Janis Joplin- The Queen of Rock and Roll

"The Queen of Rock and Roll" or simply Pearl as her friends knew her. She was a painter, dancer and a music arranger. Must importantly, to us, she was a singer with a distinct, husky, soulful voice and intensely personal sense of self and style. Born January 19, 1943 in Port Arthur, TX. Janis grew up listening to the music of black jazz and blues singers, female singers in particular. She started singing her own brand of blues rock when she was seventeen. Soon after she moved from her Texas hometown in 1966 to live in San Francisco with the hopes of finding more freedom for a liberated, modern woman such as herself. It was here that she meet up and joined her first band, Big Brother and the Holding Company. She went on to perform in some of the most notable live music festivals of the last century, including Monterey Pop and Woodstock.

Janis Joplin marked her influence on countless female rock musicians like Stevie Nicks, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart and Sheryl Crow to name a few. Although she left us all too soon, at the age of 27, her music, personality and unique sense of style lives on to influence each new generation.



Janis, from her Pearl album cover. This was her final album released posthumously January 1971. She is shown here reclining on a Victorian settee, adorned with her famous marabou feather head piece, drink in hand and a cigarette burning in a long black holder. Without knowing better, I'd say this was a very real portrait of her.



I dare anyone to find a picture of Janis where she doesn't have either a drink in her hand, a cigarette in her hand, a hank of beads hanging around her neck or marabou feathers in her hair.



A very famous photo of Janis performing at Woodstock.



The thing I love most about pictures of Janis is, she wasn't a model, she was a real woman. Her facial expressions expose a certain vulnerability and beauty rarely seen now days.



It's all about the accessories. I love this picture of her, in part because I have always been fascinated with drawing the nude female body. This picture reminds me of my first year in college, figure drawing 1. Our subject was a beautiful bohemian woman, adorned only with a hank of long, beaded necklaces and a large peacock tattoo on her upper thigh.



From the same photo shoot. Notice the sequin jacket? I believe it is the same one draped over the back of the settee on the Pearl album. I have seen it on other pictures as well. It must have been a favorite of hers.



Another very famous archetypal photo of the first lady of rock.


Get the look



This kurta top reminds me of her bell sleeved blouses she was so fond of as well as that black velvet and sequin jacket that she repeatedly appeared in. The kurta style top became very popular in the sixties as consciences shifted to middle eastern philosophies, spirituality and culture. It is still a popular garment for both men and women today.

There are a number of online resources that offer traditional and modern styled kurta tops on Etsy and Ebay. Personally I found a number of beautiful tops at my local Savers thrift store and I bought them for around $5 to $6 each.

Janis wore a a lot of crochet vests. I found this one available from a vintage store on Etsy. Also check out Etsy and Ebay for original vintage or crochet pattern books or packages. If you're crafty you could end up with an authentic one of a kind item.
Vintage Crochet Vest



During my research I found that in a majority of the photos taken of Janis she is wearing pants, caarazy pants! Pants with stripes, prints and patterns, cut from velvet and corduroy. The cut was always bell bottom, or flare, as we like to call them now days. I chose these denim pants because they are modern and fashion forward, something we can get away with in our present day and are readily available to the mainstream consumer market. I included two links below that provide handy details on creating your own flare jeans using scraps of denim or other fabrics.

The instructions are basic and easy to follow, however I encourage brave DIYers to think outside the box. Add contrasting denim patches, (as in the above example,) appliques, crochet bits and pieces, hand stitching, hand painting. Let the hem out so the bottom half of the jeans become frayed and worn. You can also use sandpaper on the knees or anywhere else you'd like to make a natural looking frayed hole. Toss them in the washer a couple of times with a splash of bleach to make them soft and worn in.
Learn how to make your own flares here..
DIY Flare Jeans
or here..
Diy Flare Jeans 2



A wooden clog or platform type shoe will make a great finishing statement and help you rise above the length of your bell bottom jeans!



Check out independent artisans for strands of glass beads. Here's a great link to a talented artist on Etsy..
 Love Beads



Janis was infamous for using feathers, (marabou boas to be precise,) to decorate her hair. She would also dye sections of her hair different colors. Her feathered head-ware was quite robust and extreme for anyone but a rock star to duplicate on a daily basis. Instead you could try a simple feather headband or hair clip, or perhaps some long dangle earrings, like these ones.
Aiyanna Feather Earrings