thing going on that makes me remarkably envious of her wardrobe. At Turner Hall she wore bright aqua tights with a black polka dot dress and black booties. It was a fabulous way to incorporate the bright tights look without going too overboard. In general though, you will see Carrie in a comfy cotton blouse, high waisted jeans that fit just right, and shoes that make you feel bad for how long her toes have to stand onstage but leave you wondering where she got them so you can pick up a pair yourself. The smoky eyes and light tinted lip stain is enough to make anyone swoon. In short, she rules. Check out a jam of hers here.
2. Sarah Jarosz: Sarah kind of dresses like she lives in a Jane Austen novel. And it completely works for her. Her sultry, rich voice is paired just right with big brown curls, minimal makeup and floral dresses with lace and ruffles. She’s a walking vintage shopping success story, and reminds us that designer labels aren’t necessary to look fantastic. One of my favorite songs here.
3. Leslie Feist: You’ve probably noticed a trend at this point… all three artists have fabulous, thick brown hair that I would just love to have myself. And Leslie Feist, more commonly known by just her last name, is no exception. The woman can pull off the straight across bang better than just about everyone. Yes, better than Zooey Deschanel for sure. Aside from her rad bangs, Feist might be the only woman in the history of women to pull off a fedora EXTREMELY well. There’s something about her simple wardrobe that sticks primarily to denim and comfy cotton tees that works so enchantingly for her. And allows her to pull off the fedora (no, Hilary, you can’t remotely do it justice). Feist’s no nonsense look is exactly what she goes for in her music, particularly my fav, and it rules.
4. Chris Thile: Originally of the band Nickel Creek, and now of The Punch Brothers, Chris Thile might be my original style crush. I remember seeing him at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival when I was about 15 and falling head over heels for the singer/mandolin player/guy in a suit onstage during the Nickel Creek set. And I still feel the same way after seeing him live about five times. Yes, he always wears a suit when he performs, and yes he always looks fabulous. I know little to nothing about men’s suits, but Chris Thile sure does know how to wear one. Drool over him here. Yes ladies, I think he still might be single…
Who do you think are the best dressed musical artists?
Ps. I’m going to try this new thing where I post inspiration from my post each week on Pinterest. I’ll feature places to get looks that I talk about in the post for that week, as well as anything else that might pertain to the post. Be sure to check it out if you’re interested. Here is the link to this week’s board.