The Fashion Evolution Of R&B Icon Babyface

In recent months, the award-winning artist Babyface has been popping up at fashion presentations. At LaQuan Smith’s last show, the singer and songwriter shared a few eloquent songs–and just nine months ago he attended Givenchy’s Spring/Summer 2024 show in Paris. Each of these instances speaks to the global reach of the artist, but they also highlight his significance as a mainstay in the music industry. But these isolated incidents also speak to his regal aura and his killer style instincts that have carried him across decades as a fashionable titan within the R&B canon. 

His icon status in the R&B industry is undoubtedly tied to his fashion choices. From day one upon the release of his debut album Lovers in 1986, Babyface has been sharply dressed. Tailored blazers and matching trousers in the late ‘90s were what he leaned on–and he pulled them off effortlessly. When the new millennium hit, Edmonds embraced looser fitting garments, but they still were polished. But they arrived in the form of leather jackets, silk button-up shirts and even croc print outerwear pieces. 

As the years pressed on, there were also hippie-esque elements that began to appear in his wardrobe. Loose linen shirts, patterned tops, and denim were pivotal to his wardrobe in the mid-’00s to the ‘10s. Blazers remained a mainstay for him, this staple has always served as a signifier of his chic appearance. At the moment, Edmonds is leaning into modern pieces: regal two-piece suits and well-tailored garments. The stylish moments he’s currently serving up are further proof of his long standing power as a fixture in music. They’re also proving that he is also a fashion icon in his own rite. 

Keep scrolling to see 20 of his top sartorial moments in honor of his birthday.