From his earliest days in the public eye back in the '70s, Prince has awed his audience with his dynamic, vivid fashion sense and his dizzying array of looks. Always iconoclastic, never dull, this is a look at forty of The Artist's ever-colorful, often daring, always stylish looks from 1979 through the present.
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From his earliest days in the public eye back in the '70s, Prince awed audiences with his dynamic, vivid fashion sense and his dizzying array of looks. Always iconoclastic, never dull, take a look back at The Artist's ever-colorful, often daring, always stylish looks.
From his earliest days in the public eye back in the '70s, Prince awed audiences with his dynamic, vivid fashion sense and his dizzying array of looks. Always iconoclastic, never dull, take a look back at The Artist's ever-colorful, often daring, always stylish looks.
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Prince’s Fashion Evolution
Image Credit: Getty Images From his earliest days in the public eye back in the '70s, Prince awed audiences with his dynamic, vivid fashion sense and his dizzying array of looks. Always iconoclastic, never dull, take a look back at The Artist's ever-colorful, often daring, always stylish looks.
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1979
Image Credit: Warner Bros. A shirtless, wavy-haired Prince appeared on the cover of his 1979 self-titled sophomore album, looking his audience dead in the eye and boldly reintroducing himself au naturale.
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1981
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Never one to be timid, a "Dirty Mind"-era Prince performed in a sleeveless tee, a bandana, thigh-highs and black underwear at the Los Angeles' Flipper's Roller Disco Boogie Lounge in March 1981.
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1985
Image Credit: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Intently playing his guitar, Prince rocked a fierce two-piece suit, decorated with swirls of raspberry and purple on stage in 1985, around the time his album Around the World in a Day hit shelves.
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1985
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images In a high-collared, ruffled white shirt, pearl-studded pastel jacket (and plenty of pink feathers), curly-haired Purple Rain-era Prince reigned on stage.
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1985
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Prince sported a white lace two-piece outfit while letting loose in performance at California's Fabulous Forum on Feb. 19, 1985.
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1985
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Reveling in asymmetry, Prince sported a black lace half-sleeve on his right arm and lets his left roam free while he performs at the Fabulous Forum on Feb. 19, 1985 in high-waisted black pants with a shining decorative belt, and most of his torso bared to the audience.
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1986
Image Credit: David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives With his hair cropped shorter, Prince wowed an L.A. crowd in a sleeveless shirt that bared his abs and matching skin-tight, button-dotted pants in 1986, — the same year his Parade album brought Hot 100 No. 1 single "Kiss" to fans' ears.
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1986
Image Credit: David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives A bit more reserved than usual, Prince wore a debonair light suit and tie on London's Wembley Arena on Aug. 14, 1986.
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1986
Image Credit: David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives A costume change at that same 1986 Wembley performance revealed that it was only a matter of time before Prince showed some more skin. Here he wore the black variant of the sleeveless torso-baring shirt and matching button-lined pants that we'd seen before.
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1988
Image Credit: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Prince always had a way of spicing up what could have been a mundane outfit. Instead a simple black shirt and white tailored pants, Prince took it a step further in contrasting polka dots as he performed in Philadelphia on October 18, 1988, a few months after releasing the album Lovesexy.
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1990
Image Credit: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images In high-waisted white pants, with no shirt and a barely-there black vest, Prince let the wind breeze through his long hair onstage in 1990.
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1991
Image Credit: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images A bearded Prince wore a gold two-piece outfit with a matching guitar to the MTV Video Music Awards on September 5, 1991. Viewers of the show got an unexpected eyeful when Prince turned tail and revealed the outfit's ass-less pants to the cameras.
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1992
Image Credit: Dave Benett/Getty Images Singing in London on June 16, 1992, the year he changed his name to a symbol, a lightly-bearded Prince again turns to gold — in this case a gold, form-fitting outfit with purple embellishments.
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1993
Image Credit: Ron Wolfson//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images Prince rocked a pajama-like green-and-blue striped suit with a few gold chains dangling from his neck, a megaphone, and shades completing the look in 1993.
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1993
Image Credit: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Also in 1993, Prince wore a torso-bearing blue and red rocks a pajama-like green and blue stripped suit with a few gold chains dangling from his neck, a megaphone, and shades completing the look.
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1993
Image Credit: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images In a police cap adorned with face-obscuring chains — and singing into a gun-shaped microphone — Prince performs at that same Radio City show in New York.
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1994
In a low-dropping V-neck white shirt and matching pants, Prince and his cane stroll into a VH1 performance on Sept. 3, 1994 in London.
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1997
Image Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images Wearing a short haircut, with some of the ends of his locks dyed, Prince sports a big loose white jacket and a purple lace two-piece outfit at the San Jose State Event Center in San Jose, California on April 19, 1997.
