Queer bedroom pop artist Daphne Jane broke onto the scene with her 2021 debut release I Wish I Was in the Clouds, followed by an EP Dreamland that same year. Since then, Daphne has slowly been releasing new music to further solidify her sound, playing shows at 7th Street Entry, Fine Line, and The Garage, and on August 19th at the Icehouse. Behind the poetic diary entry lyrics and dreamy textures in her songs is a mojo fashionista maximizing ways to connect to her peers.
Daphne has always been obsessed with fashion, even as a child. From age 6 to 12, she really wanted to be a fashion designer. A lot of her childhood toys were associated with fashion, including her favorite little doll mannequin that you could stuff fabric into the carved out back to switch clothes and different looks for the toy. The ability to switch out different fabrics to create new looks and combinations sparked her imagination. This kept with her all the way through learning to play guitar, influencing her appreciation for style, colors, and textures.
In middle school she began to conform to a style that she thought would fit in. She remembers around the age of 15 where she started exploring shopping secondhand. This led to creating different outfits from new and old things, tying in sparkles and ribbons to make them her own. Although she admits to following along with the classic skinny jean with UGG pairing trend, (which never did anyone justice) Daphne credits the experimentation from thrifting of getting her through high school.
It slowly gave her confidence and ways to look forward to another day at school. Finding the right piece of clothing while thrifting was that special inside win.
“I remember looking up to this classmate who was two years older because she dressed how she wanted to express herself in creative ways. I wish I was confident enough to dress that way and not feel the pressure to just blend in. There was a clicking moment where I decided to wear an outfit to school purely on how I felt. I was then able to make friends who I honestly don’t know if I would have made, because they were also people who were being courageous enough to be themselves.”
-Daphne Jane
That confidence has blossomed in Daphne as a musician. When it comes to her musical fashion influences, Beabadoobee and Olivia Rodrigo’s very feminine and edgy looks relate closely to her. Beabadoobee carries a lot of different textures and layers in their look, while Olivia Rodrigo has a more elegant, unique, pop star ballerina teen girl dynamic. These influences are immediately seen in the wardrobe choices that Daphne makes when performing. Her style carries that same elegant, highly feminine, textured characteristics.
But there’s an extra identifying piece of mojo that Daphne has leaned into as a musician. The use of ribbons and bows have a storied past dating back centuries. These adornments have signaled femininity, masculinity, resistance and passivity, attraction, and aversion over the years. LIFE magazine ran an article in the 1940’s about high school girls using different positionings’ of hair bows to signal whether or not they were interested in a relationship. These veiled gestures were used in contexts where open discussions of attraction and sexuality were considered illicit. Lovelocks were started by men to signify the wearer’s romantic devotion to their beloved as it drew focus towards the heart.
Daphne’s use of ribbons and bows keenly ties into these themes with songs about adoration and affection. She learned that was possible to make a top into a mini skirt with a ribbon or a skirt into a top with a ribbon. It adds detail to simple dresses and matches with hair accessories, rings, and shoes. Ribbons and bows are an inexpensive way to be more expressive, fun, and pretty. Behind the history of this hair accessory, Daphne is expanding on those meanings in her music.
“I would do this for my shows because I thought that it really completed the look and was something really fun to make it my own. As time went on, people started to notice before I noticed that I was doing it almost every show. I ended up tying it into my merch because it’s something that people were recognizing as my niche.”
-Daphne Jane
Daphne showcases two different outfits that exemplify her aesthetic perfectly. One of her favorite things to thrift are shoes, specifically ones that have Y2K heels. She’s purchased shoe glue from Amazon as many of the Y2K souls are not very firm because they are now over 20 years old. Oftentimes she’ll go home after a show and shoe glue her heels.
The fairy cream lacy and textured skirt is from Urban Outfitters. Daphne is drawn to clothes that have different lengths and flowy material. For shows those clothes come alive when she dances and twirls. There’s a white lace ribbon that has pink bows on it, tied around the skirt. That ribbon often gets tied around her pants, or in her hair, helping to pull together an outfit.
The pink corset top is from one of her favorite brands, I.AM.GIA. The brand is a bit pricey, so she has to be particular on what she gets from there. Her heart gold necklace with a pink rose in it was thrifted from a local store in St. Paul. She loves looking through all the jewelry cabinets in thrift stores since everything is unique and one-of-a-kind.
