With Halloween just around the corner, this month’s Songful Style challenge is perfectly timed! Shelbee has chosen Thriller by Michael Jackson, an absolute classic that I’ve always LOVED. I recently watched the music video again for the first time in years, and I can honestly say it hasn’t lost any of its magic. In fact, I found myself laughing at parts of it this time around. It’s wonderfully over the top, and I loved it just as much as I did before!
What is Songful Style?
If you’re new here, Songful Style is a monthly fashion challenge where a group of bloggers take inspiration from a song to create an outfit. Each month, one of us chooses the track, and we interpret it in our own way through fashion. Inspiration can come from the lyrics, the artist’s style, the music video, the colours or simply the mood of the song. There are no strict rules, which is what makes it so much fun! You can find my fellow Songful Style bloggers here: Marsha in the Middle and Shelbee on the Edge.
Last month, Marsha chose The Phantom of the Opera, which gave us a wonderfully dramatic musical to draw inspiration from. This time, we’re heading into much creepier territory with Michael Jackson!
A little background on Thriller
Released in 1982 on Michael Jackson’s album of the same name, Thriller was written by British songwriter Rod Temperton, who had previously worked with Jackson on his Off the Wall album. Produced by the legendary Quincy Jones, the song was designed to be theatrical, building suspense with its funky bassline, spooky sound effects and unmistakable rhythm. It even features a wonderfully sinister spoken-word performance by horror-film legend Vincent Price.
But it’s the music video that really cemented Thriller in popular culture. Directed by John Landis, who had made the brilliant horror film An American Werewolf in London, it was conceived as a short horror film rather than an ordinary music video. Released in December 1983, the nearly 14-minute production featured a storyline, elaborate choreography, zombies, special effects and Michael’s now-iconic transformation into a werewolf. It was a huge leap forward for music videos and helped establish them as an art form in their own right. In 2009, it became the first music video selected for the US National Film Registry.
I’d forgotten quite how entertaining the whole thing is! The horror-film references, the dancing zombies and Michael’s expressions are brilliant. And, of course, the famous red jacket is unforgettable. You can watch the official Thriller video on YouTube if you fancy a little trip down memory lane. It’s well worth revisiting, especially at this time of year!
My Thriller-inspired outfit
Initially, I thought I’d simply wear something red in homage to Michael’s famous jacket. But when I watched the video again, I spotted something that appealed to me even more: the outfit worn by his girlfriend, played by Ola Ray, when they leave the cinema. She’s wearing jeans, a red T-shirt, red shoes, red earrings and a denim jacket. Michael is wearing red jeans with turn-ups, too, and I absolutely love the double denim! That was all the inspiration I needed.
I’d recently bought a new red T-shirt on Vinted, and it’s rather fabulous. It features a cat holding a knife dripping with blood, with the words YOU SAW NOTHING! underneath. 😂 It’s funny because the T-shirt is particularly apt at the moment, when I’m feeling rather irritable and hormonal. Perhaps the cat is speaking on my behalf!
I paired it with my Salsa True jeans, which have turn-ups at the bottom, and added a Zara denim jacket in the same shade of blue that I bought on Vinted last year. For the finishing touches, I wore my red Skechers trainers and red earrings, picking up the colours of the T-shirt. I also carried a fabulous handmade leather handbag created by my friend Sarah. It’s a gorgeous combination of red, blue and black, and it worked beautifully with the rest of the outfit.
I was so pleased with how everything came together. The look felt inspired by the actual video rather than simply copying Michael’s famous stage outfit, and it still felt completely like me. We headed out shopping and stopped at a local cemetery to take some photographs. With Halloween so close, it seemed like a rather fitting location for our little photoshoot! It’s just a shame it was so bright!
I’m really happy with the result. It’s casual, comfortable, a little bit cheeky and has just the right amount of Halloween attitude.
Next month
Next month, it’s my turn to choose our song, and I’ve picked November Rain by Guns N’ Roses. I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone interprets my choice!
For now, I’d love to know what you think of my Thriller-inspired outfit. Happy Halloween! And don’t forget to link up your outfits below!
