Robbie Williams was born to be an entertainer. In the public eye since he joined UK boy band Take That in 1990 at just 16, the musician has evolved from teen heartthrob to rockstar to X-Factor judge. And while along the way, his music videos have presented us with some truly memorable looks — the moment he ripped his skin off in “Rock DJ” will haunt us forever — he’s had some pretty banging fashion moments in his day-to-day life too. Ahead of his new Netflix documentary, out 8 November — due to span the highs and lows of a life where international popstardom came with a side of eating disorders, addiction and spiralling mental health — we look back at some of Robbie Williams’ most iconic outfits from the 90s and early 00s.
At the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party, 1992
One of the biggest award shows for a popstar at the time, London’s 14th annual instalment of the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party saw Take That win across a massive seven categories, including Best Group and Best Video. The ceremony was broadcast nationwide, with winners voted for by readers of Smash Hits magazine. To celebrate, Take That — who had just released their debut album, Take That & Party — performed to an audience of screaming fans, with Robbie wearing nothing but a pair of dungarees, a gold chain and a Philly Blunt beanie.
Performing in Manchester, 1993
Robbie was caught serving classic boy band here in an all-white look comprising cargo pants and a skintight sweater. Take That had just released their second album, Everything Changes, and by then were regulars on magazine covers and UK Friday night TV highlight, Top of the Pops. While straight out of the 90s, there’s something timeless about this monochromatic look — the crotch-grab is very much optional though.
Letting loose at Glastonbury, 1995
Perhaps feeling constrained by the clean-cut rules of pop life, in the mid-90s Robbie bailed on rehearsals to hang out with Oasis and The Prodigy at Glastonbury. With a freshly bleached hairstyle, he might’ve looked like he was having a blast in his Adidas tracksuit, but Robbie has since shared that he was dealing with addiction and psychosis at the time. Later that summer, Take That would present him with a choice: he either gets his life together or leaves the band before their upcoming world tour. He chose the latter, shattering teenage hearts around the world.
At a charity football tournament, 1996
Apparently back on good form, Robbie embraced his love of football and participated in a charity tournament at London’s Mile End Stadium. Playing alongside the likes of Pulp, Blur and Oasis (a Britpop battle!) Robbie wore a pair of Reebok shorts, Nike boots and a classic Ralph Lauren stars and stripes sweater. “Footballers want to be popstars and popstars want to be footballers,” Robbie told a newspaper at the event. “The adulation of being on stage and of scoring a goal is the same, it’s a feeling of ecstasy.”
A chic courtroom look, 1997
Before quitting Take That, Robbie really should’ve looked over his contract. If he had, he’d have noticed that he was required to pay his former manager commission for a further six months post-split — within which time Robbie had signed a new record deal. Refusing to pay up, he was promptly sued, losing the case and being forced to hand over hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of royalties. But at least Robbie looked great doing it! Arriving at the High Court in London, the Aaron Esh-alike wraparound shades, vintage brown suit and crossbody bag wouldn’t look out of place on a runway today, while the over ear headphones helped him block out the haters.
At the BRIT Awards, 1998
Entering a brief leather daddy era, Robbie wore a slim fit two-piece revealing a bare, hairy chest. But of course, what else would you wear to perform a medley from The Full Monty with Tom Jones? The BRIT Awards line-up that year was massive, also boasting performances from All Saints (“Never Ever”), The Spice Girls (“Stop”) and Fleetwood Mac, who were there to accept the award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Robbie was nominated for two awards — Single of the Year for “Old Before I Die”, as well as Best British Solo Male.
Performing in Australia, 2002
Never one to shy away from attention-seeking looks (he once wore a nude see-through dress on TOTP), Robbie rocked a kilt at an Australian concert in Melbourne. At the time of the performance, he had just released a chart-topping duet with Moulin Rouge-era Nicole Kidman (a cover of Frank and Nancy Sinatra’s “Somethin’ Stupid”) and signed an £80m record deal with EMI — reportedly the biggest music deal in British history. Not a bad moment for our Robbie.