A Heart of Gold and Boots to Match

Before the era of suits began, Harry would walk out on stage in something a lot more subtle. Usually a pain of skinny jean and some kind of t-shirt (usually a white one). These looks went together with those of his One Direction band mates much better than any of his current choices would. On occasion though Harry would release his inner fashion icon and pair those simple looks with a statement piece. One of the most iconic items was a pair of gold, sparkly ankle boots.

A few times during the last year of One Direction’s On The Road Again tour, Harry would break out these boots. They would immediately stepped up Harry’s tour fashion game, especially when paired with an all black look, like the picture at the start of this post from their Sydney, Australia show. Fans were quickly drawn to the boots and were always so excited when Harry would wear them onstage. Who knew what kind of iconic fashion looks were just around the corner.

After the first time the boots made an appearance, fans online quickly came up with the phrase “heart of gold and boots to match.” This was to honor Harry’s kind nature and how he’s always making sure fans and those around him are okay. He’s always working alongside charities and giving back to those in need, especially now that he can easily. Now quite a bit of his solo merchandise proudly states the phrase “treat people with kindness,” which just goes to speak for his character. It’s only right for Harry and his heart of gold to have some boots that match his sparkling personality.

To makes these boots even more special to fans, they were the ones he was wearing during One Direction’s last concert as a band in Sheffield, England in 2015. Hopefully we’ll get to see the boots again, maybe one day when One Direction reunites.

The Sweater That’s out of This World

It’s clear that no matter what Harry’s up to he’s always going to be in something incredibly stylish (and expensive). From his one of a kind suits to his luxury branded “casual” clothes Harry’s always making headlines with his fashion choices. While he was on tour in 2017/2018 everyone was always waiting to see what he would step out onstage in at night but occasionally he would step out during the day in something that was just as eye catching.

On October 25, 2017, while in Paris, France for his concert that night, Harry stepped out in one of those rare non-suit pieces that catches everyone’s attention. It was a space themed planet sweater, paired with some jeans, boots and sunglasses. The fans that were there to meet Harry that afternoon later shared lot of pictures online of what he was wearing that day. And everyone was instantly obsessed with the planet sweater.

Fans quickly found out that the sweater was an Elder Statesman cashmere sweater that’s worth just under $2,000 at Mr. Porter. It reminded lots of fans of the lilac sweater he wore once in 2013, that has always been a fan favorite. Which led to fans constantly asking him to wear it again. So far he hasn’t but there always the possibility that he’ll wear it again one day.

A Match Made in Heaven

Harry Styles X Harris Reed

Throughout Harry’s two solo tours he’s worked with an array of different designer brands, from Gucci to YSL to Alexander McQueen, to create his iconic stage looks. But during his 2018 Amsterdam show Harry stepped out in a look that wasn’t created by one of the top designers fans were accustomed to. And it remained a mystery for the entire show. Either way fans were in love with the black flared pants with the white cutouts and white ruffled top with the black vest. I ended up nicknaming it the pirate look.

After the show fans found out that Harry’s Amsterdam look was created by Harris Reed, a 21-year-old student at Central Saint Martins. Harris had just recently moved from Los Angeles to London to continue college and explore this new city. What he wasn’t expecting was to collaborate with the Harry Styles on an outfit for his solo tour.

After the show Harris opened up about how it was working with Harry on his particular look; “The whole experience was extremely collaborative. Both were very involved from the beginning in not only seeing the sketches and approving all the fabrics, but then Harry Styles really got to know me and who I was through the times we spent together. Harry could not have been a more lovely or supportive client throughout this entire process. He never held back if he loved something,” (Miss Vogue article).

Harry clearly loved Harris’ designs and working alongside him so much that he asked him to create three other looks for his tour. And his designs became extremely popular among the fans, every time Harry came out in familiar frills and ruffles everyone knew it was a Harris Reed original.

Embracing the Scottish Culture

After traveling around the world for five years in One Direction, it’s no surprise that Harry’s picked up on quite a bit of the cultural traditions from the places he’s been. It never went much further than picking up on bits of the native language, like picking up on quite a bit of Japanese, or a new love for a traditional dish, like poutine in Canada. That was until Harry came to Glasgow on his second solo tour.

As with all of Harry’s shows, the fans at the show and online were patiently waiting for Harry to come on stage so everyone could see what unique outfit he’d be wearing that night. But no one was truly prepared for what Harry would be wearing that night in Glasgow. When the curtain raised Harry was rocking the traditional Scottish outfit, kilt and all. In a matter of seconds, blurry pictures of Harry in his kilt were all over social media. Leaving all the fans at home in a state of shock and almost disappointment that they weren’t there.

