How I Would Style ITZY
Ahead of ITZY’s long-awaited album Kill My Doubt, JYP Entertainment released an album teaser, featuring snippets of all six new tracks. For this comeback, I visualized how I would style each of the members to best fit this album.
The five-member girl group is known to experiment not only within their sound, but with what they wear on stage, too. When thinking about how I would style ITZY, I decided to take not only their group image into account, but also each member’s unique traits and style them in pieces that would highlight them individually. As well as this, when listening to the Kill My Doubt highlight medley, I wanted their music to reflect in their outfits.
“None of My Business”
Kill My Doubt begins with “None of My Business," a light and fun summer track. JYP Entertainment released the full song accompanied by the music video on July 24.
The lighter tone reflects not only in the song, but within their outfits, too. This is seen in the customized baseball tops spelling ITZY in the front to the full white outfits that make all the members stand out against the warm, summery background.
In the music video, the members are adorned in beach-ready outfits. So instead of styling them in daytime outfits, I would go for summer evening looks. I would turn to a brand like CHET LO, whose signature textured tops and bottoms range in neon colors perfect for the warmer nights. The overall tone and aura of the song matches well with member Lia, whose blonde hair complements the contrast in colors.
Image: Charlie Gates, CHET LO Website
Image: Charlie Gates, CHET LO Website
“Bratty (나쁜 애)”
Beginning with a four-count beat, "Bratty (나쁜 애)” starts off with a hip-hop infused atmospheric melody. There's a ton of space on the track, which makes it sound airy, yet it still takes up the full room. With this, I think ITZY would be styled in loose fitting outfits for "Bratty (나쁜 애).”
With clothes, I would turn to Pharrell, who is widely known for his four-beat producer tag, but also for his many fashion ventures. The current creative director of Louis Vuitton is known for helping popularize streetwear culture in the early 2000s, when nothing was ever too baggy or free. Hoodies have been a staple item in the streetwear community and for “Bratty (나쁜 애),” I see ITZY member Ryujin in the t-shirt/hoodie from URTE KAT's spring/summer 2024 collection.
The lightweight hoodie holds a lot of versatility as it can be styled as a traditional hoodie, as a cape—freeing the arms yet still wearing the hood up with a connecting drawstring—or as an off-the-shoulder piece, revealing the connected t-shirt allowing for full mobility in the dance.
“BET ON ME”
Serving as the first pre-release single of Kill My Doubt, “BET ON ME” is one of ITZY's most straightforward tracks, with a thumping bass line that fans can almost feel within them.
Rather than unified outfits, the members are styled in outfits that best reflect each of their own personal identities. The main point of each outfit is that they are unique to the member; Lia in a YCH hoodie, Yeji with layers of R13 and KIJUN, Ryujin in a Charles Jeffrey Loverboy vest, Chaeryeong in a GALLERY DEBT t-shirt that has added texture to the sleeves, and Yuna in my favorite piece in the music video with the KNWLS biker jacket.
I wouldn’t change or add on to any of their outfits as I think a song like “BET ON ME” should reflect just that: themselves. Each of the members are in outfits that look comfortable and most “them.” Ahead of the album release, JYP released a documentary on the making of this project, and I think that “BET ON ME” is an important track for them to simply be themselves through and through. If I were to style them, I would ensure that the members were wearing clothes that they all wear in their free time, something that is authentic so that when they watch the music video back, they will see themselves again and again.
“Kill Shot”
Chaeryeong's concept photos for ITZY’s first comeback teaser comes to mind the most when the teaser for "Kill Shot" started. The metallic silver look is almost parallel to the synth sounds and short snaps of "Kill Shot." The track's use of silence in between beats and its distorted bass noise is what entices listeners the most, leaving them with that push-and-pull in the track.
For "Kill Shot," accessorizing the members in silver would help keep the metallic look consistent and would be key in the styling. Pieces from OHTNYC would work well for this as the brand is often worn by idols.
With Chaeryeong in mind specifically, I imagined ITZY in tooth-and-nail accessories by South-Korean based craftsman SAEMINYUM. Their intricate mouth accessories span from lettering, to faux brace grillz, and a range of other concepts.
“Psychic Lover”
As for "Psychic Lover," I automatically paired it with the it-girl, princess image that ITZY's youngest member Yuna often exudes. The song’s hi-teen, almost pop-rock band sound is encouraged by the electric guitar melody.
A brand such as SHUSHU/TONG, known for its stronger take on femininity, would match well for Yuna, in particular. The brand whose inspiration often comes from cartoons and movies takes traditionally delicate pieces and experiments with them to create clothes which you can only imagine on the big screen. Their office-woman looks are some of their most famous design styles.
You don't need to dig too far into SHUSHU/TONG's archives to find items for Yuna: their spring/summer 2023 collection is the perfect balance between dainty yet quirky—matching ITZY's vibe this comeback. With the brand's use of frills and variation on colors, the pieces in this collection make an almost perfect pair with "Psychic Lover."
“CAKE*”
Out of all the tracks teased in the album trailer, I think "CAKE*" is the most identifiably ITZY song. From the team name shout in the lyrics to the repetitive chorus that will undeniably get stuck in your head, the track has many layers that listeners can get lost in.
Similar to the track before, "CAKE*" holds many styling elements similar to "Psychic Lover" that would apply to the members. However, instead of SHUSHU/TONG's office wear, I think it would be fun to use their color scheme and silhouettes, which could almost replicate the layers of a tiered cake to be a play on the title.
However, to tap into ITZY's more experimental sound, Paolina Russo's archive is filled with pieces that match it best. The brand's plethora of prints and patterns make for items that can't be copied or mimicked, ranging from woolen geometrical shapes to name-printed fitted tees. I see ITZY's leader Yeji heavily in this brand and think it would be a fun rendition of the sound that the group is known for.
Make sure to catch ITZY’s comeback on July 31!