Leather, Lace & Lethal Vocals: Women of Metal Fashion

(Pinterest Board for more inspo)

@karl_s_music

Female fronted bands and artists are becoming more comfortable expressing femininity. Whether this be a ‘Coquette’ style we see from Poppy or Countess Dracula from Amira Elfeky. In a community with hundreds of subsections of styles on top of the never ending weekly trends, artists are becoming less afraid of expressing themselves.

So what does this mean?

Honestly, I love following my favourite artists as an inspiration for music, it’s an added bonus that I can also look to them for style ideas. One of my personal favourites being Courtney LaPlante from Spiritbox. Her latest outfits include custom body chains alongside statement leather pieces that create a unique silhouette. Not only does this compliment her physically, but also the music. It’s a perfect reflection of the hard edge that we see from Spiritbox while embodying the romantic side.

Then you have artists like Emily Armstrong of Linkin Park. While her outfits aren’t obviously hyper-femme, she has a stylistic appeal to those that prefer a grungier appearance. That’s not to say her outfits are not still feminine in their own way. This is evident in her use of chunky chains and rings amongst other accessories.

Which has led me to ask, has something in the industry got anything to do with it?

The women of metal fashion aren’t afraid to express themselves rather than pretending to be what fans want them to be. With the rise in social media having the ability to sniff out a lie a million miles off, being genuine is naturally safer. It goes without saying that cancel culture has made its name on ‘outing’ celebrities that lie for the sake of selling snake oil to impressionable fans. So why risk being fake? Especially when authenticity is what most metal-heads pride themselves on.

But I don’t think this is because the industry is becoming more forthcoming to self expression. The industry is wide-open to profitability, and what’s more profitable than being unique in an oversaturated market? You could argue it’s easier to sell a product if the majority likes the same thing, but when it comes to music industry, you need to stand out.

What better way to do that than with your appearance? Which will always be my favourite canvas.