Harry Styles’ own wardrobe has helped shape trends and foster conversations about queer baiting and gender identity through fashion – but for his fervent fans, dressing up to see him perform is simply a way to express creativity, devotion and joy.
Throughout the singer’s seemingly never ending Love on Tour, which began in Las Vegas in 2021 and is set to end in Italy in July, crowds of devotees – known as Harries and Stylers – have developed a distinctive and instantly recognisable concert style.
Sequins and rhinestones, watermelon, cherry and other fruit motifs, cowboy hats, jumpsuits, adidas sneakers (dubbed “satellite stompers” by fans), vintage-sourced versions of Harry’s own vintage-inspired Gucci wardrobe, and DIY crochet and hand painting have all become instant style signifiers that you’re part of the fandom. Feather boas, inspired by the three Gucci faux-feather boas Harry wore to the 2021 Grammys, reportedly sell out in each city he visits, a rainbow of feathery detritus littering the floor of each concert post show.
Months of planning and preparation can go into a look, with fans young and old enthusiastically sharing them on social media; the hashtag #HSLOTOutfit has 22k posts on Instagram and 494M views on TikTok. It reflects the deep obsession that surrounds Harry – from way back to his boy band One Direction days through to the gossip-filled acting roles today – as well as his team’s skill in creating an aesthetic and a confidence in experimenting with fashion. His regular crowd interaction, spotting signs and other bold statements, surely helps feed the need to dress up to stand out, too.
Ahead of the star’s Auckland show, we talked to three hardcore local fans about their planned ensembles – and what Harry’s style means to them.
Sarah Mohammed
Part of the HSLOT Auckland fan project – a social media plan to create fan-driven ‘moments’ at shows – Sarah has been devising her show outfit since before the show was even announced, collaborating with a friend from Kuwait and the owner of Brisbane-based business The Volt on a custom look.
Featuring flared pants and a crop top in shiny black snakeskin and black and white print fabric, it’s adorned with TPWK – “one of my top Harry songs, my number plate and also one of my fave Harry messages”. For non-Harry Styles fans, that’s an acronym for ‘Treat People with Kindness’. Sarah’s paired it with a customised denim jacket with other Harry motifs like Harry’s house (his album), watermelon (his song Watermelon Sugar), and two ghosts (his song Two Ghosts).
For Sarah, the concerts offer a safe space for fans to dress up and express themselves without judgement. “Harry’s created such a fun, safe and loving environment for his fans that we feel that we can show up wearing our best outfits and not be judged for it,” she says. “We also get full creative control because we know no one will judge whatever our mind comes up with.”
Sarah’s been a Harry fan since 2011, growing up with One Direction but leaving the fandom just before the band went on hiatus. She ‘returned’ in 2020 at the beginning of lockdown, “when I was seeking out good times and peace, and listening to One Direction gave me a sense of nostalgia and took me back to a better time in life and Harry’s music did the same”. During the pandemic she also connected with like-minded local fans through group chats online – many of whom, like Sarah, have also been waiting for years to see the musician live.
As for Harry’s own on-stage look, Sarah is unbothered. “I hope Harry wears something Kiwi related but tbh, he could wear a potato sack and still look gorgeous. And like, I’m seeing Harry Styles, so his outfit certainly does not matter.”
Yawynne Yem
“Everything has been planned from hair accessories, down to undies. This whole outfit has been a team effort,” jokes Yawynne, whose look reflects her fashion background and history as a hardcore Harry and One Direction fan with a 1D fan Twitter account from the age of 12-16. “I think the spirit of being a former fangirl has possessed me, because honestly prepping for this show has sent my bank account into the grave.”
Her outfit plans have been stressful, and over a year in the making. A plan to wear a very specific shimmer dress by the Copenhagen-based brand Saks Potts was foiled when it sold out everywhere (she even emailed the brand directly).
“My friends have called me psychotic, but I like to blame it on the fact that I also work in fashion so… It matters, you know?” she says. The look – which may change again before the show – includes a Y/Project top (“which came from a raid of my very chic friend Georgie’s wardrobe during major stress hours for this show”), wrap skirt by local brand Molly Perkinsons and Rachel Mills bra. Her hair clips are by Amber Sceats, the bag is vintage from the Karori Salvation Army and the belt is handmade using beads from her Mum’s old bracelet, “for good luck”. She planned to ask her friend Caitlin Snell to make her an XL hair bow, but worried she’d block other people’s view.
