Men’s fashion is deeply rooted in the rich history of Hollywood and the rich and famous. Today’s popular fashion statements are influenced by a mixture of styles that have been seen over decades by male celebrities. Fashion comes and goes, but some looks remain as legacies, such as James Dean’s Harrington jacket, which inspires fashion in the modern world.

Styles get recycled and come back into fashion, particularly because of influential people. Think about the stunning and unique fashion you see on the red carpet from male celebrities and how they put a twist on an iconic, old look. Discover how male celebrity fashion has directly inspired and impacted today’s menswear and understand the significance of the evolution of male celebrity fashion.

The history of influential and famous men’s fashion

To understand how celebrities of the past and the male icons you see today impact everyday style, you have to understand male fashion before celebrities and silver screens. It is believed that a few individuals from way back when got people talking about clothes and male fashion and started the craze of style for men.

Aristocrats ruled the 18^th Century

Throughout the majority of history, fashion was defined by aristocrats and monarchs. Much like today where the rich and famous influence fashion, back in the 18^th Century, the wealthy and royal were huge fashion influences. These people governed the land, set trends and were able to afford expensive clothes.

However, unlike today, in this century the church would use legal systems to create hierarchies, keeping everyone in place. This included fashion, allowing the highest class of people to wear certain things while the lower classes of people couldn’t. This was shown through Roman emperors that forbade non-royal subjects to wear the colour purple under the death penalty. This meant the people couldn’t follow suit, starting a trend, they could only admire the style of the upper class and talk about it. Even certain fabrics became only for aristocrats, meaning wealthy men had to find unique ways to express themselves through fashion. This brought the popular trend of casual clothing that was simple yet effective, keeping men elegant while standing out from royalty. This trend moved away from bold colours and was about the finer details, like how a tie was tied and how quickly it took them to tie it.

Classic Hollywood brought elegance

Classic Hollywood came around in the 1950s and the 1960s and started the trend of male fashion influence from iconic stars, rather than royalty. It was a time of classic elegance when Hollywood icons such as Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant brought the classic leading man look. This was typically well-tailored suits, crisp and clean dress shirts, and polished shoes.

The fashion of these inspiring male celebrities projected the timeless gentleman who showed confidence, sophistication and classic masculinity. Tuxedos, blazers and a suave demeanour define male fashion in the Golden Age. Celebrities like Cary Grant had a sophisticated wardrobe that became the dream look in the 1950s. His style was focused on impeccable tailored clothing, showcasing elegance and confidence. He redefined the dashing man and this hugely influenced what men wore.

The 1970s and 80s pushed boundaries

After the Golden Age of Hollywood, the next huge shift in male fashion arrived in the 1970s. This was a time when attitudes in society were changing and so, fashion followed. Male celebrities embraced flamboyant and adventurous looks which pushed boundaries and added creativity and personality to fashion. The decade of the 1970s was a time of influential music stars, such as David Bowie and Mick Jagger. These celebrities became pioneers in challenging the norms of masculinity through their fashion. For example, Bowie had an alter-ego, Ziggy Stardust, who wore glittering bodysuits and bright makeup. This broke the mould of what male celebrities were supposed to wear, which influenced his fans to embrace self-expression and break free of traditional gender norms.

In the 1980s this boundary-pushing continued with artists such as Prince who blurred the lines further between masculine and feminine fashion. He chose bold colours, lace ensembles and high-heeled boots to show how men can be unique, steering them away from traditional gentleman looks to adding creativity and personality.

Streetwear and Hip-Hop took over in the 1990s and 2000s

During the 1990s, male fashion took a huge turn away from the previous decades due to the rise in popularity of streetwear and hip-hop stars. This decade was defined by baggy jeans, oversized t-shirts and bold logos because of hip-hop legends like Tupac, Snoop Dogg and the Notorious B.I.G. These artists used casual streetwear fashion as a statement and their styles were a powerful tool to showcase identity, rebellion and success. Brands such as Timberland and Tommy Hilfiger became known as part of the celeb culture and showing these logos was a sign of status and credibility.

Into the 2000s, and throughout the 90s, there were other stars that popularised the laid-back grunge look. Actors like Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt embraced a more casual, effortless look to break away from structured suits. Items such as flannel shirts, ripped jeans and leather jackets became iconic fashion pieces for the male wardrobe. This, paired with the hip-hop look, shifted men’s fashion toward a relaxed and individualistic approach to clothing.

Gender fluidity and high fashion stole the show in the 2010s

In the 2010s, celebrity male fashion changed again to inspire men’s wardrobes. In this era, fashion focused back to the 70s and 80s approach to clothing as male stars embraced gender-fluid fashion. This blurred the lines once more between traditional masculine clothing and feminine clothing. Celebrities such as Harry Styles, Kanye West and Jaden Smith highlighted how creativity and personal expression can become the norm, pushing gender boundaries. In particular, Harry Styles has been fundamental in challenging long-held gender norms in fashion, and he continues to do so. He appeared in a Gucci dress on the cover of Vogue, and he regularly combines flamboyant, colourful clothing, with male accessories, such as men’s designer necklaces. He has sparked conversations about masculinity, freedom of expression and the evolving nature of menswear.

Jaden Smith has also incorporated feminine fashion with masculine by wearing a skirt, making a powerful statement of the importance of individuality, creativity and freedom to wear whatever you want. While Kanye West showed how to bring high fashion to streetwear through his brand Yeezy.

Today’s male celebrity fashion

Today, men’s celebrity fashion is more diverse, experimental and inclusive than ever before. Celebrities like Lil Nas X and Timothee Chalamet continue the trend of pushing boundaries and pushing past male expectations. Timothee’s red-carpet appearances are characterised by bold colours, unique textures and unconventional silhouettes, showing that elegance can work with taking risks.

Lil Nas X has taken a fearless approach to fashion, using his looks to express who he is and amplify his music. From his iconic glittering pink cowboy suit to his golden armour, Lil Nas X uses fashion as an extension of his art. These looks influence the general public to push boundaries, include creativity in their fashion and showcase their personality, highlighting the importance of not caring about gender norms and just being comfortable in who you are and how you present yourself. This shows men not to worry about judgement and not care about what society thinks about their fashion choices, promoting being comfortable in being unique and individual.