“Taylor Swift concert outfit ideas.” I have been scrolling through Pinterest to find the perfect outfit to wear for my show of the Eras Tour. I found this gorgeous glittery skirt that resembles my favorite song from her album Folklore, called Mirrorball. I clicked on the link to my desired skirt and it jumps to an online shop, Cider. It says that the skirt is 3000 yen.
It’s a bit expensive but manageable, I say to myself, ultimately convincing myself that the skirt is worth the money, so I clicked buy.
Do you think this was an ethical decision? Well, I know it wasn’t the best choice.
In the age of social media, every concert, every artist/album has its own “aesthetic.” For Harry Styles “Love On Tour”, it was the feather boas, cowboy hats and anything pink. Taylor Swift on the other hand doesn’t have one specific theme, you just have to wear something that is related to one era.
Every fan goes out their way to buy an outfit to perfectly fit that aesthetic.
Well, the problem to this is consumerism.
Knowing that these concert aesthetic is a trend, continuing and evolving through Tiktok, clothing brands hopped on the trend.
Cider, Princess Polly and other clothing brands even have a section for “festival/concert outfits,” selling fancy glittery playful pieces of clothing at an affordable price.
However, like you have probably realized, these concert outfits aren’t something that we could wear on a daily basis (you could, but most people probably won’t), and the clothing materials aren’t made to last. They’re cheap and bought for a one-use situation because of their low quality and short popularity. So, most people end up throwing them away. According to Teenvogue’s article, “Single-Use Outfits for Music Festivals Account for Approximately $307 Million Worth of Items Per Year.”
This amount of clothings are thrown away after the concert is over.
As it is easy to image, these actions are severely damaging the environment. The fashion industry produces 20 percent of more global waste water and 10% more carbon emission than iinternational flights and shipping through the ocean (united Nations Environmental Program, 2018).
But at the same time, I know how fun it is to dress up for concerts. Concerts give me an excuse to wear the most glittery, fun outfit that I wouldn’t wear normally. Plus, it is a perfect opportunity to explore a new style! Maybe the artist you are going to see has a total different aesthetic than you, making you want to explore a new style of clothes! You may discover new genre of clothes that you like!
Also, the preparing process is one of the most fun and memorable experience you will have. Scrolling through Pinterest, finding ideas for your outfit, and planning it with your friends.
Do you think we will we able to do this ethically?
I think the biggest problem is that we don’t want to rewear the concert fit. We don’t want to post the same outfit twice on Instagram or any kind of social media. We really need to let go of the idea of outfit repeating being bad. It is not. Hurting the environment is worst than posting same outfit twice on Instagram. Even if it’s the same outfit, you can style it with different accessories, too!