Icons Of Style – Leonard Cohen
Posted by Dan Tarnowski on March 2, 2012
Leonard Cohen. To some, he’s one of the greatest songwriters of the 60’s. To others, he’s just the guy who did the song, ‘Hallelujah.’
My generation never seemed to latch onto Leonard Cohen. The 90’s held no resurgence of popularity for Cohen like it did for The Beatles. Moreover, Scorsese never made a documentary about Cohen, as he did with Bob Dylan. But the singer-songwriter’s backstory contains more intrigue than you would expect. Before he became a famous musician, he was a poet and a writer of fiction. In 1959, he received a grant for $2,000 and then retreated to a Greek island in order to write his first novel, one that was rejected by the publisher for its preoccupation with sex.
The most overlooked fact about Cohen is he has impeccable style. Run a Google Image Search for his name and you’ll find the man exhibiting flawless style in every result. Witness classic suits with wide lapels. In less sartorial hands, a fedora hat might distract, but alongside Cohen’s tasteful shirts and jackets, the hat is integral. Cohen’s wardrobe is based around formal attire, so what kind of outerwear does he rock? Not a sequined jacket like Mick Jagger might wear. Not the predictable leather of Julian Casablancas, or even the passé army coat of Ben Folds. That’s right, Cohen wears a simple black overcoat. With Cohen, form follows function.
If this photo of a well-dressed Cohen sitting at a diner counter is any indication, Cohen is the type of person who puts on a suit just to go grab a coke. I wouldn’t be surprised if he carries a pocket watch and owns a bunch of grown-man accessories like cufflinks, tie tacks, and collar stays.
Despite Cohen’s taste in elegant clothing, he never gets carried away with rock star gimmicks like sunglasses, jewelry, or flashy haircuts. Like his songs, Cohen’s style is simple and to the point. Consider the cover of his album, ‘Live Songs,’ in which Cohen wears a white shirt and khaki pants, a style so classic that The Gap dusts it off every 5 years and plunders it for a new ad campaign.
Perhaps the famous writer of poems, fiction, and songs should write a book on style? Hell, I’d take a page from it.
