Fashion and the Female Guitarist: Does What She Wears Make a Difference?

I once ventured into the Brandyhouse (a now defunct bar and grill in Buckhead/Atlanta) to sign up for an acoustic open mic show. A 5'9" black woman coming into an "indie" bar in lounge cocktail attire, I felt a little odd at first. But these were the clothes I was comfortable in. I dress for my mood. And my mood at the time felt more cosmopolitan than frat house. Needless to say, as the only black woman in the establishment in this kind of get-up, I garnered a stare or two. Don't get me wrong; the stares weren't cold or intimidating-merely curious. I played the show, had a wonderful time, and made some good connections. All in all, it was a great night. But the experience made me wonder. Do people automatically evaluate female guitar players by the kind of clothes they wear? And if so, what kind of impression is made based merely on said woman's style?

In the metro Atlanta area, there is no shortage of "artsy-fartsy" ladies (of all backgrounds) who happen to play the acoustic guitar. Some of these women are staples on the indie music scene, performing in various bars, showcases, and nightclubs. Others tinker around the arts scene for fun-jamming only when the urge hits. Nonetheless it is quite interesting to observe the response-verbal and otherwise-that women are given based on their attire when they happen to carry around a guitar.

For all intents and purposes, you will see plenty of black female guitarists in Atlanta who appear to fit a particular "mold": natural hair/locks, earthy jewelry, faded jeans, etc. These are often the women who are often immediately compared to artist India.Arie-even before they have played a note. Granted, some of these ladies have musical material that could certainly rival any of the granola-infused musings most people expect. But this isn't always the case.

All kinds of assumptions could be made about women (and their musical prowess) based on their style of dress. Today's breed of female guitarists has brought all sorts of attire to the table. Girls in casual gear are something akin to blank canvases; a nonchalant approach to fashion can imply all sorts of things. Lounge music, dreamy ballads, catchy pop hooks-the sky is the limit.

On the other hand, it seems highly unlikely that the woman donning metal studs, leather, multiple tats, and scary boots will fancy ethereal musical fare---or will she? In the world of R&B, a woman's manner of dress makes a direct statement about the kind of music she'll present to the world. But for some reason, female musicians are a much more elusive variety of woman. Some might even say that a guitar, in and of itself, is a powerful styling tool. Add one to virtually any outfit, and you've branded yourself quite the conversation piece.

What would the world have come to if famous sex symbols like Marilyn Monroe, Pam Grier, or Sophia Loren had been known for touting around a Fender electric acoustic? As our crazy music world dictates, the guitar can be at once introspective and intelligent, or wild and primitive. The deft fingers plucking those strings are ultimately what count. But in a world where MTV has cut music out of its programming-and Fashion Rocks, it seems that just about anything goes...

SOURCES:

www.mtv.com
www.bet.com
www.rollingstone.com