Michael Jackson was known for his style as much as his music. A true maximalist, he never shied away from an extra sequin, epaulet, hat, or shoulder pad. His looks pulled inspiration from everything, from rococo military regalia and zoot suits, to Westernwear and the intergalactic. His style mirrored his music by constantly shifting across sounds, genres, and references.
With the highly anticipated release of Michael—directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson in the titular role—hitting theaters on April 24, the complicated, era-defining legacy of Jackson is once again front and center. Costumed by Marci Rodgers, the film explores Jackson’s mammoth career, from his Jackson 5 days through his early solo run.
Jackson treated style as performance. It was a holistic approach to stardom that blurred costume and identity, a practice still seen in artists like Lady Gaga, Ye, and Lil Uzi Vert. Jackson’s impact is still evident in luxury fashion, like Virgil Abloh’s sophomore Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2019 collection, which featured pieces directly referencing him. In the wake of the Leaving Neverland documentary and the ensuing controversy, they were ultimately not produced. Streetwear brands like Supreme have released capsules paying homage to both the “Billie Jean” visual and the Dangerous album. And superstars like Beyoncé have nodded to his style countless times, most notably while performing at Super Bowl 50. From the sparkling white glove to the iconic Thriller jacket, Jackson’s influence still echoes across fashion, pop culture, and performance.
Ahead of the release of Michael, take a look back at Michael Jackson’s style evolution across his legendary career.
Year(s): 1979
Signature items: Embellished Everything
Signature Moment: “Rock With You” Video
The ’70s marked the era of disco and Jackson’s reintroduction to the world with 1979’s Off the Wall. From the tuxedo to the debut of his signature white socks on the album cover, this moment signaled his breakout as a solo artist. For the “Rock With You” visual, the formula was simple: one dream, one spotlight, a green laser, and a two-piece crystal suit designed by Bill Whitten, who also created his iconic bedazzled glove. The tuxedos and crystal embellishments became his uniform throughout this period. This method of dressing around a singular album aesthetic would go on to set a precedent for pop stars to come.
Red Jackets With Some Zippers
Year(s): 1983
Signature items: Pops of red
Signature Moment: “Thriller” Music Video
Thriller, MJ’s magnum opus, doubles as a treasure trove of fashion inspiration. The era carries over his signature sequins and sharp suiting (see: “Billie Jean”) while ushering in a more relaxed, streetwise edge. Think leather jackets layered over graphic tees, varsity jackets, aviators, and denim. That famed red and yellow Thriller varsity jacket remains one of the most enduring artifacts in pop fashion. It continues to resurface in modern culture, most notably when Offset acquired the original and BAPE reworked it in 2023. It was all anchored by a famous red leather jacket designed by Deborah Nadoolman Landis with V-shaped black detailing, a defining symbol of ’80s pop style that sparked endless imitations. Throughout the Thriller era, Jackson wielded color, especially red, to shape a visual narrative.
Year(s): 1983
Signature items: Glitter Socks
Signature Moment: Motown 25 Special
There are pop culture moments that become immortal. The moonwalk debut is one of them. On Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever in 1983, Michael Jackson delivers a simple asidr: “Those were good songs, I like those songs a lot, but… especially I like the new songs.” Then, he tips his fedora and glides into “Billie Jean,” a performance that instantly reshaped the grammar of pop performances. The outfit is just as intentional as the movement: a sparkly button-up, sequined cardigan, cropped black trousers, loafers, glitter socks, and that embellished white glove. It’s constructed for visibility, engineered so light follows every gesture, ensuring his movements could be seen from anywhere in the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Its ties to such an important visual have made this look one of the most enduring of Jackson’s legacy.
Year(s): 1980s
Signature items: Military Jacket
Signature Moment: 1984 Grammy Awards
Jackson had a flair for showmanship, which explains his adoption of military regalia through a Liberace, embellished lens. These ornate jackets with all their aiguillettes, braids, patches, and epaulettes were inspired by French, British, and early colonial America. They became his signature showpiece throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. Whether sweeping the 1984 Grammys in a blue version, or jumping out of the stage at the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show in a black jacket with gold embellishments (which was in immortalized in statue form and digitized for the cover of his 1995 album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I), Jackson donned the military gear for some of his most memorable performances.
Year(s): 1987–1991
Signature items: Armband Over Suit
Signature Moment: “Smooth Criminal” Music Video
Since his earliest days performing alongside his brothers in the Jackson 5, suiting and tailoring were a constant in his wardrobe. With the release of Bad in 1987, Jackson introduced a more cinematic, sharply constructed approach to suiting through his own lens. In the “Smooth Criminal” video, he referenced Fred Astaire in the 1953 film The Band Wagon by appearing in a crisp white 1930s-inspired suit, blue shirt, fedora, and coordinating armband. That armband, worn over the jacket sleeve, quickly became a signature detail and a recurring element in his visual language. By the 1991 Academy Awards, where he attended as Madonna’s date, he distilled his style codes into a single look: white shirt, embellished blazer, gold belt, gloves, and armband. He was always consistent.
Year(s): 1988
Signature items: Buckle Strap Pants
Signature Moment: Bad Album cover
The Bad Tour’s U.S. run in ’88 marked a full shift into rock star mode. Leather jackets cinched with buckles, tight black pants, WrestleMania like belts, and boots. It was all offset by gold accents and metallic lamé. The glove stayed, but everything else got tougher. Buckles took over, zippers multiplied, and the hair loosened into something a little more unruly, almost mullet-coded. The attitude was clear: sharper, harder, more rebellious.
Year(s): Late 1980s and early 1990s
Signature items: White T-shirt, white button up, black pants, loafers
Signature Moment: “Black or White” Video
Steve Jobs had the turtleneck. Janelle Monáe has the suit. Beyoncé has the leotard. In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Michael Jackson had the white T-shirt. Flowing white button-up. Black trousers. White socks. Loafers. The effect was restraint, a kind of visual quiet that let everything else speak louder—his music, his movement, his presence. You saw it everywhere, from the “Black or White” video to “In the Closet” with Naomi Campbell to Annie Leibovitz’s 1989 Vanity Fair editorial. A crispy white tee even prevailed for his legendary Super Bowl performance once the military jacket came off.
Year(s): 2000s
Signature items: All the above
Signature Moment: 2003 BET Awards
Like most seasoned veterans, Jackson’s style was fully cemented by the time he entered his third decade as a solo artist. He leaned on a well-worn arsenal of signatures, remixing them for the new millennium. One standout look from this era came at the 2003 BET Awards. Tasked with presenting a Lifetime Achievement Award to his idol, James Brown, he stepped out in a crisp white button-down tucked into sequin tiger-striped jeans, cinched with a belt and finished off with sharp, pointed, sparkly boots. Beyond the iconic looks, Michael Jackson introduced a visual framework that still shapes pop culture’s approach to style and identity. It continues to shape what comes next.
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