0 David Bowie: Eight Classic Looks – In Pictures

Tuesday, 12 March 2013 - As the V&A in London prepares an exhibition devoted to the Thin White Duke, we celebrate some of his coolest outfits – inspiration material for all sharp dressers.

The Tux

Has anyone ever looked more incredible in a tux than David Bowie at the 1975 Grammys? I think not. Will you just look at him in that hat, which is angled just so, with his cheekbone slightly rouged? We all know Bowie could win the prize for the best haircuts in the history of pop music hands down, but his brilliance at using a hat to add mystery and glamour is often overlooked. The lapels on this tux are fantastically wide and of their era, but the white bowtie on a white shirt? That is totally ripe for revival.

Hunky Dory Slacks

During the Hunky Dory period, around 1971, Bowie was often seen in bellbottoms, floppy hats and shoes by Terry De Havilland. In his book When Ziggy Played Guitar, Dylan Jones compares Bowie's "great cheekbones" to those of Katharine Hepburn – and both fashion icons share a fancy for wide slacks worn with a classic shirt sensibly tucked in. It has also been frequently suggested that Hepburn looks like Bowie in the 1935 film Sylvia Scarlett. Meanwhile, in fashion right now, a wider trouser silhouette is brewing – see the spring catwalks of Acne and Lanvin.