Like Arctic Monkeys, Alex Turner has been through plenty of styles. With a Mercury Prize-winning debut in Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not, the world met a bunch of Sheffield youths wearing polo shirts, hoodies and Adidas. By 2008, Turner had beaten second album syndrome with the house party thrills of Favourite Worst Nightmare and had begun to dabble in lounge with his friend Miles Kane as one half of The Last Shadow Puppets. In step with the indie sleaze boom of the time and his then-girlfriend Alexa Chung, his style had morphed to include slim-fitting shirts, Beatles-esque suiting and leather jackets — a piece that would soon become a staple.
It wasn’t until 2012 that a 26-year-old Turner found more of a niche: crooner chic encapsulating Cuban heels, leather and impossible amounts of Brylcreem. With the America-breaking AM, he donned the costume of a heartthrob, stepping into a role reminiscent of Elvis Presley.
Now at album seven with The Car, the frontman has reached a perfect equilibrium that draws heavily on the style of French pop artist Jacques Dutronc, an artist that Alex has more directly referenced in a Last Shadow Puppets cover of “Les Cactus”. Mirroring the elevated (pun intended) lift music of the hyper-loungey Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino and The Car, the Alex Turner of 2023 wears the kind of clothing that vintage hotel lobbies are made of: loafers, signet rings and expensive shirts open at the neck.
It’s been a long journey from “When The Sun Goes Down” and those old Fred Perry polos to the louche, tailored terrain of "There’d Better Be A Mirrorball", but look: we all made it through together. Consider our guide to dressing like Mr Turner your style accompaniment to the seventh Arctic Monkeys album, The Car.
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1. A double-breasted blazer in navy
Jacques Dutronc isn’t Alex Turner’s only Gallic inspiration: Serge Gainsbourg also informs a wardrobe of loose shirts and vaguely porn-y embellishments, and both Serge and Alex manage to imply recent copulation through their choice of double-breasted blazer. As with almost all of his own picks, Alex wears vintage and archive pieces, but we’ve found close matches to the fit of this Leeds Festival look in both Kingsman and Reiss. Choose boxy shoulders and a wool blend for the Frenchest effect.
2. A gold rolo chain necklace
Connell’s chain may well have alerted millions to the allure of tacky-lite dressing, but a gold necklace has been a key component of the fop’s overall looks since time immemorial: we’d be willing to bet that Oscar Wilde had a rolo chain like this 14-carat Miansai piece under his starched shirts. Choose Fraser Hart for a style that’s lighter on metal and price, and pair with a moustache only should you be feeling particularly spicy.
3. A grandad collar shirt
You may note that many of these styles closely align with the image of a wealthy European gentleman of advanced years. In fact, these types are just one real inspiration to the Alex Turner look, with grandad collar shirts denoting fine ageing both in name and in look. The shirt worn here — during a headline slot at Spain’s Cala Mijas Festival — has an ornate embroidered collar that makes it unique, but there’s still lounge lizard to give in both Turnbull & Asser and Reiss shirts. Cuff the sleeves and add a waffle knit vest in white to leave your hands free for noodling on the guitar.
4. A pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers
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Turner has been wearing Ray-Ban since the shag-hair days of “Cornerstone” and Humbug, though it’s the classic Wayfarer that he most closely aligns with. A look that strongly connects the frontman with one of his greatest inspirations, Bob Dylan, a pair most recently made an appearance during Arctic Monkeys’ live rendition of “Body Paint” on Jimmy Fallon. An omnipresent piece that is often in fashion and never out of style, Ray-Ban originals do the look best, though dupes are frequent and increasingly impressive.
5. A vintage pastel shirt
In the music video for the string-laden cut “Body Paint”, Alex doubles up on yellow-gold with a satin shirt unbuttoned at the throat (allowing one's rolo chain to stay in full view). Satin and silk are fewer and further between when looking outside of the vintage market, but soft cotton makes for an impressive swap, especially in this shade of lemon yellow. Pastels of other hues — pistachio, candyfloss, sugared violets — would also work well deployed with straight or subtly bootlegged suit trousers and loafers.
6. A blue, pinstriped Oxford shirt
You’ll have noticed that there’s nary a top button in use when Alex Turner’s around, and with an Oxford shirt he abandons the first four or five completely. A darker blue stripe treads closer to crooner-ville than a paler shade, which denotes fraternity membership at an Ivy League school rather than a debonair art type. Instead, the appearance of this oversized style in the video for “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” lets Turner play piano and switch guitars in the studio without restricting him. With a tousled haircut, it gives a definite idea of having just crawled out of bed with Jane Birkin.
7. A pair of casual black dress trousers
Bootleg jeans have come into Alex’s view in recent months and while they work on him, you may find it difficult to avoid Jeremy Clarkson comparisons. Besides, Alex prefers trusty dress trousers worn casually and often. Seen here with white loafers and a soft shirt but equally as good with a chunky jumper and white trainers.
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