Concerts have always been a place for fans to connect with their favourite artists, but now, fans are making a statement before the music even starts. From Taylor Swift to Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Clairo, music fans are turning concerts into fashion showcases that reflect their favourite artists’ unique styles.
What began as a trend fuelled online through popular videos, evolved into a personal form of expression for fans – one that goes beyond simply showing up for the music. In fact, this trend has had an unexpected but significant impact on the fashion industry, particularly in reducing the harmful cycle of fast fashion. By choosing to create long-lasting pieces or repurpose clothing they already own, they are pushing back against the mass production of disposable garments.
This shift is a subtle yet powerful movement, where creativity and sustainability intertwine, allowing fans to dress in ways that are both stylish and eco-conscious.
One Taylor Swift fan, Ada Papila, crafted a series of outfits for the Eras Tour, and plans to design more looks for upcoming concerts, including Tate McRae’s shows. Her journey into concert fashion started with a simple idea: to recreate her favorite Taylor Swift looks. What began as a fun, DIY project soon transformed into a creative passion.
With each concert, Ada crafted more elaborate outfits, from glittering dresses to intricately rhinestoned bodysuits. But her work isn’t just about mimicking Swift’s style; it’s a personal expression of her creativity and connection to the fandom. Thanks to a viral TikTok post showcasing her Midnights bodysuit, Ada’s designs caught the attention of fans and the fashion world alike, turning her passion into a growing community of like-minded individuals.
Ada shares her creative journey with her 92,000 followers, offering a behind-the-scenes look at her process and the reasons why she does it.
She said: I just loved Taylor’s outfits and tour costumes and it seemed like everyone tended to make them for the Era’s tour. I make each outfit I recreate with my mom so it’s nice to get to spend more time with her and its bonding. I don’t actually have much fashion experience, which some people have found hard to believe. It definitely takes a lot of trial and error and patience.
“Overall I’ve made at least four or five Taylor Swift inspired costumes, the first being the dress she wore to an afterparty in the Midnights era, which was pretty easy, as it only took a pre-made pattern and rhinestones. I’ve made a version of the 1989 two piece set, and I made the red Reputation jumpsuit she wore on the Eras Tour. This one took a little more work as it required sewing, and later into the tour I decided to make the gold version.
” The one I made after was the Lover bodysuit, which was a bigger and longer project as it was made by hand rhinestoning the pattern on it. After that one, I made the one that caught the most attention online – the Midnights body suit. It was a lot of work because of how many different components it has – the rhinestoning, beads and the fringing on the bottom. I wore it on night one in Miami, and I was worried it was just going to fall apart because the rain was so heavy that night, but it was completely fine which I was glad about!”
When choosing which looks to recreate, Ada doesn’t rush into it. “ I take into account if I can actually make it, as well as how much it will cost, how much rhinestoning it will take and how I will find the supplies to make it. I think people love to dress up at concerts as you feel like a part of the community. It’s also a great excuse to dress in sparkles – it’s a cute, fun vibe!”
By amplifying the voices of creators like Ada, social media is helping to shift the narrative from mindless consumption to intentional creation. Ada’s creative efforts have even extended beyond her own wardrobe. “I actually sold around five or six body suits to people who reached out after seeing my outfits online. It’s so nice to see them wear them at the concerts they go to, or even when I get people coming up to me at the concerts who have made outfits using my designs. That tour is such a special memory.”
Ada’s fashion journey even took an exciting turn when she received an invitation to the Eras Tour movie premiere. TaylorNation, the official social media account for Taylor Swift’s fan interactions, directly messaged her to attend.
She shared, “I think I got invited to the Eras tour movie premiere because of the Midnights bodysuit and the attention it caught online. Taylor surprised us in the movie theater, where she said she wanted to personally come along and thank her fans for their support.
“Unfortunately, when I met Taylor, I didn’t tell her about the outfits because I was just so excited to meet her! She also told us in her speech that we had all been hand selected from the extra things we had been doing in support of the tour, which must’ve been the Era’s tour outfits I had been making and posting online!” Although she missed the chance to tell Taylor about all the outfits she’d created, the experience of being invited to the Eras movie premiere only strengthened Ada’s enthusiasm for designing concert outfits, as she continues to share clips she has recorded from concerts, along with plans for other outfits in the future.
Ada’s creative process and creation of costumes for other fans is part of a larger movement toward sustainable fashion. Gaia Rattazzi, a passionate sustainability advocate and fashion consultant behind the Instagram handle @ssustainably_, emphasises, “By avoiding the promotion of fast fashion and instead showcasing creative ways to style clothes, creators can highlight accessible alternatives like secondhand shopping, clothes swaps, and the importance of reusing and sharing items , ultimately encourages more sustainable practices over promoting hauls and overconsumption.”
According to Earth org, 100billion items of clothing are produced a year and 60% of clothes are made with plastic based materials. So, what starts as a fan-driven expression of creativity simultaneously fosters a more eco-conscious approach to fashion, proving that sustainability can emerge organically from the choices we make as consumers. Gaia has a catalogue of tips she has shared to her 45,000 Instagram followers, she advises music fans to: “use what you have first of all, getting creative with existing garments by accessorising or printing/drawing on them. Secondly, share them with friends/borrow from others, ask in your community if anyone has what you need before buying it! And if you do buy new, try to buy it sustainably and reuse it, invest a bit more into it so it lasts and you know you’ll love it, it’ll be worth your money if so.”
However, Ada wants to remind her followers that concerts don’t have to have the added pressure of dressing up, and the stress of creating a brand new artist inspired costume, “I don’t think people should feel like they have to make their outfits, it just depends – it was a fun project and made the outfits feel more special but there’s more pressure to make them look good.
She said :” I think you should wear what you like. There’s nothing wrong with going in a t-shirt and jeans! It’s about having fun and utilising what you have.” For those who do want to make their own outfits though, she offers some valuable insights: “I’d advise anyone making their outfit to take into account the amount of stretch you need if you rhinestone, as the bodysuit will shrink, plan ahead, and definitely use a guideline!”
Concert fashion is more than a fleeting trend – it’s a powerful statement that could help reshape the fashion industry. According to a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the fashion industry is responsible for over 92 million tons of textile waste each year. A significant portion of this waste ends up in landfills, where synthetic fibers can take up to 200 years to decompose.
Gaia adds “From the pesticides used to grow cotton and the toxic substances used in dying and finishing clothes, to the plastic used for synthetic fibres contributing microplastics to the sea and air, the industry is very polluting. Then there’s the exploitation of labour throughout the supply chain, with workers in modern slavery conditions, then there is all the waste from excess production and lack of recycling infrastructure. As a huge globalised industry there are many multifaceted impacts!”
The rise of concert fashion as a form of creative expression is a powerful reminder of how small, personal choices can ripple out and influence larger societal decisions. As this trend continues to grow, it offers a glimpse into a future where fashion isn’t driven by fleeting mass production, but by mindful decisions and a deep connection to the communities we belong to. In this way, the act of dressing up for a concert becomes much more than just an outfit – it becomes a statement about who we are, what we stand for, and the impact we wish to have on the world.
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