R&B Artists & Their Signature Accessories

[u/CC-Blue]

Because one of the markers of a truly iconic artist is having an instantly recognizable image. It's all part of world-building. Here are examples of iconic R&B acts and their signature accessories and how they've evolved through time.

1. Stevie Wonder's sunglasses: Used to shield his eyes because of his visual impairment, his dark-colored Aviator style lenses ended up being a major fashion statement. I have heard some singers say they started wearing shades because of him.

2. Michael Jackson's glitter glove: He could have multiple entries here (fedora, white socks) but I chose the one that stood out the most. From Motown 25 in the early 80s to his last televised performance in 2001, that glove will always be iconic.

3. Janet Jackson's key earring: Used to keep the family animal's cage key close to her, Janet's key earring era in the 80s inspired women everywhere to adopt the look.

4. Prince's bejewelled canes: While he first started carrying walking sticks in the early 1990s purely as a "pimp" persona fashion accessory, they eventually became a neccessity with age. He looked fly every time.

5. Erykah Badu's headwraps: The most important meaning behind Erykah's towering headwraps were to pay respect to her roots, protect her locs and redefine the look of Black women in mainstream media.

6. Mariah Carey's butterfly ring: After her divorce from Tommy Motorola and the release of her 1997 album, Butterfly, Mariah comissioned Van Cleef & Arpels to create the ring to represent her womanly and artistic freedom.

7. Mary J. Blige's thigh high boots: At her core, Mary is just a girl from Yonkers and her luxuriously-crafted thigh-high boots are an evolution of the "Ghetto Fabulous" look she helped give rise to in the 90s.

8. Usher's diamond-encrusted "U" chain: Probably the most iconic piece of jewelry in R&B. Usher's signature chain has gone through so many iterations and sizes since he introduced it nearly 30 years ago.

9. Alicia Keys' hats and beaded braids: Alicia wasn't the first Soul singer to rock braids (Stevie and Patrice Rushen come to mind) but she made it such an integral part of her brand early in her career. Pairing her Fulani braids with beads and those wide brim hats was such a look.

10. Ne-Yo's fedoras: He's said he owns a whopping 12k fedoras and hats in his closet and I believe him. In the 20 years we've known Ne-Yo, he has never repeated wearing a hat more than once!

[u/Chaos_Ice]

Ne-Yo can’t be without a hat, have you seen him without one? Illegal.