The Mojo of Music featuring Leslie Vincent
When jazz vocalist and songwriter Leslie Vincent moves to the mic, she carries with her the glamour of jazz’s golden era, the irreverence of an indie spirit, and the confidence of a queer woman who has learned to wear her truth. Her style is equal parts vintage homage and modern rebellion and is as integral to her performance as her voice.
Leslie’s journey with fashion began long before she had a microphone in her hand. Growing up in a military family, she moved constantly from the U.K. to the East Coast, and eventually to the Midwest. That nomadic upbringing forced her to reinvent herself over and over again. “My earliest memories are of dressing myself. My mom was very over it,” she laughs. “I dressed however I wanted, and my family just had to be okay with that.” She loved to wear mismatched socks, part out of being lazy, part out of not understanding why the socks needed to match.
This expanded into her making her own clothes or modifying something from Pacsun or Abercrombie & Fitch. She would cut the shirt, sew her own buttons on it, and even wear skirts over pants. For two years she wore sparkling ruby red slippers from Target.
“That’s how I was kind of known. I was an arts kid in school and everyone knew, oh, she’s the weird theater kid. I had a lot of friends in school, but I love attention and clothes were my way to get that.”
-Leslie Vincent
Growing up in a military family, Leslie’s parents learned early on that their daughter’s individuality was not something to suppress but to support. Frequent moves and emotional goodbyes shaped a household opinion of letting Leslie express herself however she needed to cope, especially with clothes. Attending Department of Defense schools abroad, these small, tight-knit communities offered more freedom than the strict image of military life might suggest. Instead of rigid rules, Leslie found an environment that was unexpectedly nurturing, where individuality was often celebrated. That early permission to be herself planted the seeds for her lifelong confidence in using style as a form of self-expression.
When Leslie returned to the United States in seventh grade, her world suddenly shrank. Moving from a community where she could walk around town and have freedom of space, Leslie was now living in a tiny town and needed her parents to drive her everywhere. Her worldly energy and confidence clashed with classmates who viewed her as different, and not in a cool way. “I thought everyone that I met at school was super dumb. They weren’t dumb, but were very sheltered. I remember at one point I told my class that it’s really dumb they can’t read a map,” Leslie confesses, “I’m sure that did not make some people happy.”
Instead of retreating, Leslie leaned harder into her individuality. She embraced her bold fashion sense as an act of self-definition and resilience, choosing to “live her own life” even when that made her stand out. Around that time, she discovered theater as a haven of other creative misfits who dressed weirdly. Within that world, Leslie found community and validation, learning that being “too much” could actually be her greatest strength, both on stage and off.
Leslie’s early years in Washington, D.C., exposed her to a split world, one of pencil skirts and power suits on one side, and eclectic, artsy individuality on the other. Leslie had just came out and found herself exploring more masculine clothes mixed with big earrings and big hair.
Her experiments with gender expression came later, as she began exploring her queerness. “When I first came out, I wasn’t getting hit on, and I didn’t know why,” she laughs. “So I cut all my hair off and wore big pants. It was horrible.” Leslie shares the other side of using fashion as a way to attract a mate.
“I felt like that community for a while ignored me. They thought I wasn't part of it. There's a whole history of where do femme-queer women fit in? If people think that you're not part of their community, there's some bristling, why are you in our space? I just wanted to signal to them that you can trust me and tried to do that visually with what I was wearing.”
-Leslie Vincent
Leslie’s musical influences merge with her fashion inspirations and would include Amy Winehouse, Chappell Roan, and even Sabrina Carpenter’s curated pieces of fashion. She even credits Audrey Hepburn as an influence on her own style, but admits that there’s still a drive to dress for her own body size. Winehouse and Hepburn have very different body figures than hers, so Leslie keeps in mind experimenting with different shapes that feel attune to her.
Fashion has always been inseparable from jazz. From the flapper frenzy of the 20s to the zoot suits of the 40s and the sleek turtlenecks of cool-jazz modernists, jazz musicians have long used clothing to express rebellion, sophistication, and sensuality. Leslie honors that lineage but refuses to be bound by it.
“I'm trying to strike this balance of homage to the jazz tradition, but also modern day fashion. I'm not ever trying to recreate the forties, even though they were amazing. That does not resonate with me. I'm like, here's some music from that tradition, but here's who I am in 2025 singing it for you.”
Her stage outfits often nod to the past with sleek silhouettes, metallics, and classic looks. Leslie twists them with modern touches like geometric earrings, bold patterns, and unexpected textures. She channels jazz’s improvisational spirit through her wardrobe, which is polished but still unpredictable.
