A guide to Caroline Polachek’s style evolution
Written by ABR on 14/02/2023
Call her what you like, but Caroline Polachek is unquestionably one of the most innovative popstars of the 21st century. Before becoming the soloist we know and love, Caroline began her musical career as the frontwoman of ‘indie sleaze’-era dream pop group Chairlift. After a preliminary foray into solodom, followed by a number of memorable guest spots and production credits, she released her debut solo album Pang in 2019, introducing fans, old and new, to a world all her own.
Caroline’s vision — both sonically and sartorially — “has historically been specific and mythological,” long-time friend and stylist Kat Typaldos told i-D. Across sound and visuals, Pang unfolds like a gothic storybook, populated with tricorne-topped sailors faring an “Ocean of Tears” and miniskirt-clad demons pouting over their lover’s good looks. Her new album, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You reads as a sequel, brimming with American Apparel-clad walk-of-shamers, Koss Porta Pro-wearing dryads and sexy Carmen Sandiego types. “There is always an element of subversion, homage and a hint of naughty humour to [Caroline’s] world,” Kat says. “Her looks tend to derive from young designers, personal pieces from her collection, thrift and Canal Street shopping, and pops of dance culture. The end result always feels like the right amount of theatricality and nastiness.”
As the avant-popstar turns the page on a new chapter with the release of Desire, I Want to Turn Into You, we chart the evolution of her singular look, from the late 00s to today.
Performing with Chairlift, 2009
Today, we know and love Caroline as one of pop music’s most singular soloists; back in the 00s, however, she was the frontwoman of New York indie band Chairlift. With their sweet synth stylings and Caroline’s airy vocals, the group epitomised the turn-of-the-2010s twee-pop sound. Alongside other era-defining indie acts (CSS, Feist, et al.), Chairlift rose to mainstream prominence after their single “Bruises” was featured in one of Apple’s iconic iPod commercials. Like many of her contemporaries, Caroline’s early Chairlift-era style embodied what we now know as the indie sleaze look. Take this stage outfit for example: sliced-and-diced graphic tee and holographic organza mini.
Performing with Chairlift at Pitchfork Festival, 2013
With the release of sophomore album Something, Chairlift’s sound — and Caroline’s style — got a little funkier. We’re talking disco dresses, shimmery bustiers and dungarees. Caroline’s signature look from this era, however, had little to do with wardrobe. Rather, it was a series of avant-garde eye looks and this streaked blonde hairstyle, dyed to look like the ultra-shiny locks of an anime character. An innovator of the current halo bleach trend.
As Ramona Lisa, 2014
In 2014, Caroline released her first solo album, Arcadia, under the moniker Ramona Lisa. She began writing the album during an artist residency at the Medici Villa in rural Tuscany, and the surrounding landscape had a clear influence on Arcadia’s sound, describing the project as “pastoral electronic music”, and telling The Fader: “I was going after the idea of what the 2014 equivalent of a shepherdess singing in a field would sound like”. Ramona Lisa’s look is equally idyllic: breezy muslin jumpsuits, fawn-patterned corsets and an ascetic shift dress or two. But, of course, it wouldn’t be Caroline without a bit of a twist. “I wanted [Ramona Lisa] to be a character… kind of classical, timeless, like a ballet paper doll. But she has these eyes on her cheeks, which are a foil,” she told Into The Gloss of the era’s signature beauty look. “I drew them on my friend one Halloween because she didn’t have a costume, and I was so captivated by them, so I started wearing them out.”
At a film premiere, 2014
Still immersed in her Ramona Lisa project, in 2014 we began to see the emergence of the ethereal, billowing looks that would come to define the early visuals of 2019’s Pang. Specifically, this era’s pirate blouses, massive leather belts and rope harnesses seemed to preview the swashbuckling outfits from Caroline’s “Oceans of Tears” video.
Performing with Chairlift in New York, 2016
In 2016, Chairlift announced their breakup and set out on their farewell tour. This chapter in Caroline’s look was defined by sporty tops and massive pants. Here, she wears an aerobics-inspired bodysuit and pink wrap trousers, paired with a ribbonned braid — her signature hair look of this era.
