What to Wear: The Concert Edition

We asked fashionable visitors at Getty’s first two Off the 405 concerts this season—aja monet and Hunx and His Punx—how music inspires both their concert fits and daily wear. Check out some of their eye-catching looks below, and get tickets to upcoming Off the 405 concerts!

Carolina

At aja monet

Throughout my life I’ve always been obsessed with music videos and fashion shows. Two years ago, I finally got a sewing machine so I’ve been on a sewing journey and experimenting more with my looks and different textures and patterns. Recently I’ve been very inspired by Chappell Roan. I just love a lot of her bombastic outfits. I started following the designers that have worked with her and I’ve been grabbing inspiration from that.

Yolanda

At aja monet

Music is art and we are a work of art. So dressing is art—I’m creating what I want to look like.

People say to me, “Do you wear the same thing twice?” Yes, I do, but I don’t wear it the same way.

I have been a vintage collector for 40 years, and I’ve always mixed and matched eras because you don’t get caught up in just one. And fashion rotates every 20 years. Women dress according to how they feel, because dressing is an expression of yourself—and it’s also another way of loving yourself. We’re not socialized to be that way. We’re socialized to wear this or that. It’s freedom when you’re able to just wear what you want.

Johnny

At aja monet

Music doesn’t inspire my outfits as much as it should.

I feel if the definition of music is that of, like, vibration creation, then I feel like I have an improv jazz aesthetic. I’m just like improv-ing it and following spirit.

Carisa

At aja monet

I definitely listen to music while I’m getting ready and choosing outfits. My outfits are decided by how I’m feeling, and music helps guide that.

I really love SAILORR’s new FROM FLORIDA’S FINEST DELU/XXX album. That’s what I’ve been listening to this week. And I’m just feeling colorful, vibrant. I’m very bubbly, bright, energetic. I like a lot of fluffy things and toys. And I love pink and blue.

Cameron

At aja monet

Rather than listening to music, I’m more inclined to watch a performance while I’m getting dressed. Usually I’m getting dressed for a show, so I’ll put on one of my favorite live performances from one of my favorite artists, and that really gets me, like, in my bag.

Chameleon

At aja monet

So actually my name is Chameleon, like the lizard that changes colors. And as you know, a chameleon is naturally green. So I always love emerald green. And then, of course, the Bible talks a lot about trees. And so I love the fact that they give life, give vitality and youth. That is so important in a world that can feel gray.

I knew the concert would be more of an Afro type of vibe, so I went with something more Afro-Asiatic, mixing the northeastern part of Africa with the southern part.

Anytime I put on an outfit, I listen to songs for inspiration. I’m already getting in the mood, I’m getting in the vibe, I’m setting an intention.

Jade

At Hunx and His Punx

What I listen to in the morning or through the day or week always inspires my outfits. Recently it’s been a lot of K-pop, so I’m trying to go for more Japanese street fashion or gyrau or even hime looks.

I think their fashion is really cool and very out there, which I love. Because we’re here today at Hunx and His Punx, I think I went a bit more on the classic side, something a little more punk, something very easy to wear, and something that will at least cool me down throughout the night.

Daniel

At Hunx and His Punx

A lot of my aesthetic, fashionwise, comes from a lot of the music I listen to, like early rock and roll or punk. And I’ll throw in some rockabilly and some ska. I take little bits and pieces from everything that I like—let’s just mash it all up.

I think [fashion] is more about feeling it for yourself—whatever feels right to you—and embracing that. Do whatever you want to do, whatever makes you feel good. Ultimately, aesthetically if you like it, you %&$#ing like it. And that’s it.

Bree

At Hunx and His Punx

Under this I’m wearing a band shirt. I wear a lot of band shirts. I wake up and a lot of times the first thing I do is put on a record. I listen to a lot of vinyl, and it kind of sets the tone for my whole day. So does the way I dress. The way we dress can be a huge way to reclaim our bodies and reclaim the way we feel about ourselves. Sometimes music can be a part of that–whether it’s the band on the shirt or just setting the tone for the day.

I live with chronic illness and chronic pain, and it is baseline just hard. Like, life is hard. Putting on music can lift the spirit no matter how much pain I’m in or how sick I am. Sometimes it’s part of the medicine. Literally. Everybody will listen to different music just depending on what’s going on in their life. So it’s not always a specific genre or artist, but that’s the medicine for life.

A huge part of my identity is being a fat person and being a liberated fat person. So I seek out fat artists and fat musicians, and that’s another part of lifting my spirit and being reminded that fat people are so %&$#ing cool. Finding those fat musicians who made incredible music reminds me that no matter how much pain I'm in, if they’re amazing, I’m amazing. And so is every other fat person.

Jonnie

At Hunx and His Punx

A lot of rock stars and pop stars have really great styles. So I feel like I channel a lot of that energy. I think about how Freddie Mercury used to wear crazy onesies. David Bowie used to wear unconventional silhouettes, like bodysuits or flared pants. Or I think about Blondie wearing a cool hat and a ripped-up shirt.

Sometimes something really simple can be elevated and brought to life by just styling it with that whole rock-and-roll vibe so it feels a bit effortless but it’s also high impact and cool.

Roz

At Hunx and His Punx

I’m usually more inspired by razzle-dazzle and colors than by music. People need to embrace colors more; recently I’ve shown up and everybody has on black and white and beige, and I’m wearing tangerine and ostrich feathers and rhinestones, and everybody’s like, “Wow, look at you!” And I’m like, “You could do it too!” But it also makes me feel like I’m giving them something fun to look at. I like to have fun.

I’m very casual tonight, but I’m usually a lot of this [points to neon pink rhinestone bracelet] and a lot of crazy, wild fun. A little bit sexy, but still colorful and over the top. Nothing girl next door, unless you live next door to Bob Mackie’s dumpster.

Julia

At Hunx and His Punx

If I’m going to a concert, I want to wear something I can only wear in that environment. Every concert is like a party in the LGBTQ+ community, especially with smaller bands. You feel like you’re part of this organism that’s bigger than yourself.

I also listen to a lot of music when I’m picking out my outfit. Tonight I listened to a Hunx and His Punx playlist that had a lot of Shannon and the Clams on it, and it made me feel really nostalgic. It had a lot of 2000s era queer punk offerings. Nowadays I don’t get that sense of packing all my teenager friends into my car and driving to a concert. But tonight kind of made me feel like that again.

Jerico

At Hunx and His Punx

Currently I’m dressing based on how my hair is looking. Right now it’s red and black, so I like dressing with reds and blacks. But I like to change it up whenever, and that change sometimes depends on the music I’m listening to. If I’m sad, I’m going to dress more casual. If I’m excited, in a happy mood, like, listening to Kim Petrus, I’m going to just go crazy, girl.

Oscar

At Hunx and His Punx

Music inspires my outfits in every sense—ripped-up shirt, ripped pants, my earrings. Everything about what I’m wearing goes hand in hand with punk. I love the whole movement of ‘77, ‘82 punk rock. Those were iconic eras.