Image via Complex Original
UPDATE: Prince passed away today, 4/21/2016, at the age of 57. This is a story we published in Sep. 2014, but have updated with another one of the instantly iconic looks he's worn in the time since then.
See the original post from 9/30/14 below.
It’s impossible to imagine the course of music history without Prince. In his near four-decade career, the artist born Prince Rogers Nelson has built a legacy on his boundary-pushing in music and style. In fact, he did it within his first four years of releasing albums. Once he put on his purple jacket, ruffled white blouse, eyeliner, and heels for 1999 and Purple Rain, Prince immediately ascended to icon status. Taking influence from the ‘80s New Romantics, Prince challenged rigid notions of masculinity with his aggressively androgynous look, opening the door for similar-spirited artists like Kanye West, André 3000, and Pharrell Williams.
But the color purple isn’t the only thing he’s known for style-wise. Unlike other artists, especially from his generation, Prince’s wildly creative aesthetic is still constantly evolving. And his influence is as pervasive as ever. In fact, he hasn’t slowed down at all. To celebrate the release of the two new albums Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum, it's only appropriate to take a trip through Prince's Style History.
Where: Prince album cover
When: 1979
Before Prince was known as “The Purple One,” he started out with a low-key androgynous look. On his second album cover, he went with a Farrah Fawcett blow-out and a very pared down approach, proving how iconic his look is—even without clothes.
Where: Dirty Mind era
When: 1980
As shown in Prince’s self-titled album, Prince has the rare ability to look stylized even without wearing clothes. While promoting his Dirty Mind album, he fittingly ditched his pants, referencing the album’s cover art on stage where he wore black underwear, thigh-high socks, and scarves. From the jump, it was clear Prince was going to go to extreme places in his style.
Where: “1999” music video
When: 1982
With his first top 10 album 1999, Prince unveiled his signature look: purple tailored wear, a white romantic blouse, and a Jheri curl. A year after the peak of new romanticism, he put his own spin on the trend, dialing up the glam in a shiny purple trench with a studded shoulder, a pair of purple gloves, a scarf, and a leopard guitar strap. Because Prince never lacked confidence when it came to clothes, he even dressed his Revolution band members in Prince-certified looks, and probably loaned his drummer his white ruffled shirt and suit.
Where: Purple Rain
When: 1984
Prince and his purple coat and ruffled shirt didn’t become iconic until the release of his musical film Purple Rain. In it, the clothes were arguably as important—if not more so—than the shaky plot, cementing Prince’s futuristic post-gender image. Case in point: When you see anybody dressed up as Prince, 99 times out of 100, their costume is based on Purple Rain.
Where: The Forum performance
When: 1985
Prince’s outfits only got zanier after Purple Rain. When he played Los Angeles’ The Forum in 1985, he was in the midst of his swirly jacquard suits phase. Prince went extra all-out for this legendary show though, accessorizing his metallic-woven pastel suit with a pink boa.
Where: Wembley Arena performance
When: 1986
Prince’s Jheri curl days were long behind him by the time he was promoting “Kiss” off of the album Parade. After going with looser curls for Purple Rain, he cut off his tousled locks. Prince also went shorter with his clothes, frequently baring his abs with crop tops and matching pants. When he played Wembley Arena in London, he recycled the top from his “Kiss” single artwork, pairing it with matching button-laden pants.
Where: Sign o' the Times era
When: 1987
Prince had mostly moved away from the color purple by the time he went on tour for his Purple Rain follow-up, Sign o’ the Times. He started experimenting instead with glasses. His most iconic pair were his oversized round sunglasses, a relic from Purple Rain that he continued to wear.
Where: "Lovesexy Tour"
When: 1988
High-waisted pants and polka dots were two of Prince’s favorite things in 1988, while on tour in support of Lovesexy. His favorite combination of both was a black and white polka dot suit complete with black and white polka dot heels, which Yayoi Kusama might have had in mind decades later when collaborating with Louis Vuitton.
Where: Graffiti Bridge
When: 1990
Graffiti Bridge, the sequel to Purple Rain, might have been a commercial and critical bomb but it at least yielded some choice Prince outfits. It also saw him returning to his blow-out roots with a voluminous hairstyle that recalled his self-titled album cover.
Where: MTV VMAs
When: 1991
Miley Cyrus has nothing on early ‘90s Prince who pulled off one of the biggest reveals in the history of the VMAs. After starting with his Diamonds and Pearls lead single “Gett Off,” once Prince, wearing a laser-cut yellow suit, took his first twirl, viewers got a glimpse of his entire backside. The unforgettable outfit still lives on today in another form—it might have been fresh in Beyoncé and Riccardo Tisci’s minds when they were teaming up on the wardrobe for her "On the Run" tour.
