Can you decipher someone’s Spotify playlist just by looking at their outfit? An indie-band tee, a pair of cowboy boots, or even a backwards hat can often hint at what’s playing through someone’s headphones. But is there really a direct correlation between music taste and fashion, or do we just like to assume so? To find out, I tested my music intuition on students (and teachers) at Boulder High, guessing their favorite genres based only on how they described their personal style.
The first student I interviewed was Henry Barrett, ‘28. When asked to describe his style, he said, “Formal, I guess. I’m not really sure how to describe it, but I’ll just say one word: suits.” Based on that, I guessed his music taste leaned toward classical or maybe 50s artists, like Frank Sinatra. But Barrett surprised me: “Indie pop or Russian and Soviet music. I kind of dip into Sinatra, but very rarely.” When I asked whether he thought music and style connected, he shook his head. “No, not necessarily. Music more depicts a person’s previous experiences and future desires—you could look like a vagrant and still enjoy classical music.”
Jesus Lopez, ‘29, admitted he wasn’t sure how to describe his style: “I’ve been told I dress like a lesbian.” When asked about his music taste, he said it was exactly as he dressed.
Arya Nagrath, ‘26, said her style is “jeans and whatever top I find first.” I guessed Top 40 hits and Taylor Swift. She laughed. Nagrath’s real taste is hardcore R&B, soul, blues, and some ’90s rap.
Henry Burhop, ‘26, called his style “drippy as ****,” mixing a Bob Dylan workwear vibe with fancy hats. I assumed rap. Burhop mentioned a style-inspiration of whom he looks up to: “A-Glizz #2, otherwise known as Alec Seligman, [also has] good sty’, would love to dress like him someday.”
Burhop’s good friend, Lake Smith, ‘26, chimed in on the conversation and shocked everyone by describing his music taste as primarily country, listening to artists like Luke Bryan, Zach Bryan, and the band Flatland Cavalry, while I had guessed that his music taste would be rap, based on how he described his style (similar to Burhop).
Zoe, BHS Media Tech Librarian, described the reasons it’s difficult to pinpoint her style, “I don’t dress as I wish I did. It’s hard to find plus-size clothing that fits the style that I want. I really want to dress like they do in Practical Magic— librarian whimsical vibes.” Because of this description, I theorized that her music taste was more Dream Pop and Shoegaze. Surprisingly, she said she listened to a wide variety of music types, with the standouts being Taylor Swift and musical soundtracks. When asked if she could pinpoint someone’s music taste by their style, she said, “I think that everybody tries to emulate what they enjoy. I can’t say that everyone has the funds or the means to dress the way that they want. So, I would say no.”
Richard Trinkner, who graduated 44 years ago, described himself as having “impeccable professional style.” I guessed older rock. He corrected me, “I prefer jazz and classical.” Trinkner continued, “I think I dress like my music taste, although I wear jeans most of the time instead of slacks, which I might wear if I were truly a classical person.”
Bruno Damrauer, ‘26, summed up his style as “undefined, first thing I see.” I guessed Sinatra and indie rock. His actual answer? Just one word: “Deathmetal.”
After all these interviews, one thing is clear: Music and style don’t always line up. Sometimes people consciously build an aesthetic around both, but more often, the two move in different directions. Stereotyping people based on how they dress and confining them to a single box can be presumptuous, ignoring the complexity each individual holds.
With that being said, as people change, so do their playlists and their closets. I can confidently say I don’t listen to the same music or dress the same way I did freshman year. And there’s something kind of special about that; the reminder that there are millions of genres and styles in the world, just waiting to be expressed. (Madison Sanford)
