Costume Analysis

In this image of Lady Antebellum, a band made up of; Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood. They are positioned so that Hillary is in the centre front with Dave and Charles close behind her, they are forming a pyramid shape. This positioning is effective because it is showing off each of the band members as well as showing that Hillary is the lead singer while Charles and Dave are the back-up singers. Hillary is wearing a black top and a black necklace. This is different from the costumes that Dave and Charles are wearing as they are in brown, blue and green. These colours all show their difference but still show that they are a band as each of their costumes has black that matches Hillary. Dave’s costume shows that he is wearing a black t-shirt with a brown leather jacket, this shows that he is strong in character but also down-to-earth. Charles is in a dark blue/ black checked shirt with a green t-shirt under, this shows that he is masculine and is also caring. His outfit differs from Dave’s showing that they are in a band but are different people. Hillary is in all black showing that she is strong willed and dominant, it can also suggest she is slightly masculine. But by her hair being left down and her smiling slightly it shows that she is feminine as well. Each of the band members have their own unique personalities. Also the use of these costumes show that they are all strong willed and powerful which can match their songs. By the woman wearing more black than the two men can suggest that she is the most dominate artist when it comes to their music. The two men have a neutral facial expression while Hillary is smiling at the camera. This shows that she is the main focus in the band and not the two male guitar players. Also Dave is the only band member who is not looking directly at the camera. Suggesting that he is not as confident as Hillary and Charles, this can also imply that he is closed off as a person while Hillary and Charles are very open.

In this image of Miranda Lambert, you can see her posing with her right hand on her hip which is pushed to the side. This position is traditional as it is how some people usually stand and it shows that she has attitude that can be seen in her music. This pose also shows the audience that she is her to stay and she’s a strong person. By this being shown through her pose the audience will know that her music will be powerful and full of meaning; like most country songs.She is wearing a denim dress that looks like a coat from the design, it is a light blue denim colour with silver, black straps around the bottom of the arms and the chest area of the outfit. The use of the denim colour follows the stereotypical idea of what country singers wear however the use of the strips show the strong character that Miranda has which is hidden behind the innocent colours. Her costume looks like a biker jacket which can emphasise that she is rebellious with her music. Also it could be suggesting that she is trying to be different from the other artists within the country music industry. Her facial expression is neutral where she is simply looking at the camera with a small smile to her lips. She has minimal make-up on except around her eyes which have a smoky effect; where she has a large amount of eyeliner and mascara along with eye shadow of a brown or black colour. This style of make-up shows the natural theme that country music holds and also shows the strong and powerful feminine woman Miranda Lambert is.Her hair is wavy, which looks natural and has been left down, her fringe is covering her right eye to create a slightly mysteriousness to the image. This hairstyle is natural yet effective because it shows that her beauty is natural.

In this image of Jana Kamer, she is leaning on a wall so that her body is pushed to the right making her right hip stick out slightly. This pose is showing off her body to the readers as her dress is tightly fitted to her body and is pulled to create lines in her waist area. This pose emphasises the shape of her dress that is emphasising her body shape due to the tightness of the dress.Her dress is a mixture of browns, this shows that she is a country singer and that she is a very down-to-earth kind of woman. Her pose and dress show that she is a natural nature loving singer, who enjoys what she does. It also shows that her songs will be natural and will have a meaning behind the lyrics. The use of these colours are emphasising the genre of country music and also can be suggesting that she is may be a lover of the earth. Her facial expression is natural, where she is looking off in the distance with a pout to her lips. This facial expression is effective because shows that she is beautiful naturally. Her hair is straight and left down in a natural style, the whole of the image appears as natural; which relates to country music as it is natural and usually the singers grew up with nature. Her make-up is natural where she looks to be wearing mascara and a small amount of eye shadow in a light brown or pink shade, this follows through with the idea of natural beauty. Also by the image showing a low amount of make-up it suggests that Jana Kramer has clear natural skin without any spots or blemish which most women do have, causing women to envy her and also aim to achieve her skin appearance and beauty.

In this image of Carrie Underwood, you can see her posing with her hands around her head like she is fixing her hair. This pose is suggesting that their is wind blowing as her hair and some of the fabric on her dress is blowing around. This suggests that nature side to her, where she loves the outdoors and enjoys spending time with her family. Her dress in black giving off the vibe that she is dominant and has a strong attitude, this is what many women will look to achieve as the stereotype is that women are weak yet in this image Carrie Underwood comes across as strong and dominant. This pose and colour is also showing that she has experience within the music industry and she is planning on staying within the music industry for a long time. Also it can be emphasising her strength and power that she has within her music and that she is a powerful and strong willed woman. Her facial expression is natural where she is looking at the camera with a neutral facial expression she isn’t smiling yet she isn’t pouting, she is somewhere in the middle with a simple facial expression. This facial expression is effective because it shows her love and determination for her music and her career. She comes across as a unique start within the country music industry. Her make-up consists of foundation, mascara, eye liner and eye shadow in a light pink shade. Even though she is wear a adequate amount of make-up she looks beautiful and natural. This implies that she is a strong women who is more than what meets the eye. She has a mysterious feel to her because of how her hair is around her face. Her hair is curled and is left down to show a simple side to her appearance but also to cover some of her face. Her makeup differs from her black costume as her makeup is light and natural whereas her costume is black but made of a delicate fabric showing that she is strong willed but she is also an emotional woman.

By her hands being near her face she can be suggesting that she is independent and closed off with her personal life. She looks like a beautiful independent woman in this image. I am aiming for my image to look similar to this one of Carrie Underwood. Also her arms are emphasising her costume and shows the material that is blowing off her arms.