How to Dress Like Donald Glover (a.k.a. Childish Gambino)

So you want to get that Donald Glover style, huh? I don’t blame you. The man knows how to dress himself!

Rapper, comedian, actor, writer and producer, Donald Glover, has great style. From laid back casual getups to bold and elegant formalwear, Glover always looks amazing.

He seems to care about his appearance, although he never looks like he’s trying too hard, and he’s certainly not afraid to wear bright colors or bold pieces.

We’re going to look some of Donald Glover’s outfits that best exemplify his personal style. Don’t feel the need to copy his looks exactly, but feel free to steal some inspiration.

For example, you’ll notice some themes with Glover’s style:

• Doesn’t wear ties
• Goes sockless (even with suits)
• Draws inspiration from 1970s
• Prefers wide peak lapels
• Loves Gucci loafers
• Loves Gucci formalwear
• Wears lots of silk, suede and velvet
• Uses monochromatic palette

You’ll see this stuff come up repeatedly in the outfit examples below. But first, who is Donald Glover?

Who Is Donald Glover?

At one point, Glover was best known for his role on the hit show, Community. He played Troy Barnes, a jock-turned-nerd and fan favorite for more than four seasons.

Before becoming a TV star, Donald put his NYU degree in Dramatic Writing to good work as a writer for NBC’s 30 Rock.

Comedy writing and acting seemed to come naturally to Glover, who in college was part of a YouTube sketch comedy group called Derrick Comedy (you might remember their viral hit, Bro Rape…).

When he wasn’t grinding away at NBC and making the occasional cameo on 30 Rock, Donald was working on mixtapes and producing electronic music under the stage name Childish Gambino.

Childish Gambino’s first musical hit was a song called “Freaks and Geeks” off the album EP. This was released as a free download alongside a music video that went on to win an MTV award and gather tens of millions of views on YouTube.

Gambino’s second studio album, Because the Internet, was a major success, debuting in the single digits on the Billboard 200. The single “3005” is one of my favorite CG songs (my favorite is probably “Sober”).

It turns out that Donald Glover was just getting started. Since releasing Because the Internet, he’s become an actual movie star, acting in blockbusters like Solo: A Star Wars Story, Spider-Man: Homecoming and The Martian.

He also produced and starred in the critically acclaimed FX show, Atlanta, and released Awaken, My Love, his Grammy-nominated third studio album and first certified platinum record.

Donald Glover is an example of what happens when you combine a wellspring of creativity with a crazy work ethic.

On top of all this, he still finds time to put together some stylish getups. Let’s have a look!

Donald Glover Height

If you’re below average height, you know that being shorter can make dressing well a bit more difficult. Oftentimes, clothes are too long, which requires an extra trip to the tailor.

That’s why I give Donald Glover extra points for his awesome style. Most internet sources put Glover at 5’8″ or 5’9″ (just below average height).

In reality, he’s probably 5’8″ tops, since everyone is Hollywood is shorter in real life than they are online.

I’m not saying that being 5’8″ makes it impossible to find stuff that fits off the rack, but I’m sure Glover runs into some of the problems that other shorter men do when trying to dress well (pants too long, etc.).

And, if I were a betting man, I’d wager that he has a very good tailor. He also has a world class stylist, Ilaria Urbinati.

Donald Glover Style

Most of DG’s outfits are simple, but not boring. His casual style is especially interesting because it’s not too flashy or perfect, but it somehow just oozes swagger.

You’ll often notice that he includes one super high end item, like Gucci loafers or sneakers, that most people probably don’t even recognize as expensive designer fashion.

Notice too how Glover doesn’t shy away from wearing shorts, and he likes his shorts to hit above the knee (sometimes several inches).

I really like his warmer weather style. He always looks comfy, like he’s not putting form over function. He definitely understands how shorts should fit.

Even when Donald dresses up a bit, he still keeps it simple and comfy. I think his smart casual style is very strong.

You’ll often find him wearing trousers with loafers (no socks) and light knitwear on top – a very comfortable, laid back look.

He also loves wearing jackets without a button up shirt underneath. For example, he’ll wear a rollneck or v-neck sweater instead.

When he does wear “dress shirts” he seems to prefer going tie-less (again, a conscious decision for comfort over formality). He also opts for silk shirts instead of the standard cotton button up.

Of course, celebrities attend a lot of formal events, and Donald doesn’t show up underdressed. His formalwear seems to fall into two categories: traditional or bold.

For example, when he wears a tuxedo, he often sticks to the classics:

His tuxes always fit really well, so he either has a great tailor or, more likely, goes bespoke.

Other times, he goes completely rogue with his formal looks, wearing suits that most guys couldn’t (or wouldn’t attempt to) pull off.

He’s kind of like Kevin Hart in this way.

But he seems totally comfortable in these bold getups. I think one thing that helps is his sort of laissez faire grooming routine. He doesn’t seem to fuss too much over his haircut or facial hair, which makes it look like he’s not trying too hard (which he doesn’t seem to be).

He also goes sockless regularly, maybe more often than not, even at black tie events.

Some would call this sacrilege, but I think it’s pretty cool, especially when the rest of his getup is flawlessly on point.

When your bespoke velvet dinner jacket and Gucci trousers fit perfectly, and your oversized bowtie is tied just right, you’re allowed to break the rules by leaving your socks at home.

Favorite Brands

Donald Glover is often seen wearing specific designer brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry.

He’s also been spotting wearing Band of Outsiders, a volatile brand that seems to attract short, stylish celebrities (like Aziz Ansari and Dave Franco).

I think he gravitates toward brands that make statement pieces with 1970s vibes, like v-neck sweater polos, velvet jackets with wide peak lapels and brightly colored loafers.

He definitely pulls off that retro look with a sense of ease that most men can’t muster. Maybe he’s just an old soul?

The one brand he wears more than any other is Gucci. Sometimes it’s just a pair of yellow loafers, like the ones he wore in the This Is America music video.

And sometimes it’s head-to-toe Italian luxury.

He seems to love Gucci more than any other brand (or at least his stylist, Ilaria Urbinati, does) and he often trusts the designer label to make sure he looks great for formal, press worthy events.

Consistent Personal Style

I think Donald Glover is a really good example of someone who enjoys clothing as a creative outlet and has spent some time developing his own personal style.

He might wear straight cut cotton trousers with a tucked in polo one day, then an orange suit with wide peak lapels and an open silk shirt.

But if you look closely, all of his looks embody the same sort of laid back, bold, retro, tailored vibe. Maybe it’s the little details – the absence of a necktie and socks, the presence of velvet in the jacket or shoes, a monochromatic palette.

Whatever it is, I really admire Glover’s style and commend him for getting it right so often, regardless of whether he’s dressing up or down.