What to wear when you want to stand out in the music biz

Celebs

What to wear when you want to stand out in the music biz

By aideenf ⋅ 30 June, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

Filed Under Aideen, celebrities, Fashion and Music, What will i wear today?

cute as a button

Anyone who has seen Janelle Monae live (which includes me, as of last night), will know that she is AMAZINGLY talented. She’s a mover and a shaker with fantastic stage presence and showmanship. Anyone who has her album will know she herself obviously loves music and is doing something different. Claire de lune to MGM soundtrack to Soul to R and B to RAAAAAWK!

So clearly the 26 year-old Kansas-native is already doing something different to make her stand out. Then there’s her style. In Janelle’s words: classic, simple and ‘my own.’ In mine: inventive, exciting and refreshing. Clearly I can’t speak for her, but it definitely appears she’s making a statement. I dont think she’s afraid to show off her body (a search in google images throws up a few shots with her legs out) but she’s definitely made a decision, conscious or otherwise, to cover it up somewhat.

at opening of Chloe boutique in LA

Blazers, tuxedos, two-tone Oxford shoes and thistle-end bow ties all feature, and always crowned with a killer quiff. I’m glad to say it came undone last night in Tripod. That’s how much this girl moves around. Makes a change from Rihanna’s bondage gear and Nicole’s pleather bra tops eh?

channeling James Brown with a cape

I don’t want to make too much of a thing over the fact that Janelle’s covering up because it shifts the focus away from how talented she is. But it’s hard to ignore because it’s just so different from what most women her age are doing in music. If I was a singer, I’d be worried if my performances were being used on a Sky News feature about David Cameron’s assault on raunch culture. Janelle can sleep easy, cos I don’t think that’ll be happening to her.

But again, that's not just down to the fact that she's covering up her va-jay-jay. Rihanna and her ilk have nothing on her. Janelle's out of their league lyrically, vocally and stylistically. Her music has substance.Anyway she just loves her menswear. It fits in with her being inspired by the 20s and 30s. To my knowledge she hasn't referenced Marlene Dietrich in her iconic role in Morocco, but that's the image her look evokes for me.Marlene gets a few fellas hot under the collar in Morocco

She’s been quoted as saying “I’d love to press up tuxedos for disadvantaged girls in America or Africa, give them their own uniform, their own superhero uniform. I think every young lady should have a tuxedo.”

Quite!