What to Wear to a Harry Styles Concert

As Coco Chanel famously said, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” Great advice, unless you’re going to a Harry Styles concert.

The “Sign of the Times” singer came to Toronto for two sold-out shows on August 15 and 16, and he brought a fashionable frenzy with him. For those who didn’t follow the path of multi-coloured plumes to the Scotiabank Arena, let us paint you a picture: The vibe of the outfits can only be described as Cowboy Barbie-meets-ABBA-meets-The Spice Girls. Think bedazzled bell bottoms, flashy fringe, psychedelic separates, and hats in all the colours of the rainbow. And don’t even get us started on the number of feather boas—a tribute to Styles’s now iconic look at the 2021 Grammy Awards.

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But honestly, what else did we expect? Since Styles’s Love on Tour began, fans have flocked to social media to share their flamboyant fashion using the hashtag #HSLOTOutfits. On TikTok alone, the term has 285 million views and countless videos of Harries (the pet name of Harry Styles fans) painstakingly glueing and sewing sequins to various pieces of clothing. Toronto was no exception, and the downtown core was swarming with Gen Zers and Millennials rocking some major dopamine dressing.

Now to some, months of planning and perfecting a Big-Bird-esque outfit, just for a two-hour sing-a-thon, might seem like overkill. But for Styles-o-philes, the unwritten dress code is part of the experience and adds to the overwhelmingly joyful energy felt throughout the night. To quote Lizzo, Harry’s BFF, it’s about damn time. Harry Styles fans are redefining concert fashion. For years, the unofficial concert-going uniform involved a band tee, ripped jeans, black everything, and a smug “I’m too cool for this” smile. This campy couture signals a return to festival fashion à la ’70s, a decade heavily favoured by the former One Direction star himself. A Harry Styles concert is an immersive event that overflows into the streets (some fans reportedly camped out for over 72 hours to get a prime spot in the mosh pit) and inspires unabashed positivity. It goes without saying that the world could use a bit more of that right now.

So whether you’re looking for #OOTD inspo or fresh ways to up your Harry Styles fashion game, here are some of our favourite looks from Love on Tour in Toronto.