One part glam rock peacock, one part Tom of Finland cowboy (though much skinnier), served with an extra-large dollop of camp on the side, no one wears clothes - or hair - with quite the same panache as Jon Bon Jovi.
The rock god’s look may have settled down a bit since his 80s and 90s heyday: the hair is not quite as big, the jeans not so tight, the whole vibe less camp and trashy, but that essential sexiness and sense of hedonistic abandon is still there. After all, this is a man who was not only a good friend of Gianni Versace but also modeled for the brand throughout the 90s.
We all need a bit of fun in our lives right now, something to amp up our look - and, in turn, a means by which we can embrace our own inner rock peacock - so here are six moves you can (and should) steal from Jon Bon Jovi right now.
1 | Go big with your hair
Always make sure your hair is as big as the packed-out stadiums that you rock on the regular. Whether it’s a shoulder-length mullet, blonde-streaked tousled curls, or a perm so voluminous it looks like it might self immolate at any moment - go big or go home.
2 | Ditch the shirt
No shirt? No problem! It’s all part of the louchely seductive androgyny that so enamoured him to men like Gianni Versace, who, in one campaign had Jon Bon Jovi modelling in not much more than a Versace tea towel wrapped around his crotch. The no-shirt look also works teamed with a black leather jacket, leather waistcoat or lounge lizard tailoring.
3| Squeeze into tight jeans
Whether made out of leather or trashed blue denim, jeans that are one size too small help to emphasise a lithe waist and slim legs - essential for any rock peacock. Black leather jeans and a black T-shirt accessorised with a black Fender Stratocaster guitar is a go-to look that we can all get with.
4| Lasso some western wear
Authentic Westernwear made by actual Native American tribes people was a key part of the Jon Bon Jovi iconography in the 80s and 90s, after all, they wrote the Young Guns soundtrack. Concho belts, power animal bangles, turquoise rings and bracelets, and chokers, as long as they are the real deal from shops such as Jesse Western on Portobello, are actually incredibly chic.
5| Invest in a leather jacket
Jon Bon Jovi’s look has naturally calmed down in recent years and gotten a touch classier, and key to this has been a simple zip-up leather jacket by John Varvatos, a designer who sells luxury rock n roll fantasy, the way Ralph Lauren sells prep.
6| Stalk down some animal print
Whether in the form of a silk scarf underneath a denim jacket (sans shirt, natch), or a silk shirt with nothing underneath, or even on skin-tight jeans - nothing says ‘It’s my life’ more than a snakeskin or leopard print.
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