The 20 Most Stylish Britpop Icons

Whether you were a true Britpop baby or not, there's absolutely no denying that the era brought with it a whole host of weird, wonderful and amazingly stylish musicians. Channel some 'New Wave dapper-meets-casual' style with this round-up of Britpop's fashionable finest.

(Images: Rex/Getty)

Brett Anderson - Suede

Never afraid to sport chest-revealing blouses on stage and navel-showing leather jackets on magazine covers, it was the less extreme Brett that showed us how to wear tiny shirts and black jeans tighter than a photo finish, that really appealed. And to this day he continues to set the tone with aplomb. Check out this coat, for example. 

Neil Hannon - The Divine Comedy

A dapper gent from front-to-back, his almost dusty three-buttoned suits were oft-paired with a "dad" tie and circular sunglasses. Here's how he looked wearing Elton John's specs, by the way. WARNING: You can never un-see this.

Brian Molko - Placebo

Okay, okay, so the lippy, earrings, makeup and "stunt girl" t-shirt in this shot might be a step too far, even for the boldest of fashion rebels, but Molko knew exactly how to rock the tight white t-shirt and guyliner look. Spearheading the move towards androgyny the Placebo lead singer led where others would only follow. Knew how to write top ten hits, play guitar and sing, too, which is useful for a musician. 

Rick Witter - Shed Seven

Some five years before Brad Pitt's Tyler Durden sent sales of "Elvis" sunnies through the roof, Witter was rocking them at T in the Park, Glasgow, 1995. For the full Witter look, bag yourself a surfer style necklace and bunched bead wristbands. 

Justine Frischman - Elastica

Minimalism was Elastica's way, with a punk rock / tomboy hue, wearing black shirts and jeans that wouldn't look out of place in the wardrobes of any 90s male with the sort of frame that could rock it. So good was their look that the band even featured in Italian Vogue. 

Gaz Coombes - Supergrass

Thanks mainly to the video for smash hit single Alright, your memory of Supergrass might be that of ape-ish youngsters in cheap t-shirts, but they scrubbed up extremely well. Here's Gaz at Reading festival in 1998 with a look more typical of the band in the latter 90s. Extra points for the sideburns you could set your watch to.

Crispian Mills - Kula Shaker

Master of the smart-spiritual look, Mills mixed well-fitted leather jackets with tight tees and, seemingly, any old trousers he could lay his hands on. When that wasn't his wardobe selection you'd find him braving a cravat and suede suit jacket or just going out and out for the young Bowie look. 

Johnny Dean - Menswear

Given their band name these guys really did need to make some sort of sartorial statement and they went the way of the mod-revival. Menswear, and Dean in particular, were all about tight-fitting suits, superb waistcoats, thin ties and and floppy hair. 

Damon Albarn - Blur

Damon convinced us all that we could walk into any old thrift shop with £7 and come out looking like East London's finest. Alas, most of us came out looking more Eastenders' finest. Albarn's wardrobe also put the Harrington jacket on the map and did Fred Perry t-shirts no end of good. 

Graham Coxon - Blur

Equally thrifty, Coxon's look lent itself more to geek chic, thanks in no small part to the trademark thick-rimmed glasses, that made us all wish we had the eyesight of cave crickets. 

Jaime Harding - Marion

The "Johnny Marr-endorsed, overlooked Britpop heroes" as Q Magazine called them even went as far as giving their band a female name to further androgynise their ways. Sure you'd need thousands of pounds worth of surgery for lead singer Jaime Harding's cheek bones, but buying his turtle-neck Christmas jumper would be far more affordable. Wear it in August for the full look. 

Jarvis Cocker - Pulp

The pioneer of the thick-rimmed glasses look, Jarvis was always immaculate (even at Glastonbury, pictured) in his double-breasted suits offset with non-immaculate hair. He was a walking middle finger to the world of grunge that took the "couldn't-give-less-of-a-shit" look to laughable extremes. Rather brilliantly he won both NME’s Best Dressed and Worst Dressed awards in 1996. 

Alex James - Blur

These days Blur's Alex James might have slipped decidedly off the cool radar due to his love of cheese and farms but there was a time when he was the fresh-faced bastion of style. Rocking up like he'd raided the wardrobe of a dead person and bashing the bejeezus out of his bass with a fag dangling out of his mouth like a council estate James Dean, he was a bona fide icon. 

Steve Craddock - Ocean Colour Scene

Because who else could pull off the mix and (don't) match look of a black beany hat, cream cricket jumper and floral cravat? Exactly. 

John Power - Cast

Interesting fact: John Power named Cast after the final word on of his previous band, The La's, eponymous album. The song Looking Glass ends with the repeated line "The change is cast". So now you know. Or you knew before. 

Style-wise it was all ill-fitting shirts, Fred Perry polo tees, tight blue denim jackets and those trademark curls. Some barnstorming tracks, n'all.  

Tim Burgess - The Charlatans

Tim Burgess was effortlessly cool. All it took was a jumper and black jeans or cardigan over a polo shirt and the Charlatans front man was ready to roll. We're less keen on his more recent blonde look, mind you. 

Luke Haines - The Auteurs

You know that office suit you've had in your wardrobe since your first job when you were 19 and you have no idea why you're keeping hold of it? That, only worn by Melody Maker's "new saviour of UK rock", Luke Haines. This was his go-to look for a while, but he was also a strong proponent of the medium length leather jacket as evidenced in this incredibly bizarre performance in which the drummer in the balaclava is the least of your worries. Also features lovely, lovely Dani Behr. 

Richey Edwards - Manic Street Preachers

Pointed shoes androgyny from the troubled and (presumably) tragic life of Richey Edwards, pictured 18 months before going missing and never being found. Richey embraced everything from leopard print to pink berets, put his most famous photo was this NME cover. He was declared presumed deceased in November 2008.

Crispian Hunt - The Longpigs

Another lead singer with a ludicrously high cheekbone to face ratio it was Hunt's charisma more than his wardrobe that exuded the most style. A charming wild child, if that's possible, his look usually mixed questionable thrift shop shirts with suit jackets and a haircut that would have sent any 70s football manager potty. 

Russell Senior - Pulp

Never not in the suit, the second in command when it came to Pulp's fashion steer (furthest right) was also the biggest wearer of sunglasses on the circuit. "I’ve got these mad staring eyes." He said. "At concerts people’d be dancing, but there’d be a pool of emptiness in front of me, with people looking terrified. I started wearing sunglasses so I wouldn’t disconcert people."