It starts small – losing things, laughing loudly, dressing only for yourself. How you act, move, talk, love and cry; that feels more rock’n’roll than any leather jacket. Although the era of rock’n’roll is suspended in the 20th century, social media is increasingly more fixated on what it means to be rock’n’roll. What makes being rock’n’roll special is that it is inexplicable – it’s a feeling, a sentiment you sense when you look at someone. It’s proof that fashion isn’t in fabric, it’s in behaviour. There are, however, certain things that encapsulate rock’n’roll:

1. Being late.

2. Cutting your own hair impulsively and not regretting it

3. Reading something halfway and still talking about it

4. Eating not breakfast food for breakfast

5. Wearing a funny but not sexy halloween costume

6. Wearing sunglasses on the train

7. Drinking expensive wine straight from the bottle

8. Crying on public transport and not wiping the tears

9. Never closing the curtains in your room

10. Making a note on your arm instead of paper

There’s nothing particularly glamorous about any of these things. No guitars, no glitter. Just a certain rhythm – the kind that comes from doing things your own way, even when no one’s watching. That’s what fashion calls rock’n’roll now: the choreography of effortlessness and soft rebellion – not the style tricks.

“You can always look rock’n’roll but to be rock’n’roll you need more than clothes”

Classic rock’n’roll icons – Jagger, Bowie, Kurt Cobain – used style as a form of protest against the ordinary; their outfits worn were as much a political manifesto as they were a cool look. But what happens if we borrow smudged eyeliner, torn denim, messy hair – the symbols of rebellion – without the risk? Does it turn protest into a safe style choice and take away the whole point? No. You can always look rock’n’roll but to be rock’n’roll you need more than clothes.

Rock’n’roll did not stay in the 20th century. During a time where everyone is trying to have the sleekest bun, the ‘beigest’ wardrobe, the cleanest make up, being imperfect is a form of protest. Allowing yourself to be effortless is the new rock’n’roll, as that is how you go against the flow. That also makes being rock’n’roll so appealing; it’s not just fashion, it’s a whole philosophy which cannot be faked by a (leather jacket and torn jeans) disguise.

“Rock’n’roll never died”

The effortlessness and boredom of being rock’n’roll magically becomes appealing and seductive; you not only want to be this person but you also want to be with this person. The less you seem to care, the more people want to know why. It takes courage to wear a wrinkled shirt because you like it like it is, or have your phone on ‘do not disturb’ because you choose when it’s time to go online. Not everyone can choose the unhinged option.

Despite the philosophy behind ‘being rock’n’roll’, it was never separable from the performance. (Even Jim Morrison rehearsed before going on stage.) But that’s the beauty – the balance between care and carelessness; it’s a game, a stroll on thin ice. It snuck into fashion so inconspicuously as it is a kind of a performance art too. That is what makes rock’n’roll so ethereal – like sand slipping through your fingers the moment you catch it. True rock’n’roll must come from the inside – because the moment you name it, it needs a new disguise. Rock’n’roll never died.