Image Research

The image of a band is crucial as it makes them recognisable, likable and individual to other artists. As we are using a real band that is looking to use what we produce to promote their career, it is essential we style the band so they are identifiable and current.

We found out that their target market would be aimed at wedding events and receptions. This indicates that they should not wear casual clothes but slightly more formal/ dressy.

Sticking with the Motown theme, I have looked at same bands as before: 'The Velvelettes', 'Martha Reeves & The Vandellas', 'Diana Ross & The Supremes' and 'The Marvelettes'. Focusing particularly on the clothing, it is clear that many things have changed. I found the above images which demonstrate particular fashion of the era and are similar to what the above bands used to wear.
The site mentions that many dresses worn were A-line and so when it comes to finding the actual dress the girls will wear, I will keep this in mind.

Another trend seen in Motown fashion was the fitted skirts which was something I pictured in the first place. As there are not many music videos which come from the Motown era, I decided to watch the film 'Dream Girls' to get more ideas on the style and found that most of the dresses worn are similar to the above two pictures. For example:

Obviously the first picture is more glamorous, however, they still fit with the fitted look. The two other pictures have A-line style dresses. It is clear from the middle picture which features two opposing bands that ladies tend to wear the same colour and styled dress as their band members, again something I will take into consideration when it comes to styling the ladies that front our band.

websites used: fashion-era.com

More relevant pictures I found when researching can be seen below:

 



In my research I found that the male Motown singers usually wear smart suits, for example, Boyz II Men are seen in smart suits the majority of the time. Other bands such as Four Tops, and even Gladys Knight and The Pips all feature formal attire. However this research only uses examples from bands where the males are singers so it was difficult to find what the instrument players wear as they are usually in the background. I want to ensure I consider every aspect of the bands image.

With the formality of the attire in mind, I wanted the male image to be as modern as the girls and I instantly thought of the music video 'Hey Ya' by Outkast (seen above).

The styles of trousers I have found are smart, simple and black in colour. These fit with what Ian said about the band wearing all black, although I have now added the white braces to add to the Motown theme and to make the instrument players stand out in the background slightly. It also adds more individuality to the band.

I think that wearing the white braces with a nice black shirt would allow the band members to be identified as Motown yet they will not look too old fashioned compared to the above mentioned bands.

I have found some examples of the type of shirts I would like the band members to wear:

The left shirt is the style which I think is better as the buttons do not show; I think this will look smarter and appropriate for a wedding venue. The middle shirt is acceptable but the buttons showing could look slightly odd with the braces however I can't be too picky due to availability in the shops near the band members as well as their funding. The shirt on the right, in my opinion is the least appropriate as it is not formal and I think it would ruin the image if the band members had tattoos on their forearms and so it is best to go with a long sleeved shirt.

Above are examples of trousers which would be acceptable to wear, they are smart trousers which would be appropriate for a wedding venue and also makes the band members look more professional. And they also conform to the requirements of the instrument players wearing all black.