The heart wants what it wants. Mine seems to be wholly immune to the indie-sleaze and Y2K revival—been there, done that—but strangely drawn to the tight jeans and hairy appeal of the yacht-rock set. Let’s just say I watched last year’s HBO’s self-described “dockumentary” on the subject and was hooked.
Originating in California in the 1970s, yacht rock is a genre of soft, mellow music that was post-named in 2005 in conjunction with a video series. The moniker plays on the tranquil take-me-away mood of Christopher Cross’s song “Sailing.” It’s a sound and mood that contrasts with the more energetic pop of the clean-cut Beach Boys, who emerged a decade earlier. Heading to Getty Images I expected to find a low-key, surfy, Cali style, but what I discovered was that while yacht rock is sonically associated with smoothness, yacht-rock fashion is, in contrast, choppy, a grab-and-go mix of jeans and tees. And it’s really hirsute. What unites the look of bands like the Doobie Brothers or Steely Dan is hair: chest hair, long hair, exaggerated sideburns, and beards befitting storybook sea captains.
Apart from the sailor-cap-wearing captain of Captain Tennille, there were no nautical elements to the YR uniform, nor any of the preppiness usually associated with the yachting life. These men—and the majority of YR musicians are male—lived much of their lives on the road in casual clothes that suited the lifestyle. The real hair bands that emerged later were glam and involved stretch leggings, super-low-rise cuts, and elaborate hair products. What I find charming about the YR style is that it feels so uncalculated when it comes to style and hair (unlike the more considered pilosity, decades later, of Freeman Alley acolytes and Williamsburg hipsters). There’s a softness to long hair and a look that is part folk, part regular dude.
Popular from the mid-’70s to the early ’80s, the YR uniform carried forward elements of hippiedom with lots of patched jeans. Cowboy shirts and belt buckles introduced a little bit of country, while flares and long-collar shirts continued some ’70s sleaze. It was, some said, “the decade that fashion forgot,” but not entirely, as the pictorial evidence below shows. Sharpest of the YR cohort was George Benson; cuddliest, Michael McDonald; and most adventurous, Steely Dan cofounder (turned defense consultant!) Jeff “Skunk” Baxter.
The Patched Jean
Yacht rockers kept the DIY hippie ethos alive.
The Gaudy Shirt
Hawaiian-style shirts so bad they’re good? It was the 70s….
Put a Belt on It
The bigger the buckle, the better.
The Statement Tee
Le Flare
This cut had wide appeal.
Dressed to Impress
Into every wardrobe, some tailoring must fall.
