“I like the way I’m dressed and besides that’s what Prince likes”: Dressing for Paisley Park, Fandom, and Clothing

ABSTRACT:Since Prince’s passing in 2016, fans from across the world have traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to celebrate the musician’s legacy and visit Paisley Park, his studio and creative home. So, what do you wear to visit Prince’s house? The implied relationship and connections between Prince, clothing, fans, and place will be examined within this article, utilizing a multimodal approach integrating autoethnography, semi-structured interviews, and online questionnaires. Using fan recollections of visits to Paisley Park, the article focuses on the motivations behind clothing choices worn during visits and how these connect to fans’ admiration of the musician. Critical reflection of the author’s outfit preparations for attendance at Celebration, a three-day event hosted at Paisley Park, will introduce reoccurring themes of respect, self-expression, comfort, and connection. The author argues that all can gain a greater understanding of fannish behaviors and emotive connections to the musician by studying the clothing choices of the Prince fandom.