Dads dust off their bucket hats for one last hurrah, and their children salivate over songs they’ve so far only heard and not seen. In the background, the Gallagher bandwagon is revving its engine and like the generation-defining sound of Oasis, it’s loud and stirring.
As we ready ourselves to embark on another chapter of one of music’s most enduring stories, the noise around the band is slowly creeping up, especially in the case of the younger Burnage brother born William but better known as the Irish equivalent- Liam.
No stranger to clothing and footwear deals, Liam has long since parted company with the Pretty Green brand he founded, marking link ups with Stone Island and Berghaus in recent months. And now his collaborative Clarks Originals Desert Rain is on the cusp of launching and inevitably selling out. Few 52 year old men can claim to have such influence on the wardrobes of such a large cross-section of British males. When you think of Liam, there’s a particular archetype you’ll naturally call to mind, but when you dwell a little longer on the various variations of shoe/coat combos he’s sported down the years, there are more than a few key looks you could easily associate him with.
With that in mind, we put together a list of key characters in Liam’s sartorial story down the years. Shakespeare could have been writing about him when he wrote the first few lines of his monologue that references the seven ages of man.
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts
From one William to another William, here’s our Seven Ages of Liam.
Sport Liam
The story of Oasis can’t be told without some sort of reference to Blur and the media storm whipped up around both bands in August ’95. The iconic shot of Liam and Damon Albarn taking part in a charity six-a-side match a year later couldn’t look more engineered. Liam in three stripes and Damon sporting the form stripe of Puma must have been deliberate, referencing the historical rivalry between the two German brands founded by the Dassler brothers. Even the bucket vs beanie, short vs long depicts opposition. It’s an iconic vision of the era, and yet there’s arguably a more memorable example of Liam wearing sportswear on a football pitch.
When the band played Maine Road a month before the charity get-together in Mile End shown here, Liam sported that Umbro Cortex training top on stage. Though he certainly made that look his own at the time, it mirrored what loads of lads were wearing, as traditional sportswear retailers slowly shifted away from restringing badminton racquets and became fashion retailers.
Mod Liam
Fast-forward a few years and no doubt a few quid, Liam went through a spell experimenting with haircuts and neck scarves. It all went a bit mod. Not his best years by our reckoning but it coincided with him founding the Pretty Green brand, with its name taken from a song by The Jam, notable mod-revivalists. This is borderline Wellend territory, ruined not necessarily by Paul Weller or Liam Gallagher, more by the legions of Dads (seemingly always from Yorkshire) playing a game of dress up. Mod was founded on experimental values and rejecting tradition. Ironic that it has become so retro these days. Paisley and all that, fine if you like that sort of thing.
Corduroy Liam
Despite decamping to North London when the money began to roll in, Liam has always kept a special place in his heart for the Manchester cloth aka corduroy. His frequent trips to Oi Polloi when back in the city still had a huge influence on his wardrobe, which meant cord was a constant, as well as crepe, more of which later.
Dad Liam
We’re in a generation where age is a decreasing identifier for what you’re into, hence a 52 year old bloke influencing what teenagers wear. It wasn’t that long ago that the main thrust of any youth culture movement was to reject what their parents thought was correct, including clothing. Not really the same today is it? Naturally, when your Dad is Liam Gallagher you’re growing up with a unique mix of privilege and down to earth values. The wardrobe means you’re not a cardboard cutout rich kid, the privilege opens doors for you to work modelling clothing for brands like Burberry. Lads dressing like Dads has never been cooler.
Denim Liam
The Canadian Tuxedo is something only rock stars and Ralph Lauren can pull off. There’s always been a place in a men’s wardrobe for denim, including a good jacket. Though plenty try, wearing a big coat in summer isn’t practical, which is where a denim jacket comes in handy.
Suede Liam
Aside from a few notable exceptions, Liam’s feet have been adorned with a pretty consistent flow of suede and crepe combos down the years. His love for Clarks Originals is well-documented, culminating in his most recent collaboration, the Desert Rain. But it’s the adjacent Desert Apache that has been on his feet more often than not. Variations on the theme from other brands have also played cameo roles but it’s the Desert Rain which is clearly a favourite, leading to this new release.
Big Coat Liam
Arguably this is the one sartorial theme that has spanned LG’s entire life in the limelight. Whether it be a Berghaus Meru Gore-Tex number in 1996 or an Engineered Garments parka that looks like its made out of flowers, the foundations of wherever he lives these days must be creaking under the sheer weight of hooded outerwear. Whether it’s Stone Island, C.P. Company, Nigel Cabourn or the aforementioned EG, his love for a parka is well-documented. Along with that suede and crepe footwear, it’s quintessentially Liam.