“Being a fashion girlie, I hold a real emotional connection to my clothes and the outfits which I plan for special events. I wanted a fun outfit which reflected my everyday style, with a bit of extra fun injected into it. And if I’m going to be spending stupid money, it also has to be something I can rewear!”
The passion going into the look also harks back to her teenage years as a One Direction obsessive, when her parents “very kindly, and stupidly” let her fly to Sydney to see the band. “I have the most vivid memory of seeing the scary older girls dressed so cool. So even though I still look 12 most days, I’d hope my little baby self would look at me and think I was dressed well.”
That teenage obsession is still there, but has shifted. “I think now, it’s more about me than him. Because obviously, the Harry Styles that we’re all going to see at Mt Smart almost doesn’t exist? Everyone in that crowd’s idea of him will be so different, you know?
“I also think that it’s probably more about me because it’s a way of staying connected to my inner teenage girl. Being a devout fan was so formative to who I am nowadays, I think it really allowed me to develop confidence in expressing my passions. Because loving One Direction certainly was not the coolest thing to do at certain points... The time I spent around other fans during my early teens really cultivated that fearless confidence. It’s so special! People love to diss fangirls but honestly, they’re f…ing smart and swag.”
She also holds value in his symbolic role as a constant throughout her life so far. “It's pretty special because as life gets hard as you get older, and it’s heart-warming to think that I’ve had Harry as a constant form of escapism over the past decade. God, my dream is to one day just be able to sit down and have a two-hour long convo with him over a couple of negronis, in the corner of a bar.”
Yawynne traces the wider fandom’s passion for dressing up for Harry’s tour to old One Direction folklore. “In 2012, it was MASSIVE to dress like the One Direction boys for the concerts e.g. striped shirt and suspenders for Louis Tomlinson, varsity jacket for Zayn, red polo for Niall. Google it and you will be transported back in time. I think it’s reminiscent of this type of spirit,” she says.
“But also, you know how when people first start dating each other and they begin to start dressing like each other? This is a simple and human factor too – wanting to look like someone you love. Aww. For the fans who can’t afford front row tickets or overpriced merch, it also means that they’re able to curate their own piece of memorabilia to take home and store in their wardrobe.”
Katie Stewart
DIY creations have become a key part of how Harry’s fans express themselves for shows, whether it be crocheting, hand painting or creating a look from scratch. For Katie, it was an extension of her own artwork, and a chance to update a denim jumpsuit that was already in her wardrobe – while not breaking the budget.
“As a student, the budget is quite important. Doing DIY meant that I only spent a couple dollars to create a whole new outfit. And as an artist this also gave me another outlet to showcase my work.”
She’d been thinking about her concert look since the show was announced in April 2022, but began painting her jumpsuit in January; inspired by Australian artist Emily Ingham’s portraits.
“I love all things art and I've done a few paintings on denim jackets before, so I was really keen to add some designs to the jumpsuit,” Sarah explains. “I began by painting the Love on Tour logo on the back all by hand and then decided to do a portrait in the middle, which is of him in his colourful, sequined jumpsuit from Coachella.”
H and S are painted in silver on the bum (another Coachella influence), with diamantés glued around the outside, while cherries appear on the front. Red heart diamantés adorn the edges of the cherries, and the jumpsuit’s waist, while Katie added pink diamantés to a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses similar to those worn by Harry in his Watermelon Sugar music video.
For the Wellington-based student, the DIY element makes an outfit more personal while also becoming its own uniquely personal version of show merch. “It’s something you can keep for years to come to remember the experience of the concert and memorialise your love for Harry,” says Katie, who started out as a One Direction fan and giddily describes him as born for the stage.
“He is a big inspiration for me as an artist and photographer. He is the reason I started an art account, artbykatie.nz on instagram. The first thing I posted was a realistic portrait painting of him, which I still think is one of my best paintings and I continued it into a series. The editorial photographs of him are also a big influence for me. I love studio and fashion photography and how he breaks gender stereotypes through this.”
