The Sound Has a Shade
Thirty Nights, Two Looks, and the Return of Harry Styles
The year was 2022. I got dressed for a birthday dinner at Union Square Cafe.
“You might want to wear comfortable shoes,” my husband said.
I assumed he meant cobblestones. Dinner was the plan. Nothing more, nothing less. A beautiful meal. In bed by nine. This was 37. When we finished, he suggested a nightcap at a “new bar” in Penn Station. Sure. Why not. I’m not dead yet. As we got closer, the streets felt unusually alive. Taxis idled in place. Feathers brushed past my shoulders. Sequins caught the streetlights. Platforms clacked against the pavement. I remember trying to picture this mysterious new bar. The kind Stefon would describe as having “everything.”
We kept moving with the crowd. As we walked inside toward security and the turnstiles, it finally dawned on me that nightcaps rarely require metal detectors. The “new bar” was Madison Square Garden, and the escalation had a name: Harry Styles.
Happy birthday to me.
Four years have passed since that night. Long enough for an era to close. Then came January 22. At 7 p.m. Eastern, “Aperture” arrived, and both the internet, and I lost our composure. There’s no full record to decode yet. Just one track and a cover image that sets the lighting.
The Sound Has a Shade
At 5:11, the song runs long by pop standards. The synth lands first. Your shoulders follow. By the time the hook hits, you’re committed.
On a recent episode of SmartLess, Charli XCX described her synesthesia, a neurological phenomenon in which one sense triggers another. For her, sound registers as color. She said:
When I was working with producers, I would sort of say, like, can you make this sound more blue or more purple? And I wouldn’t quite be able to articulate specifically the sound design that I needed, but I just knew that it needed to sound purple.
Charli would say this track has a color. Blackened plum, warmed by flashes of oxblood and burnt orange. After midnight, under low light. The boas no longer belong.
A Different Dress Code
The first time around, my Ulla Johnson handkerchief plaid dress missed the brief. Who are we kidding? I misread the evening entirely. This time, there’s a 30-show residency at Madison Square Garden from August through October. Thirty nights. A full season to get the outfit right and find my way back to New York on purpose.
My brain is already pulling options. I’m letting the album title lead. Same night. Harry gives us two ways to show up.
Kiss All the Time
The Oscar de la Renta sheer coat, found on The RealReal, sets the scene. Some might argue it belongs in a bedroom. I’d argue it belongs under arena lights, reserved for Harry’s eyes only.
Underneath, a deep V ribbed tank that sits close to the body, paired with high-waisted jeans with real structure, the kind that hold their shape when you’re standing still but give just enough stretch when the beat takes over. Silver hoops catch the light. A bolo necklace draws the eye. A belt with a slightly architectural edge keeps it sharp. A beaded clutch and mules are the perfect textures to add depth. A low pulled pack pony, glossy lip, and false lashes are the finishing touches.
We’re committing to romance, and if we’re lucky, locking lips between songs.
Disco, Occasionally
The Simon Miller sequin skirt does the work here. Bands of plum, charcoal, and oxblood sit low on the hip, finished with a fringed hem that shifts as you move. It references the 70s without playing dress up.
A ruched rust top keeps everything close and considered. It grounds the shine and deepens the palette. An oversized black leather jacket adds weight without stealing focus. Resin earrings. A coiled cuff. A glossy clutch. Velvet platforms. Nothing overly coordinated, but nothing accidental either.
Loose curls. Smoked lids. A precise cat eye. All is enough to register from the lower bowl.
We’re committing to the rhythm, and if it builds, staying out past the encore.
The palette is set. The brief is clear.
Thirty nights. Plenty of time to get it right. This time, I’ll be ready, Harry.
What an amazing surprise Evonne! In full disclosure, I don't listen to Harry Styles' music but this is such a thoughtful birthday gift. My favorite part is I immediately clocked your Ulla Johnson dress. Also - I'm not dead yet - should be a needlepoint.
The fact that some people can hear colors 🤯 it’s so cool! Also I love me some Harry Styles