David Byrne is one of music’s certified geniuses and “genuine eccentrics”. The multi-hyphenate musician emerged onto the global music scene back in 1977 as the frontman of new wave band Talking Heads. With the group, David created some of the genre’s most enduring (and wackiest) hits including “Burning Down the House”, “Once in a Lifetime”, and the endlessly karaoke-able “Psycho Killer.” In the years since the band’s breakup, David has carved out his own solo music career; having composed scores for Oscar-winning films, HBO dramas, and theatre productions, and hosted TED Talks, all while being the subject of a viral anecdote or two.
While David, himself, and his musical oeuvre are best described as “eccentric”, his sartorial style has always been decidedly… ordinary. Or has it? Head-to-toe in just the classics — collared shirts, standard T-shirts, nondescript denim, and crewneck sweaters — David transcends the label of normcore (or nerdcore or dadcore, for that matter), exuding, instead, an uncanny nondescriptness that’s actually, totally singular. Here, we look back at the musical (and sartorial) genius’ career through a selection of his 7 most iconic outfits.
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Performing with the Talking Heads, 1977
Did you know that the Talking Heads’ origin story begins at RISD? That’s where future frontman David Byrne met drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth. After moving to New York City, opening for The Ramones, and signing to a record label, the band released their first record Talking Heads: ‘77 and charting single, the enduring “Psycho Killer.” In those early days, David dressed almost exclusively in polo shirts, whether he was posing for promo photos or performing on national television. Here, on stage at their first UK gig, David wears a varsity variant of the prep staple.
Performing with the Talking Heads, circa 1980
In addition to the polo, David was also a proponent of the humble T-shirt. Here, performing sometime around 1980 — the year Remain in Light was released — the frontman wears a red variant with his signature black jeans.
Once in a Lifetime music video, 1980
In 1980, the Talking Heads released their fourth album, the critically-acclaimed Remain in Light and its debut single “Once in a Lifetime”. In the music video, David sermonizes and shows off his silly, spasmic dance moves, all while dressed in a suit-and-bowtie and horn-rimmed glasses in a caricature of a nutty professor. By the end of the video, however, “normal” David returns, dressed in his signature (and very normal) white collared shirt.
At the Sunset Hotel, 1980
Want to see head-to-toe grey (and head-to-toe wool) worn to perfection? Look no further than this promotional photoshoot of David Byrne, shot in sunny California, of all places. Check out the perfect crop on that crewneck sweater, the slight bootcut on that trouser. Chic!
Performing with the Talking Heads, 1982
By 1982, David had moved beyond the meager white shirt into new (and patterned!) territory. While touring in support of Remain in Light, the frontman donned a series of striped shirts, like this one, worn at the band’s Belgrade show.
Performing with the Talking Heads, 1985
If there was even an outfit to match David’s eccentric nature, it’s this one. The frontman donned this iconic oversized suit in 1984 concert film, Stop Making Sense, which was filmed as the band toured in promotion of their most commercially-successful album, Speaking in Tongues. In 2014, David explained the idea behind the infamously outsized outfit: ““I was in Japan in between tours and I was checking out traditional Japanese theatre — Kabuki, Noh, Bunraku — and I was wondering what to wear on our upcoming tour. A fashion designer friend (Jurgen Lehl) said in his typically droll manner, ‘Well David, everything is bigger on stage.’ He was referring to gestures and all that, but I applied the idea to a businessman’s suit.” The rest is music — and fashion — history.
At the New York Film Festival, 1987
This is David at his most eclectic. Worn to the New York Film Festival in 1987, this outfit exists at the intersection of normcore, dadcore, and nerdcore (three modern-day -core’s which owe a lot to David!) We’ve got the prototypical indigo denim, the vest-and-collared-shirt situation, and the Black Watch plaid blazer. Just the kind of delightful clash we’d expect from one of music (and fashion’s) most genuine “eccentrics”.