If you’ve been following along with my Songful Style posts, you know the drill! Each month, my fabulous blogging friends (Shelbee and Marsha) and I come together to create an outfit inspired by a song. Last month, I picked Burning House by Cam, and I had a blast styling that one. This month, the lovely Shelbee chose the prompt: Vienna by Billy Joel. I have to admit, this one challenged me quite a bit!
About the Song and the Artist
Let’s talk a bit about the song and the singer first. Vienna comes from Billy Joel’s iconic 1977 album, The Stranger. Billy Joel, often dubbed “The Piano Man,” is a legendary singer-songwriter. He’s known for his incredible range, creating songs that span from rock to jazz, and ballads. Vienna stands out as a fan favourite, even though it never released as a single.
The song is reflective, urging us to take life slowly and appreciate the journey. “Vienna” in the song symbolizes wisdom and patience—places we all reach if we’re mindful. Watching the official song video, my interpretation is that of an old lady reminiscing about her life in that beautiful part of the world. I’d love to visit Vienna one day, wouldn’t you?
The Challenge of Styling Vienna
Now, let’s get to the tricky part—styling! I’ll be honest, Vienna had me stumped for a bit. The song has existed for decades, but the official music video was only released four months ago! The video is visually stunning, yet it wasn’t the easiest source of outfit inspiration. It uses abstract and dreamy animation, focusing more on the protagonist’s emotional journey than on specific fashion cues.
Finding Inspiration
Eventually, I drew inspiration from the silhouette of the girl featured in the video. She appears to be wearing either a simple, flowing dress or a belted skirt and top, giving off a timeless vibe. This inspired me to choose an outfit that mirrors that soft, fluid shape, something cinched a bit in the waist and flares out at the hips.
I ended up choosing this beautiful long, flowy dress in soft cream and green that I bought from Zara a couple of years ago. The dress feels both classic and modern—much like the song itself (I found an almost exact dupe for this dress on Amazon if you’re interested…it really is a stunner! Find it here on Amazon.)
Then I decided to style it how I would imagine wearing it on a hot summer’s day strolling around the city of Vienna and the final look came together—adding my tan Timberland leather sandals, a straw hat, some rose gold and tan leather jewellery, a slick of Charlotte Tilbury lip gloss and I was ready to go. Shame I didn’t have a stylish city to visit though lol! So the garden would simply have to do! I grabbed by Marc Jacobs tote bag and off we went…out into the hot sun (roll on Autumn…I’ve had enough already!)!
Final Thoughts
Styling Vienna might have been a challenge, but I loved pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Exploring a different kind of inspiration always feels rewarding. Sometimes, it’s not about replicating something exactly but capturing its essence. I believe this outfit does just that—for my own little imagined walk around Vienna.
What do you think? How would you style Vienna by Billy Joel? Let me know in the comments. Don’t forget to check out how my fabulous friends interpreted the song over on their blogs! So, please join us for next month’s Songful Style post where we’ll be styling one of my favourite songs from the 80s, These Dreams by Heart.
Now though, don’t forget to add your recent posts to the link-up!
FOLLOW SUZY TURNER...
