Ever since Tyler, The Creator rocked that heather grey Supreme box logo hoodie for his first live TV performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, his reputation as a style icon has been crystallized.
Originally, compared to his rap peers, Tyler was never one to dress himself in crazy amounts of high end designer labels. Instead, Tyler stayed true to his roots as a skate rat who grew up around Fairfax. For many years, all Tyler really needed was a pair of skate shoes, a hat, a T-shirt, and a hoodie. Whenever he elevated his looks beyond hoodies and graphic T-shirts, it usually consisted of clothing that he made for his own brand, Golf Wang. But in recent years, he’s developed a great taste for more sartorial styles. Nowadays, he’s seen wearing tailored suits, loafers, calm knits, and other dapper fits. He’s gone from wearing old Supreme to collecting vintage Louis Vuitton trunks.
To celebrate his birthday today, we compiled some of Tyler, The Creator’s greatest fits over the years. From his rebellious streetwear looks from the Odd Future era to the luxurious outfits he’s worn to Paris Fashion Week after releasing Call Me If You Get Lost, here’s some of his most memorable looks over the years.
62nd Annual Grammy Awards Red Carpet
Image via Getty/Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
When: 2020
When Tyler, The Creator arrived at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards, he stepped out in a fit that looked like something Ralph Fiennes wore in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. To celebrate his Grammy nominations for Igor, T really stepped out in a specially tailored Golf Le Fleur bellhop outfit, complete with a Louis Vuitton-esque suitcase, white gloves, a buttoned jacket, and a bellboy cap. Yes, Tyler really opened his suitcase to show the other fit he had planned later that night and his bedazzled Igor chain.
62nd Annual Grammy Awards Win
Image via Getty/Steve Granitz/WireImage
When: 2020
When Tyler, The Creator’s album Igor won the award for ‘Best Rap Album’ at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards, he switched out of his Wes Anderson-esque fit for something more true to his typical style. A striped Golf rugby shirt, a pair of brown Dickies, a brown Golf hat, and a pair of baby pink Clarks Wallabees is what Tyler wore to accept his first-ever Grammy award. Tyler beat out Dreamville’s Revenge of the Dreamers III, Meek Mill’s Championships, 21 Savage’s i am > i was, and YBN Cordae’s The Lost Boy. Tyler brought his mother on stage and his close friend Jasper to accept the award. After winning it though, Tyler expressed his frustrations with the Recording Academy at a press conference. “On one side, I’m just grateful that what I made could be acknowledged in a world like this. But also it sucks that whenever we—and I mean guys that look like me—do anything that’s genre-bending or anything they always put it in a Rap or Urban category,” he told reporters. “I don’t like that ‘Urban’ word. It is just the politically correct way to say the n-word to me. So, when I hear that I’m like, ‘Why can’t we just be in Pop?’ So, half of me felt like the Rap nomination was a backhanded compliment.”
"Dr. Seuss' The Grinch" Premiere
Image via Getty/Angela Weiss /AFP
When: 2018
The popularity of Tyler’s brand Golf Wang can certainly be attributed to his own taste. He wears an eye-catching floral puffer—reminiscent of grandma’s couch—that’s balanced out with khaki trousers and a bucket hat. A leather Golf Wang clutch, worn as a side bag, ties it all together.
Roc 96 x Madeworn Barneys Launch
Image via Getty/Jerritt Clark
When: 2017
Tyler always looks great in pink. Here he is with a pink Golf Wang cap to match a striped pink Supreme polo from Spring/Summer 2017.
MTV Video Music Awards 2011
Image via Getty/Kevin Winter
When: 2011
A defining moment for Tyler, the Creator’s career was when he won his first award at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards for Best New Artist. When Tyler won the Moonman, he ran up on stage with a tie dye ‘Tron Cat’ tee and a leopard Supreme camp cap from Fall/Winter 2011. Although his acceptance speech wasn’t the best, his fit certainly inspired legions of teenagers to only dress in Supreme and Odd Future gear for months to come.
Coachella Music Festival 2017
Image via Getty/Frazer Harrison
When: 2017
On his song “Bastard” Tyler says “I wear green hats because I’m fortunately lucky.” That bar makes absolutely no sense, but I guess it means he loves the color green. This fit from Coachella 2017 is a great example of that. A green Supreme striped collar terry polo from Spring/Summer 2017 matches perfectly with his shorts and Golf Wang snapback.
Coachella Music Festival 2015
Image via Getty/Frazer Harrison
When: 2015
This blue Golf Wang button up that Tyler wore on the cover of Cherry Bomb is easily one of the most iconic shirts he’s ever made. This Guy Fieri phase will be missed.
Governors Ball Music Festival 2019
Image via Getty/Noam Galai
When: 2019
One of Tyler’s newest personas, “Igor,” marks a major shift in his music and his personal style. Before Tyler releasedIgor in 2019, he hadnever opted to trade in graphic T-shirts and skate shoes for a well-tailored suit and hard bottoms. Yet, even with a ridiculous Andy Warhol wig, it works. Whether it was Supreme or Odd Future merch, the Igor look further shows how Tyler always thinks outside the box when it comes to his fits.
Golf Pride World Wide Tee
Image via Tumblr/Golf Wang
When: 2015
One of Golf Wang’s most controversial releases was the “Golf Pride World Wide” tee from the brand’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection. The shirt took the Celtic Cross, a hate symbol used by white supremacists, and printed it in a rainbow colorway. Shortly after revealing the design in the brand’s lookbook that season, Tyler explained that he was trying to take the power away from the hate symbol by turning it into a symbol for LGBTQ pride. It was a risky but memorable move by Tyler.