Leslie continues to evolve the way she thinks about how to represent herself onstage, specifically at different venues. Her Instagram account is oftentimes a fashion show as Leslie shares new outfits for a specific upcoming show. It’s a brilliant incorporation of using trendy reels to explain to a fanbase how to connect our environments with a complete outfit. To create this alignment, Leslie curates her outfits through Nuuly, a rental subscription, planning her looks a month in advance. “It’s like setting the setlist visually,” she says. “I know which outfit belongs with which gig. It takes away the stress and keeps everything intentional.”
The first outfit featured includes Leslie’s “magic pants,” which carries on her forward fashion thinking from a young age. The pants have bold, vibrant colors laid out in a quilted-style pattern that like the mismatched socks, aren’t symmetrical. She pairs it with very simple, sleek boots that she received from her mother-in-law.
In the past she would have added a busy shirt, but now understands the balance of an outfit and instead keeps it simple with a gray tank top. In experimenting with more queer fashion, the tank top adds that slice of masculinity, while keeping a more playful vibe to the full look. The circular earrings were found at Art-A-Whirl when Leslie was performing and saw a vendor across from the stage. They had a mutual adoration of each other’s work and since purchasing them, Leslie has worn them a ton.
The full outfit plays into the mismatched improvisational vibe of jazz with her magic pants, while carrying that structured polish vibe of being a performer. It’s a shining example of using clothes to non-verbally communicate personality and intention, along with providing clues to her music.
In the second outfit Leslie pairs a watercolor-hued gown with sparkling Jessica Simpson heels and a sharp updo, creating a look that was equal parts elegance and expressionism. The elevated gown feels like a piece of art, which is an extension of her music’s mood and movement. The way the gown lays on her frame compliments her figure while giving her room to move onstage.
Anyone that has followed Leslie can attest her choice of shoes have changed over the years. She used to wear heels to every show, but has moved into more flats for the ability to be more nimble while on stage. These sparkly heels continue to find a use for photo shoots and high profile situations.
Rounding out the outfit are smaller contained earrings and a bracelet she received from her grandma. She’s learned to cut back on accessories and by doing so, chooses stuff based on intent on the overall aesthetic of the full outfit.
Leslie Vincent’s new album Little Black Book marks a clear evolution in her songwriting. It highlights her gift for blending jazz, soul, and pop into something cohesive and stylish. The album feels both familiar and completely her own.
“Analog Love Affair” comes out swinging, literally, as the album opener. The song showcases her vocal electricity and verve as a performer. “What Humans Do,” featuring Jeremy Messersmith, is playful and charming, with the two trading lines in a way that feels natural and fun. The song reflects Leslie’s goal of connecting with listeners beyond the traditional jazz crowd.
“Ex. #4 The Comedian” channels her Winehouse influence with soaring and soulful vocals while “Rainy Days” feels like a sweater weather song that pulls you in with Leslie’s warm voice and presence. “Hannah Always Cries at IKEA” is the most earworm song on the album. The contrast from such a lively, upbeat groove to the mass produced art and sadness in Hannah’s experience at the Swedish mainstay chain is delightful.
The nostalgic final song on the album, “Girls at My School”, focuses on the feelings we all get when traveling back home and seeing those that didn’t get out. Leslie hits on the forlorn feelings and tender delight of being one that moved away. Leslie’s talent to pull in these different moods and tones is aligned with her intention of pulling in different pieces of clothing for a polished, striking outfit. Little Black Book is a full attire of songs that highlights Leslie’s charm and ambition to contemporize the Midwest jazz landscape.
“I want to look clean and intentional in my look, like a professional singer. I want it to look beautiful. I do think when the clothes look good, there is a sense of ease. If someone comes dressed up for their genre, you're like, okay. They get it. They know what they're doing.”
-Leslie Vincent
Leslie views her goal as a musician to help the audience feel at ease by balancing a warm and inviting look with a confidence of being in charge. It sets the tone of the preceding performance to see a polished and approachable singer taking the stage.
In the lineage of jazz performers from Billie Holiday’s gardenias to Chet Baker’s cool suits, fashion has always been another form of phrasing. Leslie Vincent carries that legacy into the present with the same daring spirit that made her an artist in the first place. Her voice may carry pieces of the history of jazz, but her wardrobe writes its future.
Check out the links below for ways to follow Leslie Vincent and all the topics we mentioned above.
Leslie Vincent - Instagram - Spotify - History of Jazz Fashion - Nuuly - Little Black Book Album Release
