d going back to working in offices and attending live events, many consumers returned to buying more glamorous outfits.  US sales revenue for women’s dresses grew by 42 per cent, year-over-year, from January through May 2022, and dress sales today are 14 per cent higher than they were before the pandemic in 2019.  Per NPD’s consumer tracking service, almost one-third of US consumers are purchasing dresses for evening or special occasion events.  One type of outing that shoppers are dressing up for in particular are concerts, especially the much-hyped Beyoncé Renaissance and Taylor Swift Eras tours.  The Beyhive and Swifties dress up Taylor Swift’s Eras tour began in March, while Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour took off in May. While the two performers have contrasting musical and visual styles, one thing their tours have in common is the enthusiastic approach that fans have taken to dressing up.  The emergence of hashtags like #tourdrobe (a combination of tour and wardrobe), #erasoutfit, and #renaissance outfit, which fans are using to show off their outfits on TikTok and Instagram speaks to the demand. Several clothing retailers, such as Nasty Gal, have jumped on the “tourdrobe” train and curated standalone collections for consumers to purchase eye-catching pieces to wear to an Eras or Renaissance show.  What are fans wearing to concerts? Fans are not only dressing up for Eras and Renaissance concerts, but are doing their best to dress on theme.  At Eras shows, you will find people wearing fringed jackets and shorts, embellished cowboy boots, and brightly coloured sequin dresses and jumpsuits, reflecting Swift’s country and pop style.  Whereas at Renaissance shows, concert-goers are more likely to don diamanté-covered knee-high boots and accessories, metallic mini dresses, cowboy hats, and all manner of pieces embellished with sequins, reflecting the futuristic and western-inspired vibe of Beyoncé’s latest tour.  “The ‘tourdrobe’ has become a major part of the concert experience in 2023 as communities of fans drum up hype on socials by sharing outfit inspiration via hashtags. #erasoutfit has over 69 million TikTok views in the United States to date,” Venetia Fryzer, fashion and retail analyst at retail intelligence company Edited, told Inside Retail. “As a result, concert dressing has become a huge opportunity for retailers. Sequins have also jumped in popularity this summer after proving a staple look for both Beyoncé and Taylor Swift during their sets.  “For example, sequinned apparel saw new arrivals increase 53 per cent in the US from April to July year-over-year, as well as a 256 per cent year-over-year uptick in products that sold out across the majority of sizes over the same period.  “Western boots have also proved popular among fans – US and UK sellouts rose 52 per cent year-over-year from January 2023 to June 2023, with metallics selling well. Bershka’s rhinestone embellished cowboy hat ($329.99) also sold out in May, coinciding with Beyoncé’s UK tour dates.”  Beyoncé and Taylor Swift’s fans are not the only ones dressing up for their beloved entertainer’s performances. Other musicians noted for their costume choices, like Harry Styles, have also seen a significant number of fans dressing up specifically for their performances.  For instance, UK arts and crafts superstore retail chain Hobbycraft reported a 54 per cent increase in page views of its watermelon iron patch during the run up to the Watermelon Sugar singer’s tour dates in May 2023. Other staple items in the ‘tourdrobes’ of Styles fans include feather boas, eccentric prints, bell bottoms, and cowboy boots.  What retail brands need to keep in mind Fans are ready, willing, and able to go out of their way to dress up for a concert, as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift’s tours have shown.  A recent QuestionPro survey for The New York Times found that about 50 per cent of Taylor Swift fans used their regular income to buy concert tickets and outfits for the Eras tour, while 9 per cent used savings built up during the pandemic.  One brand that has taken note of this trend is Tiffany’s, the official jewellery retailer of the Renaissance world tour with its “Return to Tiffany x Beyoncé” collection, which consists of several variations of the trademark Tiffany’s tag necklace. Amazon is also profiting from the “Beyoncé Bump”, a term coined by Yelp to refer to the economic boost that the Renaissance tour, which just dropped its third collection of exclusive merchandise, has given to businesses.   A report released by Yelp Data in July revealed that searches for many beauty services surged, with nail technicians experiencing a 193 per cent increase compared to the weekly average in the previous year, while specific searches for wigs went up 81 per cent and hair extensions 23 per cent.  After several years of being cooped up inside, music fans are ready and willing to spend their hard-earned money and savings to attend their favourite entertainer’s concert. They’ve clearly taken to heart the lyric from Beyoncé’s song “PURE/HONEY”, which states: “It should cost a billion to look this good.”