Rock and Roll has always been a symbol of rebellion, and the supporter of this genre of music love to show their support by wearing merchandise related to their favourite bands. Indian fans of rock and Roll are no different; you will often see people wearing rock band t-shirts in Bangalore and other metropolitan cities. But how did this fashion choice develop? Here is a quick history of Rock and Roll fashion, especially rock band t-shirts in India.
A history of Rock and Roll and fashion in India
Rock and Roll emerged in the late 1950s as a rebellion movement against authority. From its inception, t-shirts and jeans have become its iconic image. It became the uniform of the musicians and their fans and soon became mainstream fashion. Sporting a t-shirt with your favourite rock band’s image, slogan, or song became a sign that you were young and didn’t care about what the “big man” thought. Fashion and music did not enter the Indian market that much during their heyday in the West; it was restricted to upper-class society, especially those who went to study abroad.
The craze for rock band t-shirts can truly be said to have started after MTV entered the Indian entertainment industry. Through this music channel, a whole generation of young Indians were exposed to rock bands and metal bands. The 90s were also the time when hardcore rock bands and metal bands found popularity among college students and the younger generation. For the first time, Indian youths were also enjoying music that their Western counterparts were also grooving to. Bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, Gun N’ Roses, Eagles, Bon Jovi and others especially found quite a good amount of die-hard fans among Indian youths. Consorts from leading rock and metal bands as well as singers started to be organized in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and other major metro cities.
With its emergence as an IT city, Bangalore especially became a hub for the emerging Rock music scenario in India. The people working in the IT industry were mostly the younger generation, the generation that had seen MTV enter the Indian market during their teenage years. Naturally, as earning members of the society, they wanted fashion that fitted their lifestyle and those that were truly international. Hence, there were quite a many companies selling rock band t-shirts in Bangalore.
Today, not only the major metro cities but even smaller two-tier cities also now have people sporting such t-shirts, thanks to many online shopping sites. Rock band t-shirts are now here to stay.