I need... wardrobe advice

[Aceman]

Best advice I ever heard about this was on this board: You should be easily identified as being in the band, even when not on stage. (That means NOT a waiter...)

Also: The band should have a cohesive look. That means someone isn't in a cool pair of jeans, dress boots, a nice T, and a blazer, while someone is wearing sandals, cargo shorts, and a bowling shirt.

Finally - dress for the genre/ocassion. Classic rock? Faded tight denim, stylin' patterned button downs. Wedding? Tux. Country - Western wear. 80's, skinny ties or Spandex.

I'm in an 80's hair tribute band. That means hair also...

 

[richntiff]

So, I attended a local 'pick off' - battle of the country bands style contest this past weekend. Wardrobe choices were interesting.... There was one band that came up from the Milwaukee area - they had a sort of cohesive look, the lead singer 'star', drummer, and guitarist all had the modern country pretty boy suburbs sort of alternative thing. Then... the bass player. He was wearing ratty old tennis shoes, a pair of baggy lounge pants, and a too big hoody. I swear to god he looked like he had just rolled out of bed. Another band - the one that actually won the event - had the same mix going. The lead singer (female), guitarist, and drummer all were dressed in the yuppie country, wide flat brimmed hats, fixing to sip on a latte' and cruise Insta after wrangling the cows home kind of thing. The bass player? Untucked, baggy flannel, no hat, looked like he really wanted to be playing in a Nirvana tribute band. His look would have worked - in a different band.

Starting to wonder if we are the problem?

 

[definenredefine]

Starting to wonder if we are the problem?

My band has...rule, I guess, of wearing black and red. I recently asked about wearing a white t-shirt. So, I certainly am the problem.

Also, re: yuppie country - reminds me of an old SNL sketch with Garth Brooks (that I can't seem to find video of) wherein he describes his stage routine as "cowboy stuff," to the bewilderment of his actual cowboy friends. Pretty funny sketch.

 

[51PRI]

Try to establish a cohesive look with the rest of the band:

 

[Nebadon2000]

Dark pants [jean/leather] solid color T-shirt, 2/3 inch Beatle type boot and thin light trench coat
if you don't have great hair find a hat that works

 

[panzerfaust]

What do y'all wear for "rockstar vibe" gig wear?

I can't do just a t-shirt, it gets too yanked around and the neck ends up getting stretched.

"casual" dress shirts work sometimes.

I haven't found a fest I like, but I gotta have a second layer.

Casual blazer?

if you named your band "adam the ancestor" then my suggestion go natural as maximum" as you can be
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get naked

 

[Eilif]

I lean into the country rock look. Flashy Western shirt, well fitted jeans, cowboy boots. Usually a couple pieces of jewelry. Always try to look right for the band and different from the audience.

A good haircut, well styled, is always a plus.

These kind of conversations though can be less useful if we didn't know what the band looks like.

Here's the thing about clothing, and this includes gig clothing: at some point, you are going to have to buy clothing from someplace that isn't Goodwill or TJ Maxx. That may be fine for bumming around in your personal life, but if you want to look good onstage, you're going to have to do some research and spend a little money.

Just to defend the resale and bargain folks. You do not have to spend much money to look great and own great quality clothes. You can be the best dressed in the room and shop at Goodwill, TJ Maxx, etc. I often am, and nearly everything I wear is resale.

Just know that you have to be the kind of person who shops relatively often and is choosy. If you expect to find great clothes every time you enter the Goodwill, the resale style game is probably not for you.

Put another way, major cash savings on quality goods is not particularly hard but usually comes from an investment in time spent searching for the best pieces.