Bands in Suits – Then and Now

While they may come and go rapidly, they make their print and are always remembered…you guessed it, boy bands.

Boy bands have been around much longer than most think, going back to the late 19th century. Boy bands first appeared in the form of the ever-loved and talented barbershop quartets.

DRBAll — the Delta Rhythm Boys – most popular in the 1940s and 50s

FourTopsAll — the Four Tops, who helped define Motown in the 1960s

The barbershop quartet genre boy band were always dressed to the nines, usually matching fully.

BeatlesAll — the most iconic boy band of all time, the Beatles made music together from 1960 until they split in 1970

The Beatles’ style changed over the years with the general style of the world, but they were the beginning of a stylish, semi-matching, clean-cut look. Their British style had all the ladies swooning.

MonkeesAll — while somewhat overshadowed by the Beatles, the Monkees were popular from 1966-1970

With a little more of a 70s feel, the Monkees were a bit more of a sloppy looking boy band

Jackson5all — Jackson 5 released 5 albums between 1976 and 1981

It was happening in the 70s! With wide lapels and bell bottoms galore, these guys had it going on. While we don’t see a ton of fashion from the 70s in our current fads, it sure makes for a good costume idea.

formed in 1970, Menudo were most popular in Latin America in the 80s

BIIMen — Boyz II Men gained international recognition in the 90s, starting with their hit, “End of the Road”

Serious shine and funnily shaped suits were the name of the game in these two photo shoots! As you can see, we are approaching the 90s.

BackstreetAll — almost the defining group for the term “boy band”, the Backstreet Boys blew up in the mid 90s-early 2000s

NsyncAll — similar to the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC was popular from 1995-2002 when they disbanded.

And there it is, the 90s in all of it’s glory. The 90s were a tough time for mens fashion, especially when it came to suiting. Everything had to either be way over-sized or have an extra cheesy touch to it. While we may be able to take a few cool casual looks from the 90s, hopefully the suits stay behind.

JoBrosAll — a more short-lived fame (2005-2009) didn’t mean the Jonas Brothers didn’t have their time of huge fame

one direction all — the most current pop sensation, One Direction was formed by American Idol judge, Simon Cowell in 2010

Coming up to modern days and the present, we are looking at suits that are much more slim-fitting with tapered cuts. Taking the clean and partial-matching look we saw in the 60s and giving it a GQ twist, it works.

So there you have it, the changes, inspiration and never-wear-agains in the evolution of boy bands! Maybe you can learn from some of these teeny bopper magnets and their style…