The Best Young Thug Outfits of All Time
From the cover of ‘Jeffery’ to the stages of music festivals like Lollapalooza, here is a roundup of Young Thug’s best outfits & fashion moments of all time.
Image via Complex Original
When Young Thug wore an orange fur Ushanka and tie-dye basketball jersey in the music video for “Stoner,” the world knew he was bringing something different to the table. Within the overly masculinized world of hip-hop, Young Thug rose from the streets of Atlanta and paved his own fashion lane, breaking with the preconceived notions of what a rapper had to dress like. From wearing Uggs with hot pink skinny jeans in the music video for “The Blanguage” to wearing leather Givenchy vests in the recent music video for “Ski,” Thugger’s style is eclectic to say the least. And few rappers have ever taken the risks he has when it comes to fashion over the years. Although Young Thug isn’t the first rapper to ever wear a dress, never forget how ignorant rap heads on the internet eviscerated him for wearing them in the early 2010s. From Lil Nas X to Kid Cudi, it seems like everyone has taken notes from Thugger’s adventurous style.
To celebrate the release of his second studio album Punk this Friday, we took a look back on some of his most iconic looks over the years––from the dress he wore on the cover of Jeffery to new pieces he’s worn from his brand Spider Worldwide. Scroll down to take a look at some of Young Thug’s best outfits. —Lei Takanashi
'Jeffery' Cover
When: 2016
Standout Piece: Alessandro Trincone dress
Easily one of the most iconic album covers from the 2010s was Young Thug’s 2016 mixtape Jeffery. The cover features Young Thug in a billowing lavender dress by the young Italian designer Alessandro Trincone. The famous Thugger cover was shot by Atlanta’s own Garfield Lamond, who is Young Thug’s personal photographer and continues to work with him on creative projects today. According to interviews with Lamond, Thug discovered the dress by Trincone while serving as a mentor for the seventh season of VFILES Runway. “He saw the piece in New York, and said immediately, ‘I want that for the cover,’ Lamond told The Fader, “There was no thought about it. He just saw it and knew he wanted it.” In a video capturing the moment he saw the dress, Thug also pointed out that it reminded him of characters from Mortal Kombat. According to Lamond, Tricone’s floor-length dress took hours to just put on Young Thug. Although the dress was constantly memed by Twitter users once the mixtape cover was unveiled, it has gone down as one the rapper’s most iconic looks. It also managed to speak volumes about Trincone and Thug’s work. “I think his cover image exactly centered my point, which is that everyone can wear whatever they want to,” Trincone toldW Magazine. “Everyone can be themselves. Ignore what people are saying and thinking.” —Lei Takanashi
Yeezy Season 3
When: 2016
Standout Piece: Yellow shearling coat
Before Kanye West was packing fans into Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Soldier Field for his Donda listening events, there was 2016’s Yeezy Season 3 presentation in Madison Square Garden. Along with the thousands of fans in the seats, West was joined by close friends like Kid Cudi and Travis Scott to play The Life of Pablo. At the center of MSG were two cubes populated with models dressed in various looks from the multi-hyphenate’s latest clothing collections, as hundreds more in earth-toned looks occupied the floor around them. Sprinkled into the mob of models were some big names, a then-relatively unknown Lil Yachty in a red sweater to match his braids and Young Thug. Thugger’s ensemble included a yellow shearling-lined coat, black pants, and a pair of gray tactical boots. The rapper spent most of the presentation sitting down with his feet dangling over the edge of the cube and his head resting in his palms looking relatively uninterested. But that was sort of the point. The clothes and the music were supposed to draw the attention. While Thug’s cameo was memorable, his biggest fans will remember his presence at the Yeezy Season 3 show for another reason. As the show progressed, Kanye invited Thug to play some new music. It would end up being the first time we would hear one of the rapper’s best tracks, “With Them.” —Mike DeStefano
'Uncut Gems' Premiere
When: 2019
Standout Piece: 3 Moncler Grenoble poncho
Young Thug did not miss when he pulled up to the premiere of Uncut Gems to support his good friend The Weeknd. This fit is an example of Young Thug at his flyest. Here he’s seen wearing skinny jeans, a Stone Island beanie, “What The” Air Jordan IVs, and a Moncler Grenoble poncho. Built from multicolored patchwork wool, the oversized poncho looks luxurious but is also loud enough to draw everyone’s attention to Thugger. Grenoble is one of Moncler’s high-fashion menswear lines that is specifically focused on skiwear, and we all know how much Young Thug loves skiing. —Lei Takanashi
Wireless Festival 2019
When: 2019
Standout Piece: Spider Denim Jacket
Like many other great rap stars today, Young Thug has also launched his own clothing line, Spider Worldwide. Here he’s seen wearing pieces exclusively from his own collection, which launched in 2019. The most popular pieces from the brand are hoodies, T-shirts, and sweatpants, which can be found on resale sites like Grailed. However, pieces like that rhinestone embellished denim jacket cost a pretty penny. But if you’re a Day 1 Young Thug fan, like this hardcore supporter at his show in Dallas in 2019, you may be lucky enough to be gifted one. —Lei Takanashi
'Jimmy Kimmel Live'
When: 2019
