Issue 2

365 Party Girl: This Summer's Fashion Dictated by Your Favourite Pop Girls

By: Annabel Lepore

It has always been the job of celebrities, and in particular popstars, to set fashion trends and influence fans. However, with the rise of social media, this seems to have become even more obvious in recent years. 

What comes to mind specifically for me is how now, when people go to concerts to see their favourite artist, there seems to be an unofficial dress code that, essentially, you must dress as the artist, or at the very least around the theme of their album. I first noticed this when attending Harry Styles’ Love on Tour in 2022, where absolutely everyone was dressed in feather boas and cowboy hats, with some attendees even having gone to the effort to recreate one of Harry’s many sequinned, brightly coloured outfits. Ever since then, it seems to be the same for every artist and their live shows, from dressing up as your favourite era when going to see Taylor Swift or wearing sports jerseys at a Tate McRae show.

As a result, many of these fashion trends seen onstage translate into everyday fashion, such as mini shorts, leopard print, tartan and sequins. Here’s some of my favourite popstars that I think have contributed the most to influencing this year’s summer fashion trends.

Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia manages to perfectly blend edgy rockstar with feminine popstar, and this appears to resonate with a lot of people who are taking inspiration from her currently. Take the outfit she wore for her headlining Glastonbury set just a couple of months ago, which I think perfectly sums up her style. She wears a white mini dress with a frilly lace skirt (lace being a very popular material that many are wearing at the moment), contrasted with fishnet tights and Doc Martens, both of which have been wardrobe staples for her since the start of her career.

She is also known to frequently wear graphic t-shirts both on and off stage, especially during the encores of her shows, combined with a pair of mini shorts which have also become a summer staple for this year. These t-shirts showcase a fun and playful side to both her music and personality, and many fans will wear similar or the same tops both in everyday life or when attending one of her shows.

Sabrina Carpenter

It’s clear that everyone is taking inspiration from Sabrina in what they wear this summer. So many elements of her pin up girl aesthetic (established during the release of her album Short n’ Sweet), as well as the more Western Southern Belle aesthetic she is now leaning into seem to be cropping up in everyday fashion. She is often seen wearing gingham, both in music videos and in public, as well as cowboy boots paired with her naturally curly hair.

In addition to her clothes, she has also become synonymous with a very specific type of makeup which people have been recreating. In particular, Sabrina’s makeup is best known for its excessive amount of blush, as well as a lined lip that stands out amongst the rest of her look. 

However, what Sabrina is often considered most iconic for is her onstage outfits, especially her sparkly two pieces and chunky platform boots. These outfits often feature heart shaped cutouts, typically on the boot or on the chest, and if you go to one of her concerts this summer you can be sure to find a sea of fans recreating this look.

Charli XCX

Charli represents the anti-popstar in comparison to the artists previously discussed, and this is reflected in the clothes that she wears. Her style can be summed up as minimalist and edgy, reflecting the grungy, hyperpop elements of her music and alluding to the streetwear style of the 1990’s and 2000’s. 

Like Olivia, Charli is also often seen in mini shorts, but in her case these are leather and typically paired with a plain white tank top and knee-high boots. She can also often be seen in lace or sheer clothing items, both of which have been frequently appearing in current trends, whether that be other celebrities’ outfits or people’s everyday fashion. But most iconic are her black wraparound sunglasses that she wears practically all of the time, including at her own wedding earlier this summer in July. These have become synonymous with maintaining her brand image and style of being an effortlessly cool popstar.

Overall, it is clear that both celebrities and popular culture have tremendous influence on our style and the way that we dress: and this summer it is pop stars that are paving the way in setting these fashion trends. Given that we can see many of the styles that they are wearing everywhere, both online and in person, they seem to be doing a pretty good job of setting the trends, and I don’t think that this will be changing anytime soon.