Thread by @CasciTRitchie

Fashioning 3121

Check out the fantastic threads by @EdgarKruize @Yan_Kry @DarlingNisi @DeejayUmb @RichardCole_NOW @PrincesFriendsYT @CaseyRain. Upcoming @ehphd @arrthurr @pressrewind75

#PrinceTwitterThread

“...Through the gates, knock on the door
Put you're clothes in the pile on the floor
Take your pick from the Japanese robes and sandals…"

Welcome to the Fashioning 3121 interlude where I’ll be discussing the style of 3121. Shall we begin?

As @EdgarKruize covered in our housewarming, the 3121 era stretches from late 2004 to early 2008. For today’s thread I’ll be discussing Prince’s style from this period loosely and focusing on the album’s music videos, live performances and appearances.

Prince’s #3121 wardrobe consisted of warm oranges, turquoise, black, off whites and burnished metal embellishments. Defining design elements during this era include monochromatic embroidery, tunics, drape jackets and colour blocking.

First - let's talk about the 3121 cover look...

The key look for #3121 was a custom monochromatic softly tailored jacket emblazoned with a bold embroidered 3121 numeric motif mounted on contrast fabric with matching buttons.

Prince wore this garment for various live performances inc. the 2005 NAACP Awards - in fact this look ended up inspiring photographer @AfshinShahidi for the album cover art but we’ve covered that already in previous thread 😉

Prince’s love for text & clothing began in 1987. Head of @PaisleyPark wardrobe dept Helen Hiatt recalled Prince’s last minute request for writing on his outfit 1 hour before he was due on stage for 1st night of Lovesexy tour. The clear, bold text proved to work well onstage.

By using numbers & text on his clothing, Prince immediately established non-verbal communication between fans & himself. Fashion was used as an effective tool in promotion, branding & in the introduction of emerging ideas to his audience just like the 2005 NAACP appearance.

Here’s another 3121 example worn at 38th NAACP March 2007 with the logo incorporated into the front closure of the jacket. The logo placement emphasised Prince’s broad, built up shoulders & tapered to the seam, visually creating shape & silhouette within the garment itself.

3121’s simple, clean, graphics lended themselves to some amazing merchandise like these deadstock long sleeves currently available from @RockItPooleUK

Prince's merchandise game - particularly t-shirts & tour jackets is always on point!

It wasn’t the first time Prince created a consumer target lifestyle collection for fans. He understood the importance of fashion & youth culture, particularly clubbing.

Take a look into Glam Slam’s clubwear shop featuring exclusive Paisley Park designs

An article in October 1st, 1992 edition of Controversy announced the unlikely partnership of Manchester streetwear brand Joe Bloggs (JB) & Prince. JB was closely affiliated with the ‘Madchester’ music scene with the brand’s baggy denims worn by Happy Mondays & Inspiral Carpets.

The collection was designed for the youth market & featured clubwear in PVC, mesh & lycra. All with with an affordable price tag (£25-£30). Although the collab seems odd, JB represented Prince’s desire to create a purple subculture within his fans & promoted accessibility.

We see that Prince has been savvy to creating a youth targeted lifestyle brands throughout. The 3121 world is different - a more luxe, exclusive lifestyle brand featuring perfumes, body creams & scented candles. You collected the merch, listened to 3121 & got the whole experience

Side note - who got a double sided pillow case at 21 Nights in London? I still kick myself for not buying it - show me your pillowcases!!!

Black Sweat’s music video captures Prince’s timeless sartorial legacy beautifully, as well
as his humour & legendary shade.

3121 saw Prince continue his appreciation of a bespoke tailored suit. With his unique measurements & unique style, he was a tailor’s dream client.

In a nod back to 2004’s Musicology era, Black Sweat sees Prince don a dangerously dapper black & grey pin-striped suit, silver liquid satin shirt, custom dove grey heels & trimmed homburg hat for the music video.

Let’s take a moment to celebrate Prince in pinstripes.

Much like the regency dandy, Prince exemplified male dressing in a performative manner. Cut, fabric and styling were critical in his personal style during the early 2000s and further cemented his place within music royalty.

Prince’s poise & refined tailoring compliments the song’s stripped down funk & juxtaposing wonderfully with dancer Celestina Aladekoba’s frenetic energy & sequin dress.

By adopting a more classic style, Prince was sartorially linking his prolific legacy along within a recently renewed popularity & resonance amongst popular culture. This look was an extension of his Musicology style but harked back to the old school Parade tour wardrobe.

Looking at Prince’s sartorial legacy it’s clear he enjoyed cherry picking iconic styles from a variety of subcultures.

