The king of pop dressed like royalty.
On stage on off, he held court in military jackets with gold buttons and epaulets, heraldic jewelry and starched white shirts with wing collars. It was all part of Jackson’s grand visions of his life, echoed in the imposing gates of his Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County, Calif., with its red throne and antique furnishings.
In his earlier performing days, after breaking from the Jackson 5 and their look-alike costumes, Jackson wore skinny pants, black loafers and glittery white socks. The simple silhouette drew attention to his dancing feet, and soon kids across the globe emulated Jackson’s fashion sense as well as his moonwalk.
Jackson’s accessories were widely copied, most famously the glittery glove first seen in the 1983 video for “Billie Jean.” The glove and more than 2,000 other personal items were auctioned in April.
Jackson also was known for his famously pale complexion, a condition he attributed to vitiligo but others claimed was bleaching. He also was rumored to have had surgeries to shave his nose and put a cleft in his chin. For public appearances and performances, he preferred high arched eyebrows, dark eyeliner, mascara and pink lips.
