The poster boy of 50s-era ‘hip’, trumpeter Chet Baker epitomized cool jazz and cool style.
Long before chronic drug and alcohol abuse wreaked havoc on his matinee-idol looks and health and ultimately turned him into a man who at his untimely death at age 58 looked more like 88, jazz trumpeter Chet Baker was making a fashion statement that can still be felt to this day.
An icon of the West Coast “cool school” of jazz, helped by his good looks and singing talent, Chet Baker’s clothing style was influential as well. From Elvis-styled rockabilly to Ivy League-inspired chinos and button downs, Baker put his personal stamp on whatever he wore.
Looking like a cross between the young Elvis and another 50s heartthrob, James Dean, the jazz trumpeter and crooner cast a spell on women everywhere.
To this day, the Chet Baker stylistic influence can be felt and seen in the looks of musicians such as Chris Isaak, fellow trumpeter Chris Botti, singer Michael Bublé and any number of GAP menswear ad campaigns.
Say what you will about his self-destructive lifestyle, (and it WAS ), but in his prime the cat could blow… And man did he look good doing it!
Randy – A Life Designed