The tangerine orange #Fury suit worn throughout the #3121 era shows P’s take on a classic long drape coat worn by Teddy Boys.

He also requested the Fury drape suit in a very Princely grape colour-way. Throughout his life he was known to request multiples of favoured silhouettes in an array of colours he was favouring at the time.

A similar style suit was worn during this era, most notably for the SNL performance with contrast black half collar and a non-traditional twist of double-breasted closure.

A moment’s silence please for how good Prince looks in orange.

Back to the suit. ‘Teds’ emerged during the 1950s with young Brit teens wearing Edwardian clothing whilst listening to American rock & roll. The subculture resurfaced in 1970s & we know Prince was looking to UK music scene for style inspiration during his youth (see Dirty Mind)

The Fury coat looks to be inspired by a ‘Ted’ fave - the ‘Chesterfield’ coat. This traditional garment is noted to be invented by George Stanhope in the 1800s. It is a straight cut coat with no waist seam, full piece back, side pockets and a velvet collar.

See the similarities?

During Prince’s resurgence in pop culture in the early 2000s, the ‘Ted’ silhouette complimented Musicology’s nostalgia & carried on from the Cab Calloway-esque Zoot suits worn during ATWIAD, Parade, Lovesexy & Batman. We often think of Prince dressed in this style now.

In stark contrast to #BlackSweat and #Fury’s sharp tailoring, Te Amo Corazón’s look and subsequent live appearances is fluid, relaxed, exquisitely embellished & features a signature Prince style he wore for years prior. Prince exudes sensuality here - echoing the song’s romance.

In keeping with the Latin influences within the song, the tunic features heavily in TAC. Prince wore this style heavily through out, starting mid 1990s. Historically the tunic is a loose-fitting garment worn by men & women, often constructed in light weight, breathable fabrics.

Fashion designer Debbie McGuan worked with Prince from 1993 until 2010. Throughout the years McGuan finessed Prince’s silhouette and introduced many signatures styles, such as the tunic into his wardrobe. A distinct change from the tailored body-consicous silhouette seen before

Over the years Prince has worn variations of tunics from dazzling coin encrusted fitted tunic to digitally printed polo-necks. He adapted the style adding lace up detailing, sheer panelling, opulent textiles & embellishments such as gold coins.

As Prince’s spirituality deepens in the later 1990s, he begins to also wear kaftans - a narrow cut, long robe with full sleeves, open neck or fully open to the floor & often buttoned traditionally worn across the Middle East & Persia

These garments are expressive & allow freedom - perfect for guitar playing or you know just chilling with a book....

Like the tunic, kaftans have been worn for 1000s of years by many different cultures. At the height of popularity in the late 1960s, Vogue described the kaftan as “the most becoming fashions ever invented: the languor of the seraglio clings to them; leisure & repose emanate"

As always, Prince begins to experiment with the traditional silhouette and wears a hybrid tunic with an emphasis of traditional tailoring as seen in the music video for in Te Amo Corazón.

The cream & turquoise outfit features a signature mandarin collar, contrast piping, braiding and bell sleeves. Prince wore a similar outfit around this time during live performances with bold contrast panelling & embroidered trim. This look read more graphic whilst on stage.

The TAC wardrobe compliments the song beautifully and as an audience it’s believable that Prince hangs around him home in beautiful ornate kaftans. Perhaps he shouldn’t go diving in his finery though.

So we’ve covered the basics of #3121 style - kaftans, monochromatic embroidery, bespoke tailoring and Prince does ‘Teddy Boy’ (again). What’s your favourite?

3121 represented a lifestyle - a brand - a high-end Glam Slam with a stylistic focus on a jet set lifestyle, exclusivity and bespoke suits. Much like every project, Prince branded 3121 through its entirety & the fashion played an important part in this story.

Prince’s purple ideals were condensed visually into graphic symbols, manifested in sacred spaces and worn proudly by purple fam worldwide. The affinity between Prince and his fans was solidified by the clothing worn by fans, his peers and His Royal Badness himself.

That’s all folks! Thanks for joining my Fashioning 3121 interlude today. Massive thank you to @deejayumb for inviting me along for the ride! Combining my 2 great passions - Prince & fashion is always appreciated.

If you enjoyed this thread you can read more Prince musing over at my website casciritchie.com and take a look at my recent articles on Prince & fashion.

And if you have a personal passion for Prince & fashion - maybe you wore polka dot Zoot suits & ruffled jabots throughout your teen years? Or maybe you still do! I would LOVE to speak to you - send me a DM 💜