40 Photos That Prove Sylvester Stallone Is the Ultimate Style Icon

Before Michael B Jordan shocked us in a leather harness, Shawn Mendes dared to bare in sheer shirting, and Jason Momoa committed to think pink, Sylvester Stallone broke all the red carpet rules, opting for bold modern style over the traditional garb worn by Hollywood’s leading men. Like any Stallone film, his style was far from boring. Standout gold accessories, unconventional textural mash ups, lots o’ skin, and seriously fresh kicks—the Rambo star could, and did, wear it all. Stallone even mastered casual layering equations in a time where men couldn’t have been more confused about how to dress themselves outside of the standard penguin suit. Stallone’s unapologetic bravado and calm-and-cool exterior made the perfection combination for him to become a style icon of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Today, every male celebrity has a stylist to shape their style and provide direction for their red carpet ensembles, but not Stallone. The Rocky actor’s display of authenticity was inspiring and admirable. So maybe you didn’t share his same taste for out-there fashions of the time, but you still had to respect the man. Even one of the most influential fashion designers of the time, Gianni Versace, took notice and booked Stallone to star in a campaign opposite supermodel Claudia Schiffer in ’95.

Looking back at Stallone’s style evolution throughout the years, it’s easy to see how The Italian Stallion’s style flexes could have inspired today’s menswear style stars. Even for the average Joe, there’s plenty to take away from Stallone’s style moves. To highlight Sly's impressive red carpet looks, here are 40 images of Sylvester Stallone’s style evolution from the ‘70s to today. Take notes, guys.