With Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles all on international tours, it seems like all our favourite artists are taking advantage of the summer heat to give their fans a show, and in Swift’s case make billions of bucks. While the music may be the initial pulling factor, I can’t help but be way more obsessed with how fans are going feral for their gig fits and taking DIY to new levels on TikTok.

The flurry of international tours are prompting somewhat of a craft boom, the likes of which we haven’t seen since 2020’s COVID-19 lockdown. Being stuck in your house for months on end wasn’t ideal, but having the newfound time to pick up a hobby was great for our mental health.

Now that pop stars have returned to the stage, we can finally share our amateur designer skills with the rest of the world. But first, let’s look at the insane outfits that prompted us to bulk-buy diamantés on Amazon.

Kicking it off with Beyoncé, the Renaissance World Tour really does steal the show when it comes to style inspo. In true Queen Bey style, the ‘CUFF IT’ singer rocks up to each city in a different opening look. I’ll gloss over the throwaway fashion mentality for now, it is Beyoncé after all.

 

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The Renaissance album is a celebration of queer culture and all of Beyoncé’s fits look like they’ve been plucked straight from New York City’s underground ballroom scene. The majority of her looks are glittered to the gods, holographic, metallic, and making me want to hit Club Renaissance myself. Her trompe l’oeil catsuit from LOEWE has been adapted from a look from the brand’s FW22 collection. Meanwhile, the crystal Alexander McQueen bodysuit she wore in Stockholm has us all in awe.

 

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For the better part of two months now, Swift’s Eras Tour has been relentlessly popping up on my FYP—it’s almost like I’ve been to the show without needing to drop thousands on a ticket. Think smarter not harder. The Eras Tour is a culmination of T-Swizzle’s more than 10-year-career in music, playing tribute to every album cycle, from teenage country bumpkin to sultry superstar.

When it comes to fashion icons in the music industry, however, Swift’s isn’t the first name that comes to mind, let’s be honest. She does have taste but her looks aren’t as groundbreaking as some of her peers. Despite not being a fashion girlie, Swift’s tour outfits come from some pretty lavish labels, from her Versace bodysuits to Roberto Cavalli co-ords.

 

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A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

Styles, on the other hand, is much less diverse when it comes to who gets to dress him. Pretty much every outfit from his public appearances over the last two years has been, surprise surprise, Gucci. His fits are predominantly tailored trousers worn with a glittering jacket or fun patterned top. While his looks are very Harry, and thankfully miles off his Jack Wills One Direction era, his fans are stealing the spotlight with their own concert outfits.

 

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Creating custom tour outfits does come as a challenge, even to some of the industry’s biggest fashion designers. Quick costume changes, flexibility, comfort, not to mention buckets of sweat, all need to be taken into consideration when constructing these looks. Any onstage exposure for the lesser known designers does, however, make the blood, sweat, and tears all worth it.

Hard work is something fans can very much relate to, particularly when they’ve spent hours upon hours slaving away at the sewing machine just so they can put together an iconic tour outfit to share on social media. As the Beyhive piles on the glitter, Swifties are dressing up as their favourite Taylor era. Meanwhile, Styles’ shows are strictly BYOB—bring your own boa—leaving millions of stray feathers for the poor stadium staff to sweep up.

@kdebrockrocks

Made this jacket for my daughter for the @taylorswift Eras Tour in Houston and now I have to make another because I want it in my size #erastour #taylorswiftkarma #diykarmajacket #karmajacket #tswiftoutfitinspo #erastourhoustonnight3 #erashoustontx #erastourmemories #tswifterastour

♬ Karma - Taylor Swift

It’s become somewhat of a viral competition to rival the looks of your favourite singer’s previous crowd. #ErasTouroutfits has almost 345 million views on TikTok. Swift stans have even taken it to the next level by wearing nappies to the singer’s nearly four-hour show, just so that they don’t miss the opportunity to hear one of Swift’s secret surprise songs. We wouldn’t want the ‘Enchanted’ singer to miss a single second of our outfits that took months of planning, and even more TikToks to make, while we’re in the toilet, would we?

@screenshothq

Swifties truly are the most dedicated fan base #taylorswift #erastour #speaknowtaylorsversion #tserastour #swifttok #erastourchicago

♬ original sound - sped up audios 👏

The rise of the tourdrobe proves the sheer level of commitment gen Zers have when it comes to looking their best for their idols. As Styles, Swift and Beyoncé all turn stadiums into nightclubs (quite literally in Beyoncé’s case), gigs are no longer about just turning up on time. You have to prove your right to be there, that you belong. If you’re lucky enough to have nabbed a ticket, make sure you plan your garms in advance and order those gems ASAP, because they’re bound to sell out as fast as the tickets did.