Justin Bieber is now 20 and the singer and teen idol is totally cultivating his Bieberiffic fashion sense. The swaggy star is not quite a man, but he is no longer a boy, although he still favors jeans and sneakers. With his new sleeves of tattoos — he even has ink on his chest and on his neck, which, I've gotta admit, are pretty thuggy and hard-to-hide places for body art — he is certainly growing up, physically speaking. He even attempts to grow a mustache every now and again. He has largely swapped out the swoopy and boyish Bieber bangs in favor of pompadours, tough tats, and some flashier ensembles.
And, to top it all off, for the past few weeks, he has been rocking a fedora. Seriously. He has.
The Biebs has also been showing off his ink with loads of shirtless Instagram images that are totally highlighting his abs and are undoubtedly making his loyal legion of Beliebers lose their damn minds. His IG is a hub for his fans, since he is generous with photos that tickle their hormones.
While Da Biebs may no longer have a swag coach in the form of Ryan Good, he may very well have gotten himself a stylist.
A series of new pictures on his Instagram finds him rocking a shiny blazer and a monochromatic look, taking some inspiration from fellow pop dudes. I took this as a plum opportunity to analyze whether or not it works, of course. Is his semi-pimped out style really increasing his street cred? Will it help him win Selena Gomez back once and for all? (Apparently not, since she allegedly just refused his engagement proposal...) Is he going in the right direction or does he need a style intervention?
Let's take a look and assess, shall we?
1. Shirtless and Inked
Here is the formerly clean-cut Bieber, rocking chest tattoos, sleeves, and a cap. He's working out. This is the "real" Biebs with some washboard abs. He can't drink beer legally in the U.S., but he has a six pack of his very own, so it's all good. He's looking yard hard. You know, like a prisoner. It may not scare off S. Gomez, but it may terrify Belieber parental units.
2. Jeans and Kicks
This, this is also what we are used to with Bieber. Baggy jeans and fashionable kicks. He is not much different than most dudes his age with his uni of denim and sneaks. His are just a lot pricier, you know? But he has been making a shift to a bit of a dressier style, which you are about to see.
3. A Fedora? Yes, a Fedora
Here is where I noticed the shift. He's got a fedora on his noggin and it's as though he is aping neo-soul crooner Bruno Mars. Mars definitely has a unique, throwback style and it is a good one for The Biebs to pull from, to emulate, and to incorporate into his own overall look.
4. Shiny, Happy Bieber
Ignore the baller SUV in the background, please. That midnight blue blazer is really loud and really shiny. Quick, someone get me a pair of sunglasses to deflect the glare. He is on the right track here, summoning the spirit of Michael Jackson. He's almost there, but it's a bit too loud. Sorry, Biebs. It's too pimpish for your age, kiddo.
5. Much Better in Matte
Bieber is much better in a matte blazer in a softer color. I can't tell if it's the lighting or not, but it seems to be a totally different topper than the shiny, cobalt jacket. This time the inspo is more JT than MJ, and Timberlake is generally flawless in the dressing department, so that's a good thing.
6. Like Michael Buble in Black
This monochromatic ensemble is aces and the best of the recent bunch of stylin' Bieber pics. The fedora is an excellent accessory for this look and Bieberizes the entire presentation. Without it, I'd think he was just copying the always classic and classy crooner (and fellow Canadian) Michael Buble. With it, it's unique and totally his style. I bet Gomez would be proud to be on his arm while he wore this.
Images: Justin Bieber/Instagram
