Sex, Drugs and Rockin' Clothes

I can’t quite remember the point I became enamored with all things rock ‘n roll. Maybe it was in 1989 when my cousin Joanne and her then-boyfriend picked me up to take me for a joyride in her red convertible blasting Winger from the speakers. It could have been when I staged imaginary shows with leftover Halloween pumpkins imagining they were Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders. Or it could have been the moment when, en route to church with a friend, her mother asked what kind of music we wanted to hear and I instantly belted out, “Rock ‘n roll!” I’d just barely entered the first grade.

Nearly if not equally as influential as its music, the fashion of rock ‘n roll has been iconic throughout the decades. From Elvis’ rhinestone-studded leather getups to David Bowie’s acid rainbow of Ziggy Stardust costumes to Axl Rose’s kilts, the clothes worn by rockers over the decades have defined them almost as much as their riffs. Even styles that weren’t initially accepted—glam rock bands such as Poison were often slammed by critics at the dawn of that genre, and Joan Jett herself was dubbed “Diamond Dog” in high school—ended up going platinum. It should be no surprise, then, how giddy with excitement I was when I opened up to the First Look page of Elle to discover their own special tribute to Axl in his Welcome to the Jungle days, fingerless gloves and all.

By the time fall rolls around, most are ready to stash their sundresses and indulge in some darker fall fashion. And it seems that every year many of the fall collections are somehow influenced by rock ‘n roll style. This season’s offerings, however, look especially tantalizing. I was never a big fan of Justin Timberlake; far from being a boy-band groupie in junior high, I was one of those rebel chicks who blasted the Offspring and (what is now considered) old-school Green Day and mocked N’Sync as “N’Stink”. However, a certain leather jacket from his William Rast line has succeeded in making me salivate as much as some of the girls in my seventh-grade class did when his golden ‘fro graced the cover of YM magazine. This is no ordinary leather jacket: both fringed and studded, it picks up right where the King’s signature embellished capes left off. It’s one of those things that you will wear eternally and will never fail to make your mother grimace. But then again, much like rebel music, that’s the point of rebel fashion, isn’t it?

Clothes aren’t the only part of a rocker’s wardrobe that bask in the limelight.I have a pair of suede double-platform boots that the same cousin who took me for a spin in her red convertible twenty years ago calls my “Paul Stanley boots”. Not surprisingly, I was honored. And if he took a gander at the fall ’09 shoes that have just begun to emerge, I think Paul Stanley himself would do a double take. Giuseppe Zanotti has created an amazing set of ankle boots for Balmain that just rock hard; made of soft black leather, they are positively screaming for Sid Vicious with their myriad zippers. Catherine Malandrino has created an over-the-knee style with a biker-esque wing Bret Michaels would possibly go gaga over. Juicy Couture has just released a style with a gold-studded strap slung around the ankle, and both Michael Kors and Loeffler Randall boast multi-buckle booties. And Christian Louboutin has just released a piece of studded leather deliciousness that would have all four members of KISS bolting to Neiman Marcus to snap up their own pair.

So does the look reflect the genre, or vice versa? I’d say it’s a bit of both. After all, hair bands only received their moniker from untamed (and Aqua-netted) manes such as Bon Jovi’s, and the word “grunge” was interchangeable in referring to either the music or the fashion trend. I also find it more than a tad poseurish when many of today’s pop tarts belt out sugary Top-40 singles in heavy-metal studs and leather. Same with fashionistas who don’t have a clue about rock ‘n roll but just want in on the trend because some magazine editor said so. So yes, if you see me around on the street you’d admit I do take my style cues from Axl Rose sometimes. But chances also are that I don’t see you because I’m zoning out to his heavenly screaming.