Standout Piece: Louis Vuitton LV Trainers
If you’re a Young Thug fan, or just someone who spends a lot of time on social media, then chances are you have seen this amazing photo already. The photo sees Thug alongside his close friend and mentee Gunna as the two arrive at the studio in Los Angeles ahead of Gunna’s performance of “Big Shot” on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Wary of the cameras, Thug decides to pose and flash a couple thousand dollars in cash for the paparazzi. His fit consists of a Dolce and Gabbana denim jacket covered in various embroidery, a red leather bucket hat, white pants with an orange Louis Vuitton chain link peeking out from the waistline, and a white and blue pair of Virgil Abloh’s LV Trainers for Louis Vuitton. He accessorized with some notable jewelry, like Cartier shades and his signature lip piercing, but the ensemble wouldn’t be complete without the hilarity of his facial expression as he flexes his wealth for the camera. —Mike DeStefano
Lollapalooza
When: 2021
Standout Piece: Pink Spider Puffer jacket
For his 2021 festival run teasing his upcoming project Punk, Young Thug stayed covered head-to-toe in hot pink fits. Lollapalooza was no exception. Here he can be seen rocking the stage in the 5Star puffer jacket from his own brand, Spider, complete with an all-over logo print. He layered that with a pink tank top underneath, bedazzled pink leather pants, and plenty of ice around his neck. While Thugger fans may not be able to pull off those pants quite like he can, he did give fans the chance to support the hot pink Punk movement back in August when he released a special Spider sweatsuit to help promote the album. The drop has since sold out, but the hoodies and sweats can still be found on Grailed for a couple hundred bucks if you want to cop the perfect fit for the Punk listening session. —Mike DeStefano
VFILES Runway Show
When: 2016
Standout Piece: Rushemy Botter Trench Coat
A lot of rappers have unpacked the best pieces from their wardrobe at these VFILES Runway shows. Never forget that Playboi Carti wore one of his most iconic outfits at this exact same event. But Thug’s outfit is what really stole the show that day. Thugger arrived at the seventh VFILES Runway show wearing a matching red turtleneck and full-length coat by Rushemy Botter, who was also one of the young designers presenting his work through VFILES that season. But during Botter’s presentation, Young Thug suddenly stood up while puffing on a blunt and stopped a model walking on the runway. The reason? Thug felt compelled enough to adjust the model’s neck ruff during the middle of the show. Only Jeffery could have such a visio. —Lei Takanashi
62nd Annual Grammy Awards
When: 2020
Standout Piece: Custom snake chain from Eliantte
Young Thug has no problem drawing attention, whether he’s wearing a ruffled dress on an album cover or rocking the festival stage covered in bubblegum pink pieces. But just because he has become known for his loud outfits doesn’t mean he can’t keep it a bit more classic from time to time. A great example is his look for the 2020 Grammys where he was nominated for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his song “The London.” Thug hit the red carpet in a clean black suit with a red turtleneck sweater underneath. Of course, he had to add his own flare to it. Thug doctored up the more traditional choice with a red cape covered in crystals and a pair of Loewe loafers with feet printed on them. The piece de resistance, his custom $250,000 chain from Eliantte that intertwines two snakes. Thug loves animals, you know. —Mike DeStefano
L'Eden by Perrier-Jouët
When: 2018
Standout Piece: Chanel sunglasses
Two constants across Young Thug’s eclectic wardrobe: his penchant for flashy jewelry and pairs of expensive shades. This fit he wore to perform at the L’Eden in Miami Beach back in 2018 checks both of those boxes. Here he can be seen posing beside two bottles of Perrier-Jouët Champagne, rocking a pair of circular Chanel logo glasses in a black colorway. The eye-catching style first debuted on the Chanel runway in 1993 and is known for its contrasting Chanel branding wrapping each lens. Around his rests a plethora of diamond chains of various sizes, but the best of the bunch is the one completed with a custom that reads “Slatt,” the slang that Thug has helped spread into the vernacular of rap fans in recent years. He kept the rest of his outfit fairly simple, a black vest and turtleneck up top with a pair of gold satin pants. We also have to talk about this background though. Pink plants. The bright nature artwork. It made for the perfect setting. —Mike DeStefano
61st Annual Grammy Awards
When: 2019
Standout Piece: The custom Spider suit
Young Thug’s first trip to the Grammys was a memorable experience to say the least. Not only was he able to take home a Grammy for dropping some ad-libs on Childish Gambino’s “This Is America,” his first ever nomination, but he also got a chance to rock the stage at the ceremony to perform his feature verse on Camila Cabello’s massive pop hit “Havana.” He kept his fit for the performance clean, a white blazer with a black lapel and tailored black trousers. Both pieces were custom designs from his brand Spider and came complete with shimmering spider webs on the shoulders of the coat and by the leg openings of the pants. A pair of glittered platform boots acted as the perfect finishing touch. The Spider suit may be a one-of-one, but the brand has dropped some similar jackets before with the shimmering spider web detailing if you’re looking for something comparable to add to your own wardrobe. —Mike DeStefano