On a September night in New York City, thousands of people gathered outside Madison Square Garden, most of them wearing various combinations of emblazoned on the back of their shirt or waistband. With their outfits, they proclaimed that they bought into a specific set of the musical world.
The relationship between pop stars and fashion has always been unique: What they wear can make for a breakout moment worthy of national headlines, and it can be a tool to tell a story that stretches well beyond lyrics, an integral part of the universe-building that gets fans to not only come to a concert, but live in an artist's world for a night. This year, though, felt like a turning point — perhaps a leveling — in the ways these artists use clothing to create a lasting impression on the public: Some pushed further into mega-stardom with their era-specific stage moments, as fashion and audiences alike bought in in bigger ways than ever.Photo: Kevin Winter/TAS24/Getty Images/TAS Rights Management. While each album section throughout the tour came with its own set of clothing, the addition of a new one was a stark and literal example of just how quickly an outfit can push a narrative and a trend forward. On TikTok alone, there are hundreds of thousands of views on videos of people recreating the style. The tour’s biggest impact, though, may be in naming this phenomenon of using the power of fashion to create a moment. A sort of common understanding that a look corresponds to a specific moment or musical chapter is now known as an “era.” Charli showed the power of fashioning an album and a tour perhaps better than any of her peers because, while it may seem like the singer just burst onto the scene,, explains that “it allowed her to really define an image that will sit with her for those who didn’t know her before Brat Summer.”On stage, Charli wore black combat boots and Y2K party girl look