Rock and roll and fashion have been intertwined from the moment that Elvis Presley first shook his hips. The exciting sounds of this music first emerged during the 1950s and they launched a ‘youthquake’ that changed everything – including the way young people dressed.
Rock and roll was the beginning of teenage fashion as younger generations were no longer happy to dress like their parents. The look has evolved alongside the music though.
Origins of Rock and Roll Style
Although there have been changes in rock and roll fashion over the decades, certain items have remained central to the look. From the very start, it has been heavily influenced by the image of motorcycle riders – ‘bikers’ – and that means it has some basic, distinct elements.
An example of that would be blue jeans. They have been a key feature of rock and roll fashion across all time periods, usually in a deliberately faded distressed biker denim style.
That is not to say that this was always the dominant look though. In the 1950s, biker jeans and leathers competed with drape jackets, drainpipe trousers and winklepickers to define the rock and roll look.
However, the latter fell out of favor after the 1950s and the Mods versus Rockers era of the following decade really saw the biker-inspired image become the one that defined rock fashion. It could be argued that subsequent developments like the ‘glam’ rock of the 1970s changed that, but most view these as pop rather than rock and roll fashion.
Essential Elements of Rock and Roll Fashion
Achieving the basic rock look is not particularly difficult. The key signifiers are so universal that almost everyone knows what they are. Here is a breakdown of them:
Jeans
These can either be straightforward blue jeans, often Levi’s (their 501s are almost as iconic in the rock and roll world as tattoos and Jack Daniels) or they can be ripped and faded for the distressed look. The latter is popular in the harder rock and metal scenes that emerged during the 1970s and 1980s, while standard blue jeans create more of an indie or classic rock look.
Women who want to rock the style while distinguishing themselves from the men usually wear a denim skirt or short leather one, which was popularized by singers like Cher in the 1980s.
Jacket
You have two main choices when it comes to picking a rock and roll jacket. The first is a denim one. This should match the jeans, so choose it based on whether they are distressed or not and add band patches to create the hard rock look.
The other option is a black leather jacket. Again, this comes from the biker world and has been central to rock and roll fashion right from the start. Marlon Brando in ‘The Wild One’ helped to popularize the item among rock fans.
T-shirt
Rockers rarely wear shirts – the jeans, boots and denim or leather jacket are usually combined with a t-shirt. To get the classic look, pick a plain white one, but band t-shirts are also a key part of rock and roll fashion.
Adapting the Look for 2024
There are ways that these elements can be subtly adapted for the current era. Androgyny and gender bending are concepts crucial to youth culture in 2024 and can be applied to rock music fashion too.
Hairstyles are a great way to do that. For men, this can mean long hair perhaps combined with makeup. That will nod to 1970s rock fashion icons like Kiss while also blending masculine and feminine coded imagery.
For women, combining the denim or leather with a 1950s rocker ‘duck-tail quiff’ will create the same impression.
Alternatively, you can go for the timeless rocker look that we have detailed above.
Rock and roll will remain an influence on many industries for years to come. This is down to its uniqueness and the power and history behind the look. It is not only influential on recent fashion trends and looks but the notion of the music is returning due to mainstream films focusing highly on the rock of ages and creating exceptional soundtracks the not only older generation love, but it is introducing that era of music to younger generations.
