Lil Nas X’s best fashion moments, as his debut album is set to drop

From hot pink cowboy suits to major Met Gala moments, his style is as viral as his music.

Prudence Wade
Thursday 16 September 2021 06:09 EDT
Lil Nas X’s best style moments (Evan Agostini/AP)
Lil Nas X’s best style moments (Evan Agostini/AP)

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The hype around Lil Nas X’s debut album is reaching fever pitch, as it’s set to come out on September 17.

The undisputed master of social media, Lil Nas has been whipping up a frenzy by pretending he’s ‘pregnant’ with the album – complete with a prosthetic bump, baby shower and pregnancy photoshoot.

It’s just the kind of imaginative and slightly weird performance we’ve come to expect from the American singer-songwriter, who made a name for himself with catchy tunes – including the chart-topping Old Town Road and its various remixes – as well as memorable fashion choices.

These are some of his most major style moments…

Bringing the drama to the Met Gala…

Lil Nas gave us one of the most dramatic looks of the recent Met Gala: a Versace outfit with three costumes in one. The heavy gold cape was shed to reveal a shimmering suit of armour.

And underneath was a tight bodysuit. On Instagram, Versace called it “a three-part LGBTQ+ American fairy tale”.

Polished in purple for the VMAs…

For the recent MTV Video Music Awards, Lil Nas chose frequent collaborator Versace for his prom-inspired look. The delicate lilac outfit was half suit, half gown – with plenty of sequins and long curly hair to match.

In a silver Prince tribute…

Plenty of Lil Nas’ looks are nods to Prince – including this silver sequinned number from the VMAs in 2019. The ruffled shirt is reminiscent of the legendary performer, with cowboy boots making it unique to Lil Nas.

Giving cowboy suits a modern spin…

Lil Nas’ breakout song Old Town Road was a country hit, and the singer often plays on ideas of Western fashion in his red carpet looks. As this is Lil Nas we’re talking about, he doesn’t just wear any old look though – he gives things a modern spin, such as this all-red suit with a bejewelled belt and bright embroidery. It’s basically the perfect mix of cowboy-meets-matador.

In an acid green Eighties look…

Lil Nas played around with proportions for the 2019 American Music Awards, wearing a lime green suit with a cropped blazer and statement shoulders. Taking things to the next level, he donned a black and green tiger print shirt underneath, complete with matching gloves.

In a hot pink cowboy suit…

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Lil Nas stole the show at the 2020 Grammy Awards, wearing a hot pink Versace cowboy outfit – complete with buckles, studs and a matching hat.

Lil Nas’ stylist Hodo Musa called working with Versace her “dream collaboration” on Instagram, writing: “How often do you see a man in a harness and fuchsia? Thank you LNX for being so open.”

In an homage to Elton John…

This fabulously feathered look is straight out of the Elton John playbook, but it wasn’t even used for the red carpet. Instead, it was for an advert for Uber Eats – with John appearing in a recreation of Lil Nas’ pink Versace suit from the Grammys.

Lil Nas’ feathered look even got John’s seal of approval – he commented on Instagram: “Looking fabulous, darling.”

In blue snakeskin…

Why wear a plain suit, when you can choose blue snakeskin with a mesh top underneath and tiny Matrix-inspired sunglasses?

And this was not even the only time Lil Nas has rocked snakeskin – he wore a fully patterned green and pink suit to the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, with the curls in his hair looking just like Prince.

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