John Lennon, ever-changing & always inspiring Personal Style

John Lennon circa 1950’s “Teddy-boy” look

John Lennon is notoriously known as an eternal style icon and infamous music legend. He defined and in the opinion of many, created the profound relationship between music and fashion. He will forever remembered by not only his revolutionary music but for his ever-changing, always inspiring personal style.

The round wire-rimmed style of glasses will forever be associated with John Lennon, but in the early years of The Beatles John didn’t think wearing glasses was cool enough for a rock star. It wasn’t until after he wore the round framed glasses for his role in the 1967 film “How I Won The War” that he started to wear them regularly in public.

In preparation for his role as Richard Lester, John was given an army-style haircut and a pair of new glasses to wear. John’s haircut took place in the breakfast room of the bar The Inn On The Heath hotel in Celle, near Hanover, West Germany. The short-back-and-sides, performed by 28-year-old German hairdresser Klaus Baruch, made headlines around the world. Baruch shaved off John’s sideburns, swept back his fringe and greased it down. The cut hair was later burnt to prevent it being sold.

Although the hairstyle proved a temporary measure, the old-fashioned round National Health ‘granny’ glasses quickly became a trademark of his public image. They became soon fashionable and he retained the look until the end of his life.

June ’64 interview ’16 Magazine’

What do you dislike about yourself? The fact that I’m so short-sighted. Off stage I have to wear very thick glasses. On stage I can’t see the crowd, but I know they are there by their screams. The boys have a lot of fun telling me the wrong door to go through, and I often end up in a cupboard.

How did you decide on your “puddin’-basin” haircuts? Well our hair was just growing most of the time. One of us got dunked in a pool once and their hair dried in that “position.” All the rest dug it-so that was that.

What do you plan to invest your money in? I’d like to invest in a string of high-class clothes shops.

What kind of clothes do you like to wear? Neat lines in dark shades. I love suede, leather and cord.

What kind of clothes do you dislike? Baggy things or anything in a bright colour.

Teddy boy with leather jacket & pompadour

“puddin’-basin” pop look and Buddy Holly like glasses

John himself wasn’t the trend-setter of all his iconic styles, his looks were also inspired by others. Back in the day before The Beatles, the “teddy-boy” look was the in-thing and John adorned a leather jacket and a pompadour hair-do. Then came the mop-head a.k.a the “puddin’-basin” pop look. The psychedelic hippie movement came next, followed the avant-garde hipster scene.

Before he took to his classic look of round specs, he would sometimes were Buddy Holly-esk horn rim glasses. Paul also explained how John came to actually take on Buddy Holly’s persona. “John was very short-sighted. He wore glasses, but he would only wear them in private. Until Buddy Holly arrived on the scene he would never get them out because he felt like an idiot, with his big horn-rimmed glasses…But when Buddy came out, the glasses came out too. John could go on stage and see who he was playing to. In our imaginations back then, John was Buddy and I was Little Richard or Elvis. You’re always somebody when you start.”

So whether John’s iconic style was inspired or original, John Lennon a style Icon!