Bon Jovi: A Sartorial Salute

By Chris Frey
February 16, 2011

I’m pretty sure that I’m not alone in my admission that while surfing the radio I have, on occasion, found myself singing along—at full volume, air guitar in-hand—with Bon Jovi as they howl “WANNTEEEEEEED….dead or alive.” The song of the same name has become a sort of Bon Jovi National Anthem for the band and its legions of fans, but it’s merely a drop in the group's hit-making bucket. Whether a power ballad or a hard rock epic, Jon Bon Jovi’s songs deliver hook-filled magic that, for decades, has taken them repeatedly to number #1 on the Billboard charts across the globe and at home. Jon Bon Jovi performs at the Starland Ballroom on January 27, 2011 (Photo by John W. Ferguson/Getty Images)

Bon Jovi has sold over 130 million albums worldwide; their songs are part of our national soundtrack—what's a wedding without "Livin' on a Prayer" or a karaoke session without "I'll Be There For You"? The band's newest album, Bon Jovi Greatest Hits—The Ultimate Collection, features these hits and 14 more, and is the reason for The Circle Tour, a tour that began last week and will take the band around the the U.S. and Europe, performing in sure-to-be sold out venues from Atlanta to Athens.

Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora perform on stage at Patterson's Stadium on December 8, 2010 (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and their band call New Jersey home when they aren’t on the road, and fans love the band’s hometown pride. (There's even an album called New Jersey.) If there were a rock 'n roll handbook, it would surely require that bands fulfill their quota of raunchy, stadium-size crowd pleasers, and Bon Jovi has certainly had its share over the past 25 years. Yet, the majority of the band's lyrics could fill a self-help manual chock full of inspiration for the working man and the broken-hearted.

In the words of Led Zeppelin, the song remains the same. But Bon Jovi's style has evolved, at least by rock standards: stone washed vests were upgraded to leather and suede vests, leopard leggings and neon neckerchiefs gave way to dark denim styles and tattoos and the big '80s glam hair has gotten significantly smaller (Jon Bon Jovi made CNN headlines in the early 90’s when he cut his.) These days, Bon Jovi's style is a New Jersey gentlemen’s hybrid of cowboy, biker and hard rocking dad. Occasionally, the boys—as their nearly 9 million Facebook fans sometimes refer to them—even don suits and ties, but more often, you’ll see them well-groomed and looking fit in American rock 'n roll classics: denim and leather accessorized with sterling silver pendants, buckles and studs.

Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi performs at Westpac Stadium on December 4, 2010 (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

On eBay, the search keyword "Bon Jovi" reveals over 15,000 results—concert tickets, t-shirts (including some great collectibles), music, DVDs, signed memorabilia and even baby onesies emblazones with the band's logo.

While the Spring 2011 runway fashion shows were overtly feminine, there was a distinct rock undercurrent in many collections, including Balmain, Isabel Marant and Burberry. We can’t resist an opportunity to indulge.

isabel marant, balmain, burberry prorsum

Rocker Chic: Isabel Marant Spring 2011 (Photo by Nathalie Lagneau/Catwalking/Getty Images); Balmain Spring 2011 (Photo by Chris Moore/Catwalking/Getty Images); Burberry Prorsum (Photo by Chris Moore/Catwalking/Getty Images)