If Harry alone in a kilt wasn’t enough, he somehow convinced his entire band to also dress in traditional Scottish looks. Guitarist, Adam Prendergast, and bassist, Mitch Rowland, were both in outfits that mirrored Harry’s. On the other hand drummer, Sarah Jones, and pianist, Clare Uchima, wore more traditional looks for women with lots of plaid. During the entire tour the whole band has had looks that coordinate together, with Harry always being the brightest and boldest. But with this particular show, they all stood out in something out of their comfort zone. That night, as in tour tradition, there was a group photo of them all in that night’s look on Harry’s Instagram.

This particular look will always be one of the most memorable for everyone.

The Lilac Sweater™

Not only can Harry bring it on stage in his extravagant suits, but he can also bring an incredible amount of style in his everyday fashion choices. One of the most iconic items of clothing Harry’s worn was a lilac sweater, accompanied with dark wash jeans and a patterned “head scarf.” The sweater instantly became extremely popular among Harry’s fan base. Today most fans know exactly what picture is being referred to when they read the words “lilac sweater.”

The sweater first made an appearance on October 10th, 2013 when Harry went out to meet fans while in New Zealand with One Direction. Shortly after fans posted pictures all over social media and fans were obsessed with the entire look. Not long after fans had figured out that the sweater was purchased from American Apparel and it was quickly sold out across the website.

Much to fans dismay, Harry hasn’t worn the lilac sweater since that fateful day in New Zealand. But that doesn’t stop fans from keeping the memory of this iconic look alive across social media. Even six years later there are still new tweets about the lilac sweater and how incredible it would be if Harry wore it again. Maybe one day Harry will listen to fan’s persistent requests and bring out the lilac sweater™. Until then I guess we’re just going to have to look back on the pictures from 2013.

A Personal Favorite

Over the past few years Harry’s worn quite a few different suits especially while on his two world tours. Each one had something special about it that made it stand out and memorable, and not just because of the bold colors and patterns. But out of all the suits, there’s one specific suit that will always be my personal favorite. The suit he wore during his 2017 Nashville concert, the show I was lucky enough to attend, is my favorite suits of them all. Though I guess I’m kind of bias.

At first glance the suit looks extremely simple compared to some of his more extravagant looks but when you take a closer look you can see the intricate pattern that covers the entire suit. Complimenting the chocolate brown jacket with gold floral patterns was a silky, cream colored blouse with the a “pussy bow” at the collar. Along with the previous two suits he had worn on this tour, this suit was also a custom made Gucci piece and these three pieces together (suit jacket, flared dress pants, and blouse) kind of became a staple as a tour look.

Harry Styles, September 25th, 2017
Photo Credits: Linda Stroud Photography

During the show Harry had mentioned how special this specific show and venue was to him, saying “When we booked this tour, this was kind of the reason, this room.” Just the atmosphere of playing a show at the iconic Ryman Auditorium, aka The Mother Church, and following in the footsteps of some of the greatest music icons. Some fans think that’s why Harry chose a darker, more subdued suit as to honor Johnny Cash, “The Man In Black,” but with his own Harry Styles flare.  

That night is a night I’ll never forget; from the suit to the special cover that was added to the set that night only and all the memories made. It will always be one of my favorite experiences and one I wish I could relive.

The Suit that Started it All

Anyone who knows Harry Styles now knows all about his statement looks and bold patterned suits. It would be hard to believe that before 2015, it was a lot of plain white T-shirts and jeans. 2015 was the year all that changed. Harry started to wear more patterned tops and clothing that could be considered more feminine. But nothing beat the iconic AMA suit from November 22nd.

Now I know to most people the suit is questionable and kind of looks like a couch pattern from the 70’s, but it’s actually a luxury Gucci suit. One that does take some inspiration from 70’s fashion with the bell bottom flared pants.

Left: Popular Ikea Bedding
Right: Harry Styles at the 2015 AMAs

Whether it was positive or negative, this was a look that everyone had something to say about the next day. Major media outlets continued to call it Harry’s worst look and compared it too a popular Ikea bedding pattern that looks suspiciously like the Gucci pattern. On the other end the fans, including myself, loved it and went crazy when the first pictures were posted on social media. It was nice to see Harry exploring new fashion trends and not being afraid to try something different.

From this point on Harry hasn’t been afraid to walk out in the boldest patterns, most of which resemble 70’s furniture prints and are more expensive than a few month’s rent. Which is why I refer to this suit as the suit that started it all, the suit that led to all of the wonderful, amazing looks to follow.

Since this post is going up on February 1st, which is Harry’s birthday, I’m going to wrap this post up with a short happy 25th birthday to one of the most influential people in my life!