03. The Style Shift - From Heels to Hair: Why Tate McRae’s Latest Music Video is my Current Obsession
For me, the last two weeks can be summed up by exactly three events:
Bianca Censori’s shock appearance at the Grammy’s.
Spotting Jacob Elordi smoking outside my local cafe and subsequently spending the next week figuring out what I would do were I to bump into him again (the best thing I’ve come up with so far is to ask if I can borrow his lighter despite the fact that I don’t actually smoke).
And the release of Tate McRae’s latest single and music video, ‘Sports Car’.
As a newly single wannabe F1 WAG, the latter came to me at exactly the right time: nodding off in my best friend’s spare bed, in the same pair of leopard print pyjama bottoms I had been wearing for the past week. Watching Tate strut onto the screen in leopard print of her own (archive Cavalli, as opposed to 50% off at Urban Outfitters), I decided it was time to make a change - how was I supposed to charm the trousers off of Mr Elordi without first changing my own? The song has since become my ultimate getting-ready anthem, and has been set as my 7AM alarm ever since. Having spent the previous two weeks mourning the fact that my outerwear collection has halved alongside the departure of my ex-boyfriend from our flat, I now find myself resisting the urge to throw on a puffer coat over my PJs, and instead questioning, 'What Would Tate Do?'.
The single was bound to prosper: singing about sex and cars (or better yet, sex in cars) is the latest recipe for success (see: ‘Diet Pepsi’ by Addison Rae, or Charli XCX’s entire discography). But what makes ‘Sports Car’ extra special is the music video, which showcases McRae showing off her perfected 'hairography' in twelve carefully curated looks put together by stylist Brett Alan Nelson. A far cry from her signature sports jerseys and Adidas shorts, Nelson styles the singer in a series of archive and custom-made designer pieces, with glam to match. In the “Behind the Scenes” video, the team explains that the vision was to put an "editorial" spin on Tate’s usual style, “like French Vogue”. This is achieved with the help of Vogue’s very own Bardia Zeinali, acting as director.
This first look, a leopard print Carvalli corset, paired with gloves from Lael Osness and a hat by Lillian Shalom, perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the video. As well as Tate’s new era ahead of the release of her upcoming album later this month. The shape is sultry, the jewellery and gloves are glamorous, the hat is playful, but the overall effect is still very 'Tate' - the look has apparently been sitting on the singer’s Pinterest board for years. It's timeless, yet extremely current, framing McRae as the ultimate 'it-girl'.
The stilettos worn by McRae in the video also hint towards a more sophisticated, grown-up era for the star. Worlds away from the sneakers she usually sports on stage, one scene sees Tate posing on a chair like a Vegas showgirl in a martini-glass bathtub, wearing seven-inch Pleasers to compliment lingerie and matching feather flames courtesy of The Blonds. Nelson uses the feather-stiletto combination for a second time later on in the video, where we see brief flashes of the singer squatting in a feathered Atelier Biser coat and 3D printed Sam Macer heels which, it's safe to say, are at least the same height as Tate herself.
In case you can’t tell, the footwear in the video really stole the show for me. Standing next to an elegant black stallion, McRae is spotted in head-to-toe Versace in one scene. An open flowing brown and violet top cascades over rose-coloured tights, but what really ties the look together are the sunshine-yellow kitten heels, which contrast beautifully with the hosiery, and bring out the yellow stems of the flowers.
Something particularly refreshing about Nelson’s styling for the video is the attention paid to the glam. Whilst Tate sports her typical bronze goddess glam in the opening scene, the ensuing looks experiment with the use of wigs and alternative makeup choices. The aforementioned Versace look, for example, utilises a floor-length slick chocolate-brown wig, and bleached brows. Though both dramatic changes to the singer’s usual appearance, they harmonise with the couture rather than taking away from it. In another look, fondly referred to as “mer-Tate” by the crew, McRae stuns in a wet, bleach-blonde, fringed wig and iridescent blue eyeshadow, looking like a 90s aquamarine dream. Yet, my personal favourite glam from the video came from what the team affectionately call the “stay-at-home-girl” look. Tate files her nails wearing a wig with chunky horizontal highlights, a smokey-eye, and over-lined lips, appearing as an impossibly beautiful cross between Yasmin the Bratz doll, and Lola the fish from Shark Tale.
From heels to hair, this video has solidified Tate McRae’s status as an icon-in-the-making, and marks her serious debut into the world of fashion. I eagerly anticipate what’s to come in McRae’s forthcoming sophisticated, but oh-so-sultry era when the album is released, and I extend my personal thanks to the singer for inspiring my post-breakup glow-up. If you catch me marching down Strand Campus wearing a new haircut and knee-high boots, you know exactly who to thank.
Written by Lucy Wragg, Celebrity and Trends Correspondent
Edited by Daisy Packwood, Fashion Editor
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