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1998
Image Credit: Victor Malafronte/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Shades, a big coat and a checkered white shirt comprise the look Prince wears in 1998 in New York City, the year he released his "Crystal Ball" box set.
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1998
Image Credit: Bertrand Guat/AFP/Getty Images The Artist stuns in a red ruffled two-piece sprayed with gold onstage in Paris in August 1998.
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1999
Image Credit: Sinead Lynch/AFP/Getty Images Wearing a loose, shimmering gray sweater and matching pants, Prince makes his way into a June 1999 charity event.
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1999
Image Credit: KMazur/WireImage In blue leather and beaded braids, Prince hits the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards at Metropolitan Opera House in New York in September 1999.
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2000
Image Credit: George De Sota/Liaison In a fluffy white sweater and yellow tinted shades, Prince hosts a New York City press conference on May 16, 2000 to announce details for Prince: A Celebration, a seven-day festival at his Paisley Park that June.
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2004
Image Credit: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Dapper in a red fedora and shirt and a pin-striped suit, Prince performs at the 19th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel March 15, 2004.
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2004
Image Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images With a rugged goatee, a red and black sleeved flowing outfit, asymmetrical '80s shades and his trusty guitar, a permed Prince plays on July 2, 2004 at Essence Music Festival. Apparently, both the hair and the facial hair were a disguise. He was attempting to be a quiet opening act.
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2004
Image Credit: M. Caulfield/WireImage The Purple One aptly wears a double-breasted suit and a solid gold shirt, tie and pocket square alongside Beyonce at the 46th Annual Grammy Award on Feb. 8th, 2004.
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2005
Image Credit: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Sporting a mustache and a soul patch, a hooded Prince goes all-white at the People's Choice Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on January 9, 2005.
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2005
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images At the 77th Annual Oscars, Prince rocks a purple jacket and white wide-bottomed pants while presenting an award on Feb. 27, 2005 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
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2005
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Prince goes simple here at the NAACP Image Awards in a black and white pullover and white pants on March 19, 2005 in Los Angeles.
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2006
Image Credit: Dave Hogan/Getty Images In an orange and blue-lined shirt and white pants, Prince performs at the Brit Awards on Feb. 15, 2006 in London.
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2006
Image Credit: Vince Bucci/Getty Images Prince wears a blood red shirt with a purple jacket and matching slacks during the Season 5 finale of "American Idol" on May 24, 2006 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
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2007
Image Credit: Evan Agostini/Getty Images With a beauty on his arm, Prince goes orange all over for his Super Bowl XLI Halftime press conference at the Miami Convention Center on Feb. 1, 2007 in Miami.
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2007
Image Credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images Basking in adoration, Prince wears an aqua blue suit and orange shirt on stage at Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami.
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2007
In a peach suit with a sky blue shirt underneath, Prince hits the 49th Annual Grammy stage on Feb. 11, 2007.
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2007
Image Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images Enjoying an All-Star basketball on Feb. 18, 2007 in Las Vegas, Prince goes all-black — from his shoes, to his shiny jacket, to hit tilted hat.
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2008
Image Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images Performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Prince wows the audience in a flowing white tunic featuring a beaded trim on April 26, 2008 in Indio, Calif.
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2010
Image Credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage Prince accepts a BET Award Lifetime Achievement Award, wearing a shirt with a drawing on his chest and sky blue sleeves at The Shrine Auditorium on June 27, 2010 in Los Angeles.
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2011
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for NPG Records 2011 Dressed in dazzling gold and rocking out, it was at this same show that he invited Kim Kardashian onstage to dance before kicking her off because she refused to groove.
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2011
Image Credit: Rabbani and Solimene Photography/Getty Images for Versace for H&M In black sunglasses, a quiet black suit and gold shirt, Prince attends a Versace for H&M fashion show on November 8, 2011 in New York.
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2012
Image Credit: Getty Images In bright yellow pants and matching heels, a subdued yet colorful turtleneck top, Prince plays in Vegas on Sept. 22, 2012 at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas.
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2013
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/WireImage Prince speaks onstage during the 55th Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center on Feb. 10, 2013 in Los Angeles, Calif.
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2014
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for NPG Records 2013 Prince performs onstage at The Hollywood Palladium on March 8, 2014 in Los Angeles, Calif.
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2015
Image Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for NPG Records 2015 Prince performs onstage during the “HitnRun” tour at The Fox Theatre on April 9, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan.
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2015
Image Credit: Jeff Kravitz/AMA2015/FilmMagic Prince speaks onstage during the 2015 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Nov. 22, 2015 in Los Angeles, Calif.