Where: “My Name Is Prince” artwork
When: 1992
In 1992, no one really understood Prince. He was already at war with his record label, fighting for artists’ rights, in his own bizarre way—by changing his name to an unspeakable symbol because he believed “Prince” was the property of Warner Music Group. If this had been 2014, in the wake of download culture and competing streaming services, his cause would have earned him much more empathy. But at the time, because he didn’t do much publicity, he didn’t have many allies. So Prince, in a very proto-Yeezus way, channeled his frustration into his clothing, wore a chainmail mask and sang out of a gun-shaped microphone.
Where: Radio City Music Hall performance
When: 1993
Prince’s obsession with high-waisted pants didn’t end after his Lovesexy tour. He continued to bring them back, this time with stripes instead of polka dots. At his Radio City Music Hall gig in 1993, he donned a striped vest, and deep-V silk shirt, which he paired with gold chains (and his gun microphone). He also showed that sideburns are accessories in their own right, gelling and curling his.
Where: VH1 Launch at the Roundhouse in London
When: 1994
Before his courtside scepter (to come two decades later) and Scott Disick trying to make canes a trend, Prince was rocking the gentlemanly throwback accessory in the early ‘90s. This was also the start of his pajama-esque, matching separates phase which lasted throughout the late-‘90s.
Where: Brit Awards
When: 1995
A master of shocking awards show appearances, Prince had the most surprising look at the 1995 Brit Awards. Unlike his frenzy-causing outfit at the VMAs, the wildest thing about his appearance wasn’t his clothes: it was the word “slave” written across his face, a defiant move against his record label after they prohibited him from getting out of his contract.
Where: MTV VMAs
When: 1999
In 1999, everyone from Cher to Whitney Houston was getting into dance culture, and Prince was no exception. Instead of their club tracks though, he likely took inspiration from Eiffel 65’s then-ubiquitous “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” when he got dressed for the VMAs. He not only donned a sheen blue jumpsuit, he wore braids with matching blue beads. And, if is that wasn’t enough of a look, he topped it off with a belly chain and a single oversized hoop earring.
Where: Grammy Awards
When: 2004
Back to using the name Prince, after his Warner contract expired, the artist formerly known as squiggle embraced his Purple Rain signature look at his 2004 Grammys performance—albeit with a modern spin. Prince performed alongside Beyoncé, who was then at the beginning of her solo career, in a flashy double-breasted purple suit with a gold tie, shirt, and pocket square to boot. He even coordinated his guitar, which was was shaped in the symbol of his former “name.”
Where: Academy Awards
When: 2005
Sticking with his then-favorite cut—the double-breasted blazer—Prince showed that he was just as inventive with a black and white suit as anything else he’d worn before at the 2005 Academy Awards. He kept his look clean and polished with a pair of pristine white heels, a winged collar, and a criss-cross tie.
Where: Coachella
When: 2008
Not surprisingly, Prince didn’t dial down his style when he performed in the desert at Coachella in 2008. But he did opt for a comfier outfit, wearing a silver beaded all-white tunic and matching pair of pants. Perfect for the searing heat and bacchanalia of the annual music festival.
Where: iHeartRadio Music Festival
When: 2012
Prince not only debuted an afro at the iHeartRadio Music Fest in 2012, he also showed off yet another side of his style. He unapologetically left his minimalist tailored wear for a flames-themed graphic tee which matched his guitar, a pair of yellow bellbottoms, and his most eye-popping shades to date: a curved pair of sunglasses that looked like a cross between a sleeping mask and a visor. Vanessa Stivano has Prince to thank for her paparazzi-shielding eyewear.
Where: French Open
When: 2014
The great thing about Prince is that his eccentricities keep getting better with age. Proving that he hasn’t lost his flair, he stole the show at this year’s French Open when he showed up in a knight-like vest and turtleneck combination, clutching a scepter.
Where: Grammys
When: 2015
It's not above a group of celebrities to act like a group of fanboys when a legend graces them with their presence. This is exactly what happened when Prince brought the gathered audience at the 2015 Grammys to their feet. The singer appeared on stage to present "Album of the Year" and stole the show with the twirl of his cane and a light orange tunic. And who could forget the smirk he gives the audience as they applaud him? As if to say, "Yes, I know I'm killing it in this outfit."
Where: Piano & A Microphone Tour
When: 2016
Prince was touring as recently at Apr. 14, making the latest stop on his "Piano & A Microphone Tour" in Atlanta, Georgia. The style icon stayed true to himself throughout the tour and wore glitzy gold chains, unique suits, and a loose-fitting psychedelic top. Looking at tour pictures posted to social media, you can see Prince's silhouette: his lithe figure and meticulously carved afro cut into the spotlight.