See the Many Blue Shirts of Phoenix’s Thomas Mars
Last weekend, if you turned on the TV around midnight, you caught a familiar sight: Thomas Mars, front man for Phoenix, standing on the Saturday Night Live stage in a button-down blue shirt. This sense of déjà vu follows Mars wherever he goes, because the French rocker pretty much only wears button-down blue shirts. If we didn’t know better, we would assume that Thomas Mars only owns, like, four shirts. Since you will be seeing plenty of Mars in the next few weeks — as Phoenix promotes its new album, Bankrupt!, out April 24 — here is a handy guide to the various sartorial choices you can expect. You’ll want to keep the shirts straight, of course.
A young Thomas Mars, still in search of a signature look. The color is good! The fit is ... well, is there anyone who could help you find a more grown...
A young Thomas Mars, still in search of a signature look. The color is good! The fit is ... well, is there anyone who could help you find a more grown-up shirt, Thomas Mars?
Photo: Lionel FLUSIN/Lionel FLUSIN/STILLS/GAMMA
Oh, yes, Sofia Coppola would know a thing or two about this.
Photo: TIZIANA FABI/2011 AFP
Here we are easing into the color palette with a gray-blue look ...
... and now we begin the Blue Button-Down Concert Era in earnest.
Photo: Kristian Dowling/2007 Getty Images
A very special occasion requires Very Special Blue shirts from all of the Phoenix members.
Look, it's a lucky shirt at this point. Roll with it.
Technically, that is a new blue shirt. Note the lack of pockets.
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/2009 Getty Images
That also seems like a new shirt. Brighter blue! (Or weirder lights.)
Photo: Bryan Bedder/2009 Getty Images
Dark Blue Siren Alert! That is a brand-new shirt!
Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/2010 Getty Images
Fancy blue, huh.
Photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/2010 AFP
Back to the trusty one-pocket. (Coachella is scary enough without trying a new shirt.)
Photo: Karl Walter/2010 Getty Images
Sometimes it is hard to do laundry on tour.
Photo: Karl Walter/2010 Getty Images
Aw, they traded.
Photo: Splash News/???? www.splashnews.com
Yeah, that trade didn't last too long.
Photo: XAVIER LEOTY/2010 AFP
Blue shirt + tux = He's French, it's allowed.
In Italy, the "something blue" is for the grooms.
Photo: ANDREA BALDO/2011 AFP
This color is called "Frazzled Dad Carrying a Scooter" blue.
Photo: Jose Perez / Splash News/???? www.splashnews.com
The band that wears blue together stays together.
The dark blue returns (because he wanted to match the drummer).
More dark blue. Is this gonna be a thing now? Do we all have to relearn how to recognize Thomas Mars?!
Photo: Neilson Barnard/2013 Getty Images
Oh, thank God.
Photo: C Flanigan/2013 C Flanigan