From a fresh faced puppy to a fully-grown thoroughbred, Alex Turner's metamorphosis has been quite incredible. Turner's lyrics have always been his bark, the bite, now provided by his wardrobe, took a little longer to develop. Let's take a look at the changes that took place to take Turner from a scruffy sixth former to a fully fledged rock star.
PHASE #1 - I DON'T CARE
Short messy hair sitting above a pair of bushy eyebrows. Polo shirts, baggy jeans, pull-over jumpers and monotone colours. This was a kid not thinking about what to wear. Shy and nervous, like a newborn lamb at times, Turner let his tunes do the talking. This phase stuck for the first two Monkeys' records, rather fittingly it must be added. Imagine a young lad from working class Sheffield singing about fights with bouncers and taxi rides home whilst wearing designer suits and All Saints' leather, it would have all been a tad awkward.
PHASE #2 - ALEXA CHUNG
Following the first two records, Turner grew up. His new beau, 'It girl' Alexa Chung, sorted his style out and the rising paychecks allowed him to experiment more. He also founded a new band with best mate Miles Kane, The Last Shadow Puppets, who embodied a more glamorous style of rock'n'roll. He grew his hair out down to his shoulders and began to wear clothes that actually fit him (finally!). The scruffy polos were binned, the monotone colours maintained, but increasingly in the form of a smart shirt or plain round-neck. He began to sport more frayed denim and 70s leather as he developed an increasingly accomplished style. It was still a relaxed look, but Turner was becoming a much more polished rock star. The dapper suaveness was beginning to shine through as Turner dropped the football chic look and began to take pride in his appearance.
PHASE #3 - TEDDY BOY
The teddy boy quiff, an iconic feature of Turner's career, first appeared alongside 'Suck It and See', and was refined for 'AM'. The biker jackets were swiftly replaced with designer suits, slim fit of course, inspired by the 50s. This was the first time Turner began to incorporate his style into the record, and vice versa, particularly with 'AM'. The black suits, matched with black shirts, accompanied by the slicked-back quiff, complimented the swagger that ran throughout the record. The love letters that made up AM meant Turner had to dress to impress in order for the romance of the songs to meddle with the listener's heartstrings effectively, and his look certainly did that. AM attracted a new wave of listeners for Arctic Monkeys and whilst the high quality and eclectic sound of the record was inevitably the catalyst, Turner's new look no doubt attracted a fair few new fans on its own.
PHASE #4 - INFINITE JEST
The Last Shadow Puppets second coming saw a notable change to Turner's look. The teddy boy quiff had been grown out, the hair still slicked back, but with an increasingly unruly feel. The glamorous orchestral rock that dominated the second Puppets' record was given visual life by Turner's wardrobe. Eye-catching, flamboyant one-of-a-kind suits, designed by Ray Brown, were a common feature whilst the skinny jeans and slim fitting trousers were dropped in favour of an increasingly 70s-inspired look, featuring flares and high-waisted trousers. The eccentricity of Turner's outfits certainly added to the intrigue of The Last Shadow Puppets, and allowed Turner to create a satirical character to distance himself from any Monkeys' comparisons.
PHASE #5 - WILD IN THE 70s
It's hard to tell what's been more divisive, the new Arctic Monkey's record, Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, or Turner's new facial hair. The goatee is arguably Turner's most 'out there' look and gives him an artsy appearance that compliments a rather artsy record, which is full of literary and cultural references. In terms of his wardrobe, he has completely submerged himself in 70s style. His trousers are wide legged, baggy to an extent, but cut just right to create a stylish look. Any t-shirts worn feature subtle 70s trimmings, the neck tending to be low-cut. Suits appear on occasions too but again, they are of a much wider cut, whilst the colour palette for this phase has become slightly more monotone, but still contains flashes of colour to keep us entertained.
What Turner will do next, only time will tell.
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