We break down the "edgy geography teacher" stylings of Another Man coverstar Jarvis Cocker
“The blue cords were made for me,” wrote Jarvis Cocker, “The leg is V. long ‘cos I wore them with high heels. Could probably get away with having them shorter.” The new AnOther Man cover star kept a witty diary of his wardrobe fittings in the run-up to the shoot, photographed by Alasdair McLellan and styled by Alister Mackie. Titled Notes on Clobber, it perfectly sums up the enigmatic Pulp frontman, whose idiosyncratic style and irreverent poetry shaped music and fashion throughout the ‘90s.
Jarvis Cocker has been a figurehead for Britpop ever since he sang along with the common people in 1995, writhing and jolting onstage – a style of performance which would soon become his trademark – dressed in a burgundy velvet suit. Distinguished by his spindly frame and thick-rimmed glasses, he developed a modern dandy aesthetic that fought the disheveled grunge style of the decade. We have watched Cocker grow up through a Britpop lens and mature from enfant terrible to national treasure, with enduring charm and signature swagger. Here, we break down Cocker’s thrift-shop style in a cohesive three-point guide.
The Suit
Retro suiting is Cocker’s staple – be it tweed, wool, corduroy or velvet. Trousers come skinny or flared, worn with a blazer or double-breasted jacket, pegged onto his slender frame. Caroline Sullivan wrote in Pulp’s 1996 compilation album sleeve: “It wasn’t just his excessive height and skinniness [I recognised], it was the brown corduroy flares… you’d sometimes see him at charity shops, rummaging through the 70s crushed velvet jackets even the tramps had scorned.”
Colour Palette
Cocker’s fashion style is defined by a love-it-or-hate-it brazenness, and indeed a Marmite colour palette too – brown sauce suits are his go-to, along with clashing prints and pinstripes in 70s hues of mustard yellow, avocado green and burnt red.
Accessories
Along with his NHS spectacles, a shaggy Britpop bob haircut completes the look. Other accessories tips from the School of Cocker include wool scarves and his infamous tie collection, including square-end knitted numbers and loud, high-shine print. He also often wears heeled shoes, despite already standing at an impressive 6ft 4in. He told Acne Paper in 2007, "I've stuck to the same things for twenty years. I try to look like a slightly edgy geography teacher. Like what a geography teacher looked like when I was in school. Cords, sensible shoes and glasses.”