At the Midsommar premiere, 2019
Caroline’s debut solo album Pang arrived in 2019, its roll-out unfolding like the pages of a gothic storybook — literally. The singer has described Pang’s look as “expressionist storybook goth” and, like any good fairytale, the album’s music videos and artwork are rife with corsets, leg o mutton sleeves and talismanic necklaces. Equally, the era’s red carpet looks were adorned with regal velvet and knee socks, reminiscent of medieval hosen. One of Pang’s most essential — and historical — sartorial motifs is Black Watch plaid. Caroline wore the Scottish tartan two-stepping through the “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings” video, posing for the cover art for “I Give Up,” vocalising in this much-memed Genius video, and, here, attending the premiere of 2019 horror flick Midsommar. “I lived in Tokyo until I was six and my first association with Black Watch plaid was seeing the elementary school girls playing across the fence when I was in kindergarten. They represented an early feminine archetype for me, like ‘Those are the cool girls, that’s who I want to be,’” Caroline told Pitchfork about her personal affiliations with the tartan.
“As I got older, I started seeing plaids more in a historical lens of punk, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and the legacy of English fashion — how politicised and also romantic it was in the 80s and 90s. The cocktail of all those things became really cool to me and also kind of autobiographical, especially because I was making so much of this record in London. I went on eBay and bought a bunch of pieces that are from different designers and times but are all Black Watch plaid. I very consciously built myself this uniform. I’d wear it to the studio, I’d put on heels and go out with it. It kept me feeling grounded in my own personal history and in the world that I was building for the music.”
At the LadyLand Festival, 2021
Caroline went full Tomb Raider for the release of 2021 single “Bunny is a Rider”. The song details the escapades of the titular Bunny, a slippery, Carmen-Sandiego-esque femme fatale, and, for the single’s music video, the singer drew inspiration from another of pop culture’s international women of mystery: Lara Croft. In the clip, Caroline weaves her way through a labyrinthine storage unit wearing the adventurer’s signature singlet and holster harness. This Lara-inspired look defined Caroline’s “Bunny” era, with the singer wearing loads of leather and harnesses, including this buckled look by Elena Velez.
Performing in London, 2021
After pandemic delays, Caroline set out to tour Pang in late 2021. The tour’s wardrobe incorporated the album’s ethereal storybook garb with some of the sexier elements seen during the “Bunny” era. We’re talking Clara Colette Miramon cut-outs, Hyein Seo straps, shredded Ottolinger, Maroske Peech dancewear and loads of KNWLS mesh. The London-based brand played a key role costuming Pang, from its release through the 2021 tour: Caroline wore one of the label’s dresses on the cover art for “Go As A Dream” and an Instagram post reveals the label costumed at least part of Pang’s initial tour. Here, Caroline wears a cold-shouldered KNWLS look at one of her London shows.
Performing on Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia tour, 2022
In 2022, Caroline was invited to open Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia tour. For the occasion, the singer donned a duo of ruched, rainbow-coloured gowns by Polish label Fal-ash.
At Coachella, 2022
Caroline made her Coachella debut in custom silk by Parisian ‘enfant terrible’ Olivier Theyskens. The patchwork gown served as the perfect middle ground between Pang’s ethereality and the earthy aesthetic that would define the artist’s 2022 singles, “Billions” and “Sunset”.
At The Northman premiere, 2022
‘Earthy’ and ‘organic’ are two words you could use to describe Caroline’s “Sunset” era style. If you’d like a few more, there’s also “Lilith Fair crunchiness”, according to stylist Kat Typaldos. In the single’s music video, the singer wears a crocheted headpiece designed by emerging label Evade House, which would become one of her staple accessories. In addition to the bonnet, this era featured a plethora of intricate knitwear pieces with a homespun, lived-in feel, including dresses by Kepler and Mega Mikaela.
“Welcome to My Island” music video, 2022
Towards the end of 2022, Caroline released the penultimate single in the lead-up to her new album, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You. In an Instagram post, Caroline described the song, titled “Welcome to My Island”, as “bratty and stupid… the worthy soundtrack for an epic walk of shame.” To embody the song’s impishness, stylist Kat Typaldos dressed the singer in an “American Apparel-inspired” custom Ella Mae bodysuit. Of the look, she told i-D, “We spent hours trying on a variety of accessory options to evoke a feeling of being deranged and a bit bratty. We landed on her black knee-highs (a CP staple!), an archetypical square toe pump and topped it all off with a giant bow and an artisanal one-of-a-kind belt made by Corrina Goutos. The vibe ended up feeling like a hot mess version of Eloise at The Plaza.” As ever, a Caroline Polachek look in a category all its own.
ABR Group