Okay, is it JUST me, or did Usher go from being a cute round-faced young man with vocal promise to a multi-faceted superstar and style icon overnight?  Usher has always had style, but as he has grown, his style has as well. When you are a teenage boy, it’s about sports attire, baggy pants, and name brands emblazoned on your clothes for everyone to see.  You aren’t thinking about clean lines or how the outfit is tailored, because that just screams “boring.” Teenagers love to have fun and that was the style of Usher in 1994 when he was seen with the metallic separates in the video “Think of You.”

Although Usher wasn’t a household name after his first album, he definitely showed enough promise and marketability to be that next big thing in the world of R&B.  When his follow up album “My Way” hit the charts in 1997, grown folks had to take a step back and acknowledge the young crooner.  For now, it wasn’t about thinking about a girl, it was about taking things “Nice and Slow.” We were now seeing an older Usher, a fit Usher…an Usher who was gaining a sense of self, style and income-the album went on to sell 7 million copies.  

Usher’s style sensibility continued to grow from there.  By the time his new multi-platinum album “8701” hit the charts, we weren’t even THINKING about Usher as a growing icon.  He was an icon, who by now had millions of fans all over the world, was touring with Janet Jackson, and was starting to display the talisman of all successful artists… the “ice.”  

Jump to the present day.  The knit skull caps have been replaced with the popular Atlanta Braves ball caps and felt fedoras.  The matching, colorful outfits have been replaced with tailored suits, and the collection of “ice” has quadrupled in size.  Usher can now be seen on every Best Dressed List there is and I’m sure there is more to come. Rumor has it, he is following in the footsteps of one of his own style icons, P.Diddy, and starting his own men’s line.  Usher, here at FLOSSIN’ you remind us of a man who represents talent, sensibility and style and therefore, we must salute you as this issue’s male Evolution of a Star. 

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This article was originally published in Flossin Magazine #1. The original author of this article is Fawn Aberson. This article is edited by Edna Waters. This article is optimized for web by Steven Christian (Artist | Author | Podcaster).