If your algorithm is anything like mine, your feed will currently be flooded with 3 different schools of concert lewks: silver metallic looks for Beyoncé’s Renaissance, romantic looks for Taylor Swift’s Eras, and some combination of hearts/feathers/sequins for Harry Styles’ Love On Tour.
Now, if you know me, you’ll know I love being a fangirl. I wrote my master’s dissertation defending it as a title, it’s the core thing many people would associate me with, it’s a big part of my life so far.
I also love Harry Styles: because a) I’m a middle-class white girl in my 20s but also b-z) because I have eyes, ears, and excellent taste (I regret many things from my teenage years, but becoming obsessed with One Direction is not one of them.)
And yet: I will not be dressing up for his gig tomorrow.
There are loads of reasons I could blame for this decision: the forecast of 28 degrees, which makes synthetic fabrics a no-go (yes, I am a 50 year old at heart); my eczema, which makes feather boas impossible; my irritable disposition, which means the slightest inconvenience and I would be unbearable (this would have made me APOPLECTIC); and my experience of Ira Glass’ Gap for every craft project I’ve ever made, which means I could never count on a me-made outfit as a viable option.
(Special shout out to go to my pal Nerrisa, who — because she is truly one of a kind — looked at Beyoncé’s Loewe bodysuit tour look and thought “yeah that’s possible to recreate”. Special shoutout also goes to Tiktok user saiddineo who commented ““if anybody is thinking of making it themselves, it’s super easy” now ma’am”, which is one of my favourite explanations of the joy of knowing Nerrisa that I’ve ever heard.)
Another reason is: I don’t enjoy fancy dress. I know this is very off-brand for someone who’s entire thing is enthusiasm; and I love fancy dress for other people. I love the idea of fancy dress, even, the creativity and the theme brainstorming; I’ve just never been able to do it with enough conviction myself.
Of course, while some people at HSLOT are undoubtedly in fancy dress - as Crayola, for example, or Teletubbies, or bananas (two bananas for a pound, three bananas for a eurooooo) - some people are just dressing fancy. They may even be dressing as their most authentic self in a space where they feel truly safe to do so; Gemma Styles has called her brothers’ crowds “the most joyful ever”.
I didn’t even know I felt particular pressure with my HSLOT outfit until I came upon a Tiktok of a girl who was attending one of his nights in Edinburgh last month. She wore a floral midi skirt, a Ganni tee, and a black fabric waistcoat. Though there were no hallmarks of a traditional Harry outfit — no sequins, no love hearts, no feather boa — she looked great; cute, fun and fashionable but practical and low-maintenance too. I literally, audibly breathed a sigh of relief - a release of all the worry about my outfit that I’d been keeping in without knowing.
Why was I so worried? Because I didn’t want people to think I was a bad fan. I didn’t want people to think I didn’t care, I wasn’t invested, that I didn’t get it. But what I should have been remembering is: there’s no one way to be a fan. If you love the idea of going all out for your outfit, then you should. If you prefer to just go for jeans and a tee, then that’s what you should do. If you want to get standing tickets, go off — if you prefer the safety of a seat, that’s cool too. Hell, if you love a band or artist but don’t enjoy concerts so never see them live, that’s also totally ok: you’re no less real a fan for doing so.
In fact, the only thing that makes you less of a fan is judging someone else on how they’re choosing to enjoy their time.
My niece has been rocking the feather boa look as she has followed the tour this summer, I love her look and am secretly jealous. But I know if I was the one in my 20s going to his gigs I'd definitely be adopting the low maintenance look too.