Bodysuits

My social media feed thought I’d like to see Sabrina Carpenter and Madonna performing together at Coachella.  It wasn’t entirely wrong.  Aside from not knowing who Sabrina Carpenter is, I do like Madonna. 

I came of age with her.  I was 18 years old when MTV first aired in 1981.  We didn’t have cable so I would go to my friend’s house to watch it.  MTV launched a revolution in music and her name was Madonna. 

She was sassy, bold, provocative, edgy, pushed boundaries, wrote catchy tunes that she sang passably well, and danced to really well.  She was tailor-made for this new way to consume music.

Desperately seeking catchy pop tunes you can dance to? Find Madonna.

By the time I was 21 I was well versed in Madonna. And having achieved legal drinking age, my friends and I danced the nights away with abandon at the bars where Madonna songs ruled the scene. Papa don’t preach.  And don’t stay up and wait for me.  I’ll be home sometime after 2 am.

So there I was, being fed a video clip of the two of them singing Like a Prayer.  Of course, I clicked on it and watched.

Long blonde hair flowing, walking hand in hand, strutting confidently up the stage singing their song.  One young, one old and somehow looking so much alike.

In their body suits. 

And that’s when it hit me.

When did the body suit become de rigueur for female pop stars?

It seems like that’s all they wear anymore.  Think Beyonce. Taylor Swift. Olivia Rodrigo (who?), Dua Lipa and Cardi B (have heard of them), Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears (who hasn’t heard of them?), Blackpink Lisa (who?) to name a few.

And then it hit me again.  The answer. 

“It was probably Madonna,” I thought to myself.

An immediate google search proved me kinda wrong.

The very first female pop star to wear a bodysuit was Cher in the 60’s.  I mean, say no more.  That was a forehead slap, ‘duh’ moment.  Of course, Cher.  Cher was Madonna before Madonna.

But there was a 20-year drought before any other female after Cher started wearing them.  Until Madonna.

So Madonna really did usher in the era of the body suit and here we are in the year 2026 and it’s the uniform of choice for many a female pop star. 

Another google search and I learn that the pop stars are wearing them because they provide performance mobility, they can be high-fashion showpieces, they can be customized, and probably the number one reason, they look hot in them.

I don’t dislike the bodysuit.  It’s just feeling like it is becoming a “uniform”.  It’s expected. How about mixing it up some?  Where’s your creativity ladies?

There are some pop stars who eschew the bodysuit.  Billie Eilish, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Florence Welch, Sia. (Know her, know her, don’t know her, know her, don’t know her).  Creativity in spades.

So it seems like, if you are considering a career as a pop star, you’ll have a big decision to make when it comes to your wardrobe.

Me? The last time I wore a bodysuit was for my tap dance recital when I was 7.  And my wardrobe these days is anything comfy and falls under the heading of ‘soft clothes’ (see previous blog post titled Soft Clothes). My biggest wardrobe decision is shall I wear the gray sweats today or the green?