Sufjan Stevens will perform at the Oscars, playing his Oscar nominated song “Mystery of Love” from “Call Me By Your Name,” showing the world his achingly gorgeous, multi-instrumental, indie folk sound. Though he is considered a long shot for an Academy Award, his biggest win could be in joining the likes of Björk if he arrives in an outlandish Oscar outfit. Stevens, known for his garish garb, told TheWrap’s Steve Pond that he’ll be renting a tuxedo for Oscar night. But can we believe him? After all, this is a guy whose stage presence ranges from dressed down slacker to enough flashy neon to make The Flaming Lips look modest. So, what should Sufjan wear on Sunday? We have some ideas.
Baseball Hats
You know what would look good with a Gucci tux? One of Sufjan’s incredibly crumpled and worn out baseball or trucker hats. Which do you think would match better? This green one with the “I didn’t realize it could fold up that high” bill underneath a hoodie or this floppy yellow one a child might wear underneath a New York Knicks beanie. It is a special occasion. Maybe he should wear two.
Wings
An elegant pair of colorful wings could give Bjork a run for her money in terms of all-time bananas Oscar outfits. Stevens has put himself and his band in some form of winged appendages for over a decade, explaining before an Austin City Limits performance that it was to help him get over his fear of “flying things.”
Angel Wings
While Sufjan was wearing a set of simpler hawk wings back for the tour of his 2005 classic album “Illinois,” we may prefer the angel wings he’s worn in more recent years, which are specifically modeled off the ones Victoria’s Secret angels wear.
Classy Look
When all else fails, put Stevens in a simple-yet-classy button down with a tie, like this look from a performance at Tibet House in 2006. It’s dressed up enough for the red carpet and casual enough for an intimate guitar performance.
Dressed Down Sweater or T-Shirt with Writing
If Dave Grohl can pull off a black t-shirt at every awards show he attends, Sufjan should have permission to crib something from Armie Hammer’s closet and show off his sweater game. He wore this dope, wintery The Roots sweater back in 2014 at a holiday benefit concert at the Beacon Theatre, and we approve any ironically unusual branding or boyish writing on whatever he ends up wearing.
Neon Rave Outfit
Stevens might’ve confused Jimmy Fallon when he literally brought “Too Much” to “Late Night,” a track from Stevens’s experimental album “The Age of Adz.” He’s combined neon green bracelets and glittering arm bands with a childhood summer camp vibe to fit the mood of his electronic freakouts. Can we get Meryl Streep wearing the same light-up headbands and fish nets that Stevens’ band might inevitably wear?
Whatever this foil looking thing is
Sufjan went all out for his performance at Panorama Fest back in 2016, donning more metallic streamers and disco ball-studded pants than you would think could fit onto a single piece of clothing, all before climbing a giant metal ladder as a grand finale. That he can do all of this while singing songs about childhood, spirituality, alcoholism and his mother’s death is part of Stevens’ magic.
