The world once knew Troye Sivan as the self-made YouTuber known for creating a weekly series of personal, funny and relatable content. During a period of time where broadcasting one's daily life online was at its peak, Sivan racked up a massive 4 million subscribers and over 243 million total views on his channel. A 2013 video of his emotional coming-out story garnered up to eight million views—five times more than his usual vlog posts.
Despite his undeniable YouTube presence, it was music that was the 26-year-old's calling from the start. Sivan was no stranger to posting his singing videos from time to time too. Subsequently, Sivan released his first mini album TRXYE in 2014 that debuted at at the fifth spot on the Billboard 200 chart, then a full studio album, Bloom, in 2018 as well as singles and remixes made in collaboration with other musicians by 2021.
Besides the jump from famous YouTuber to singer-songwriter, Sivan’s style was also making leaps along with his career. His early-days style was minimalistic—a simple white T-shirt paired with a hoodie and finished off with a pair of skinny jeans. They were everyday staples and was an aesthetic that carried through to his music videos of that era.
It wasn't until 2018 when Sivan released his third studio album Bloom, that his style took a 180-degree turn for the flamboyant and gender-fluid. The album was described as a departure from his earlier work and a celebration of sexual desire—his style became a reflection of that. Celebrity stylist Kyle Luu was one of those that made an impact in Sivan's style evolution and was key in crafting looks for the album's single of the same name.
In the beginning of the 'Bloom' music video, Sivan wore an off-shoulder white blouse paired with a pink fabric tied around his waist, and black trousers. He sported pink eye shadow as well as a red lip—the most makeup we've seen Sivan in up to that point. There was a vibrant yellow puff-sleeve coat ensemble that exposed his torso, topped it off with a turquoise feather headpiece and black trousers. And at the crescendo of the pop song, Sivan danced in a red floral printed dress matched with a crop top and balaclava. 'Bloom' marked the beginning of him expressing himself through fashion, and especially doing so with gender-fluid looks.
Another stylist that had a great influence in Sivan's style evolution is Marc Sebastian. The stylist's partnership with Sivan was largely influenced by the fact that he used to be a model and is queer himself—styling Sivan almost as a reflection of him. During the Bloom World Tour, Sivan wore a series of corsets, blouses and tank tops paired with cutout low-rise jeans. Sebastian also styled him in Dion Lee's autumn/winter 2020 collection for a promo of his single 'Take Yourself Home', showcasing Sivan's androgynous style.
Sivan also has knack for approaching men's tailoring in an unconventional yet tasteful way—sizing up the fit of a blazer with his bare body exposed or over a mesh top. He wore a white Helmut Lang version of the combination on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as well as the 2018 Met Gala but in a red custom-made Valentino. And during the 2019 Golden Globes, he opted for a cobalt blue Calvin Klein. They were all tailored differently and showcased Sivan's style versatility.
In his most recent fashion experimentation—deemed as his most erotic one yet—Sivan teamed up with fashion stylist Gadir Rajab for 'You', a club hit by DJ Regard, featuring himself and singer Tate McRae. For the promo, Sivan mixed Issey Miyake with Strateas Carlucci and a vintage thong; need we say more? The duo took things even further for the song's first television performance with a custom look rife with cutouts on the chest and hips, with an exposed and bejewelled chest.
Sivan has not only (and very clearly) explored musical repertoire over the years, but also evolved his boy-next-door style to one that combines gender-fluidity with an elevated sense of taste. This is one style visionary to watch out for.
Scroll through the gallery above for a look at Troye Sivan's style evolution over the years.
