How to Dress Like a Fashion Icon

The inspiration for this post is tomorrow's 16th Annual Night of a Thousand Stevies, the biggest tribute to rock and roll's queen gypsy, Stevie Nicks. Yours truly is actually going to dress up like La Nicks and has spent countless hours deliberating over fringe or no fringe, velvet or lace, 70s or 80s, platinum blonde or ash blonde, etc. Stevie had a lot of looks. And as anyone who's ever attended NOTS will attest, people LOVE to dress up like Stevie. According to designer Susan Childs of rockandrollgypsy.com, "I really do like to go to the mall (and other places) dressed up in Stevie style clothes and accessories." Susan sells beaded hair combs and other things on her site, and her stuff has even been featured in JANE magazine. Below is a timeline fashion tribute to Stevie (photos courtesy of The Nicks Fix and Rock Retrospect).

Above, ladies and gentleman, is the original Stevie Nicks. I'm guessing this was taken around 1974 or 1975, when Stevie and Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac. She's totally rockin' the platform sandals and bell bottoms, a look I doubt we ever saw onstage after this. And that hair is still kinda late 60s-bouffant style.
I call this one "Disco Stevie." This is back when she showed a little more skin, probably around the Rumours era when ballet fashion was very chic (and Stevies LOVES ballet). Also note that the hair's getting a little flatter and is more late 70s helmet head, like the calm before the Storm that was big 80s hair.
Beatnik Stevie is my absolute favorite. The choker and the big beret are key elements of late 70s/early 80s Stevie, along with the deep blue velvet. Also, notice how her makeup is totally natural and nails are perfect and painted an earth tone. A timeless look. Her hats, however, will get bigger and bigger over the years. I had trouble finding a Tusk-era tophat photo, but you get the idea.





This is Bella Donna Stevie, 1981. Behold and bow down to the ruched velvet boot cover. Who knew two pieces of velvet sewn together and ruched would look so fabulous over a BOOT? Stevie Nicks. Also note the bizarre headpiece, the afghan-sized shawl and how it's hard to tell where they end and the dress begins. Exactly.











Meet "Wild Heart" Stevie. I have this amazing t-shirt that says "Don't Blame Me, Blame It on my WILD HEART Tour '83." The Wild Heart record is sort of a darker Bella Donna and was released after the brief and problematic Fleetwood Mac reunion that created 1982's Mirage, which could explain her dark and mysterious look during this period, especially the cloak. Stevie will later learn that 80 square feet of velvet don't really hide you from the critics, Lindsey Buckingham's egomania or your serious cocaine addiction.



New Wave Stevie TERRIFIES me. This is a style I would never want to emulate and do not think is timeless. Can't you just picture her singing, "Do not turn A-way my friend!" Shoulderpads and teased bangs give me the heebie jeebies, as do those pointy fingernails! I believe she also wore a lot of corsets and crinoline skirts during this period, perhaps trying to a hide a little post-rehab bloat. Where was her velvet cloak then?




Which now brings us to the focus of Night of a Thousand Stevies, Red Stevie. As the NOTS invite suggests, The Other Side of the Mirror period has an Alice in Wonderland theme. The checkered floor in this pic certainly reminds me of Tom Petty's Alice-inspired video for "Don't Come Around Here No More." But the velvet dress is more "Last Dance With Mary Jane," if you ask me. Either way, red velvet Edwardian gowns marked this period, and Stevie even dyed her hair red at one point. I know I've left out a ton of things, especially the infamous batwing sleeves and the updo that looked like a big poofball on her head or various types of headgear, but there's only so much time for bloggin' Stevie's multidecade look. Enjoy the festivities, gypsies!