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Miles Davis and John Coltrane performing at Jazz club Cafe Bohemia in New York City, ca. 1956.
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Miles Davis had style for miles, so to speak… Yeah, we’re walking a fine line of being tediously cliche, but the fact remains that whatever Miles did — music, women, heroin, dressing — he did it to the fullest. And like a true artist, his style was always evolving, innovative, relevant, and definitely full of surprises. You may not have always understood him, but you could appreciate his artistry. Sometimes, that’s all a man can ask for. People may not always appreciate how you go about things, but you can’t be denied if what you deliver at the end of the day is special. Go ahead and read into that whatever it is you want…
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Miles Davis' style was always very thought out, there were no accidents -- every detail said something about him, and was there for a reason. It's easy to look at this picture and miss the subtle, but very telling, details. Note-- the absence of a breast pocket on the sportcoat, or buttons on the sleeve. The smooth, uninterrupted lines of the soft, almost invisible drop shoulder, close-notched coat collar, and the rounded club, or penny, shirt collar. It all adds up to a pretty specific look.
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Other cool, and easy to miss, details -- the long set-on, pullover placket on his B.D. sportshirt that stops right above the belt-line -- a very old school, Ivy league look ala J. Press. And don't forget the knotted neckerchief for a touch of cool sophistication.
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Mile Davis in a very cool patch pocket DB suit. Pretty sick stuff.
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Miles Davis playing at the Randall's Island Jazz Festival in New York, ca. 1960. Again, note the soft, drop shoulder and that there's no buttons on the sportcoat sleeve.
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These were pretty tricked-out trousers Miles Davis was wearing. Note the front dress extension, no belt loops and how they adjust at the side with what looks like long, stitched-in leather tabs.
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Miles Davis again in those same trousers, and here you see more detail from the back -- and what about those sick slip-ons -- they're clean as a friggin' whistle.
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So where did all this style come from? As Miles tells it, it’s all in the genes–
“My mother was a beautiful woman. She had a whole lot of style, with an East Indian, Carmen McRae look, and dark, nut-brown, smooth skin. High cheekbones and Indian-like hair. Big Beautiful eyes. Me and my brother Vernon looked like her. She had mink coats, diamonds; she was a very glamorous woman who was into all kinds of hats and things, and my mother’s friends seemed just as glamorous to me as she was. She always dressed to kill. I got my looks from my mother and also my love of clothes and sense of style. I guess you could say I got whatever artistic talent I have from her also.”
Now I get where maybe some of the eccentric style of his later years comes from–
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Miles Davis in fur, scarf, and superfly eyewear, ca. 1970s.
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The Selvedge Yard 
Awesome. I knew it was only a matter of time after that Chet Baker post, and will probably have me listening to jazz records for just as long.
That’s a good thing.
JP
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I still hate that he’s gone.
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It is nice to read one article/post about the great Miles and his style, and not hear the word Brooks Brothers.
Correction: “words Brooks and Brothers”