I recently attended the New Edition All Six Tour concert which, yes, included original member Bobby Brown, who was on a health break during a couple of other tour dates prior. Bobby was back demanding our admiration and reminding us, in the late Rick James style, “I’m Bobby Brown b—h”.
The six members, Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant, reminded me of some key style rules — in both good and bad ways — that we should all apply:
1. Have a consistent style. New Edition hit the scene in the 80s and even 30-plus years later we still know what to expect from them. We won’t see them changing with every new trend … no sagging pants or painted on skinny jeans.
2. Be age appropriate. It was cool to see the old videos play in the background as the guys performed some of their first hits like “Candy Girl.” While they grew from boys to men, their styles grew appropriately too.
3. Wear white right. New Edition hit the stage for a few songs in their all white suits and shirts but work black shoes. This contrast was too stark. You can definitely wear black shoes if your shirt has black in it but otherwise go with a lighter colored shoe like tan.
4. Alter for a perfect fit. I love the suits and the gentleman appearance but the black belt stood out for all of the wrong reasons. Just eliminate the belt by having the pants tailored to fit perfectly.
Now if you haven’t seen them yet, run, don’t walk to the next tour date. These guys put on such an incredible performance that I am looking for another tour date so I can see them again even with those black shoes and white suits.
–Kim Turner is a professional image consultant located in Washington, D.C. She works with both men and women to also help individuals align their appearance with their goals from being more polished in the office to just making their style fit their lifestyle. Her services include image assessment, individual personal shopping services and closet analysis. To learn more about her services and for more great style tips, visit her blog at fashioncents.tv.
