Glam Slam: Michael Jackson's Greatest Style Hits

Michael's style was flashy from the beginning, but in his later years it had become a cartoonish caricature of itself… an excess of over-the-top embellishment. So today, I "Remember the Time" before the face masks, before the arm casts, before the knee pads, before the pajamas in court.

Back in the day, Michael Jackson was a real trendsetter, who had fans copying his signature style and here are my five favorite MJ looks:

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Michael Jackson: The King Of Pop

1. MOTOWN 25TH
Everyone talks about Michael's moonwalk on the 1983 "Motown 25th Anniversary Special", but it was also his style that was utter pop star perfection. Black fedora, black sequined jacket. Jackson's signature style short pants were cropped to reveal sequined socks and black loafers. Of course, don't forget about the most famous Jackson accessory of them all - the sequined white glove. He never looked better - mesmerizing to watch.

2. BEAT IT
Awww… That red leather jacket! How very 1983! I remember people obsessing over that jacket and I had a very pitiful vinyl version of it. The bright turquoise 80s print t-shirt he wore is back in style more than 25 years later. Again, he wore pegged leg black pants and yep - his signature socks and loafers combo.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Michael Jackson: The Life Of An Icon

3. BILLY JEAN
Only Michael Jackson could pull off a leather tux! He mixed things up by pairing it with a conservative pink button-down and bowtie. He wore "high water" pants and this time he swapped out his loafers for spiffy spectator shoes. In lesser hands this look could have screamed "geek", but Michael owned it, just owned it! And made it cool.

4. SMOOTH CRIMINAL
His white suit and matching white fedora with black trim in the 1987 video where he sings and dances in a 1930s style nightclub is pretty classic and timeless. It's very understated (for Michael), but he must have liked the look, because five years earlier he wore a white suit on the cover of "Thriller."

5. MILITARY MICHAEL
It was a look he would go back to time and time again. There are photos of him in military gear from the late 70s to the 80s with Bubbles the chimp and as recently as a few weeks before his death, he was photographed in a military style jacket from the Givenchy Women's A/W 2007 collection. He really nailed the look though at the 1993 Super Bowl XXVII performing in a perfectly fitted black outfit with gold accents.

Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Michael Jackson & His Superstar Friends
PLAY IT NOW: Madonna Pays Tribute To Michael Jackson In London (July 4, 2009)
PLAY IT NOW: Access Exclusive: Backstage At Michael Jackson's 45th Birthday Celebration (August 30, 2003)

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