Looking Back at Blondie’s Iconic Grunge-Glamour Style

While Blondie went on to release other smash hits like “Call Me” and “One Way or Another,” cultivating their unique musical style in the crowded rock space of the ’80s, it’s safe to say that Harry’s elevated rocker look played a part in the band’s allure and mainstream success. At the time, it was still relatively new for women to be fronting rock bands—and Harry did so with a one-of-a-kind, trailblazing style. Along with her signature bleach-blonde do, Harry often leaned into the more excessive sartorial spirit of the era: Her looks were equal parts punk and glamour, embracing pieces like spandex jumpsuits, sequin dresses, and fringed jackets. It’s a look that’s been replicated endlessly on the runways since (Junya Watanabe’s fall 2020 collection, for one, was entirely inspired by her).

Sure, Harry’s bandmates have had slick looks of their own over the years—they’re often in sharp, rock-and-roll suits that complement Harry’s more adventurous style—but it’s the singer’s theatrical approach to stage dressing that’s helped make Blondie what it is today. Hello, you can’t have a band called Blondie without leaning into the blonde! What’s even more impressive, perhaps, is how Harry’s showy fashion sense has never quieted down. At 77, Harry is still as exuberant as ever: At the 2021 Met Gala, which celebrated “American Independence,” she wore a star-spangled gown by Zac Posen that was both perfectly on-theme and made a bold style statement. This weekend at Coachella, we can only hope that this risk-taking fashion sensibility takes center stage.

Below, more of Blondie’s best style moments over the years.