BOP (1997)
No Doubt’s House of Style
Gwen has set fashion trends with her blond locks and trademark bindi, but don’t overlook the rest of the band’s extreme style
It’s hard to miss No Doubt lead singer Gwen Stefani. With her monster combat boots, tiny T-shirts and glam makeup, the 27-year-old makes a major fashion statement wherever she goes. But the songbird behind “Excuse Me Mr.” and “Sunday Morning” from 1995’s smash album Tragic Kingdom, isn’t the only member of No Doubt to sport a one-of-a-kind look. The boys in the band have a few rad ideas of their own when it comes to stage style.
It turns out that the guys go for looks that represent their individual personalities. Super-serious bass player Tony Kanal is one of the hardest working guys in the business—and when he gets dressed up, he likes to look the part. He goes for clothes that look like, you guessed it, work uniforms. “I like Dickies jumpsuits, workman suits you can get at stores like Kmart and gas-station attendant suits. I have about 50 of them,” the 26-year-old has said.
Shy and quiet guitarist Tom Dumont considers himself something of a computer geek, so he goes bananas for outfits that are so uncool, they’re actually, well, cool. “I usually wear collared shirts— they’re very California,” the 28-year-old has explained. “I’m the nerdy character on stage; I love surf shirts with stripes and ugly colors.”
And last but not least, every band needs a party animal, and No Doubt’s is drummer Adrian Young.
He’s worn smeared lipstick on stage, and you just may remember his mega-unique hair style from last year—a crew cut with devil’s horns! With his wacky sense of humor, this 26-year-old can always be expected to go cutting edge. “I’m getting into the mod scene—Fred Perry shirts, green flight jackets, stuff like that,” Adrian has said.
It seems like Gwen might have to fight for the mirror with these guys around, but believe it or not, the Anaheim, California native is getting a little tired of being a glamour girl. “I get to the shows and all the girls look better than me: ‘Wow, good hair!’ It’s become work because I have to compete,” Gwen has groaned. Lately Gwen’s been spending her time offstage dressed down in what she calls “a grunge version” of herself. “Now, I can’t be bothered,” she’s explained.
If Gwen decides to stick with the casual look, she has nothing to be worried about. Sure, we all may miss her superslick style, but she’s lucky enough to have three swell bandmates who are more than happy to get gussied up in her place!