FASHION Magazine

Music’s best fashion lessons »

We all know how much music influences fashion (otherwise, the semester I wore Dickies and ties to school like Avril Lavigne was a total wash). But even before the days of “Complicated” or begging our parents to let us wear sky-high Spice Girls sneakers, music was outlining style rules in a less visual, equally memorable way.

I mean, sure. Watching “Baby One More Time” may have inspired us to re-adjust our Catholic school uniforms or trade them in for a less monochromatic public school dress code, but songs by artists like Cake or Flo Rida instilled something even more important: clear verbal instructions on how to wear clothes.

And today is no different. Thanks to rules laid out by Jay-Z, Kanye, and even Lana Del Rey, artists continue to guide us through the murky waters of looking presentable. Through music, we’re learning what works, what doesn’t, how accessible fashion can be. After all, any of us could be the girl in the short shirt and long jacket, or the woman in the leopard print skin pillbox hat. So let’s get fancy with this list of some of music’s best fashion instructions.

Word: Vulgarity

Meaning: An act or expression that defies good taste.