The accessorized hands are filled with rings that were thrifted, gifted, or even made by her. The overarching aesthetic of her clothes seeps into her jewelry, with pinks, silvers, and playful flirty pieces. Daphne points out a ring that is in the shape of a bow, that was gifted as a special anniversary gift from her girlfriend, as the one ring that never leaves her hand. The butterfly earrings earrings are from a brand called Girls Crew, which is sold at Patina.
“I don’t think there’s been a single day since 2019 that I haven’t had painted flowers on my nails. It started one day as an idea and now every three weeks I switch up the colors with a very fine ended paintbrush and nail polish with a five-pedal design on every nail.”
Her second outfit starts with white thick sandal from Urban Outfitters. The pastel yellow skirt is from a brand called Oh Polly, another thing she found on TikTok. The one piece skirt features a lace bow up front, which is right up her alley. Her white open tank top with lace trim was thrifted and layered with a yellow lace bralette from Savers. The ribbons in her hair are consistent with all our outfits for shows. Her necklace is another gift from her girlfriend and features a yellow rectangle with rhinestones with a heart in the middle of it.
The mojo of Daphne extends beyond just the clothes. She also shares some advice on lip gloss. Hers is from a brand called Derol that went viral on TikTok in 2020. She admits it burns a little when you use it but can instantly see it plump and brighten. If you want a little less pain, Glossier and Fenty Beauty have wonderful lip gloss as well.
The final aesthetic of her stage outfits came from the first holiday season after Covid hit. Her dad wanted to make the Christmas season extra special with a secret surprise. He brought out a huge box with a comically huge bow on it. Daphne had been wanting an electric guitar for some time, but knew they were expensive. Seeing the box, she knew right away what it was. She opened it and found the most beautiful shade of blue she’d ever seen. They both started crying as her dad announced the color was called ‘Daphne Blue’. Now when people compliment her guitar, she tells them it’s Daphne Blue, which no one ever believes her right away, unless they’re a guitar nerd and know about the color.
Daphne’s newest release “Months” builds on the perfected layering of soft, dreamy, bedroom pop songs that her voice braids flawlessly around. The floating harmonies and sentimental bubbly lyrics guide the intimate aura in the song. A song that fleshes out an endearing impatience for someone else, while daydreaming of fairy tale love. The peppiest track to date, “Months” teases the imminent pop prominence ahead in Daphne Jane’s new music.
Her catalog of songs are spun up like cotton candy on a spindle. The confections have light colors, sugary cravings, and satisfying webs of affection. The candid emotions of innocent crushes, first kisses, pinky promises, and musings about making out run wild throughout. Tracks like “Sugarcoated”, “Dreamland”, and “Pinky Promises” expound on those emotions and candy crush daydreams. Daphne’s YouTube channel is another collection of bedroom sung confessionals that authentically connect to hopeful lovers and coming to age with amplified emotions.
The straightforward honesty in the lyrics is obvious to see in her style. The light pastels tied together with ribbons, lace, and a soft cotton aesthetics bind together with the music. United, they feel like a completed outfit meant for your heart. The brilliance and confidence in Daphne Jane’s fashion has continued to evolve through her songs. We’re on the cusp of a blooming artist that understands branding. Luckily, her look isn’t formulated. Instead it’s a deep down artistic identity that she’s had since playing with that special mannequin doll.
From the moment Daphne steps on stage at a show, she draws attention due to her outfit. She hopes people understand and see the confidence she has in herself. Her consistency is authentic to her music and art, and what she writes about. There’s an intention to tie together the look and music, united together for an audience to connect with. That confidence is conscious and what attracts people to her music.
“When you can see that someone knows who they are, and are confident enough to express that on the outside, I think it really draws people in innately.”
Daphne Jane embodies the goal of this series and how fashion can connect with music. From the bounties of accessories, to the historic weight of the ribbons, down to even the shade of the instrument, there’s mojo in every part of Daphne’s art. For so many artists, finding their identity and brand can notoriously get in the way of their music. But for Daphne, it’s already born into the voice behind the lyrics.
Check out the links below for ways to follow Daphne Jane and all the subjects we mentioned above.
Daphne Jane Music - Instagram - Months - History of the Hair Ribbon - I.AM.GIA - Beabadoobee- Olivia Rodrigo
