James Brown's Best Fashion Moments

March 30, 2017

In today’s modern landscape, and with Bill O'Reilly recently criticizing Rep. Maxine Waters for wearing a "James Brown wig," it seems as if the Godfather of Soul's influence is more relevant than ever. From basically creating the genre we call “hip hop” today, to inspiring a whole generation of artists like Sharon King, Janelle Monae, Usher, and even Prince and Michael Jackson, to single-handedly serving as the voice of youth during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, James Brown's message runs deeper than what we may see on the surface, translating from decades ago modern issues having to do with Black identity, inequality, and resisting tyrannical leadership.

But perhaps James Brown was most ahead-of-the-curve in terms of his fashion choices. After taking a college course dedicated to studying the life and career of the singer, I formed a deep appreciation of how modern, yet simultaneously timeless, his styling choices were.

Text by Ivan Guzman

If office was around in the 1970s, we would’ve definitely reached out to his team to do a full editorial.

Peep the gallery below featuring some of our favorite James Brown fashion moments, marvel at the icon’s instinctive ability to make anything look cool, and get some ideas for your next thrifting adventure.

Photos courtesy of Google Images. Please contact info@officemagazine.net for any copyright and/or legal issues.

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