One Direction style transformation: Who's the most fashionable 1D member?

From band merch to Gucci campaigns, the boyband are key players among the new fash pack
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Kimberley Bond23 July 2020

It’s been a whole ten years since One Direction were first formed, with the quintet emerging from The X Factor as one of the most influential bands of the decade.

But it’s not only their playful brand of bubblegum pop that put boybands back in vogue again, with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson each finding their own unique sense of style that distinguished them within the five-piece.

From baggy jeans and waistcoats to intricate and ornate floral suits, here’s the full style transformation for One Direction.

Niall Horan

A baby-faced Niall has seen his style mature
ITV

Introducing himself as the Justin Bieber of Ireland during his first X Factor audition in 2010, then 16-year-old Horan very much modelled himself after the Canadian superstar with a huge sweeping front fringe and checkered shirt

He's ditched the Bieber hair for a more grown-up look
Getty Images

Fast forward 10 years and Horan has matured out of his boyish bright blonde haircut of his youth for a darker, more sophisticated ‘do, and eschewing his Jack Wills-branded tees for smarter, patterned shirts that reflected his new folksy-sounding material. It’s not the most drastic transformation out of the One Direction boys, but he’s certainly had a wardrobe glow-up.

Louis Tomlinson

One Direction's Louis Tomlinson - In pictures

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The 18-year-old seemed to channel pop-punk legend when he rocked up for his first audition ten years ago; his cream cardigan, white shirt and black tie, paired with his emo side fringe was all a bit Blink 182 for us.

Since then, Tomlinson has styled himself in a more elegant but still grungy way, wearing Burberry check shirts, polo shirts and bomber jackets as he nails low-effort cool and chic look.

Liam Payne

Cheryl and Liam Payne - In pictures

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Another One Direction star who got #hairspo from Justin Bieber, Liam Payne ditched the Buble-esque waistcoat from his 2008 first audition for a stripped back blank canvas of a plain white tee and jeans.

While he was one of the formally dressed members of 1D, the release of his solo material in 2017 and his more urban, R&B sound saw Payne’s dress sense become a little more street, seeing the Strip That Down singer wear hoodies, letterman jackets and gold chains.

Zayn Malik

Zayn Malik - style file

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The shyest member of One Direction had the most teenage fashion sense when the band first launched in 2010 – with printed t-shirts, scarves, hoodies and ear tunnels all regular part of his normal look as a 17-year-old.

However, as Malik’s confidence has grown (and as one-half as one of fashion’s biggest power-couples alongside Gigi Hadid, with the pair even landing a Vogue cover), his fashion sense has become more daring. Often experimenting with his hair (from buzzcuts, to a blonde quiff, to green streaks), grungy Malik comes only second to Harry Styles with some of his outfit choices – often choosing bright multicoloured ensembles and soft pastel-coloured suits when hitting red carpets.

Harry Styles

Harry Styles stars in Gucci’s Pre-Fall 2019 Men’s Tailoring Campaign

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Was there every really any doubt that Harry would top this list? Style by name, style by nature, Styles has gone from soft, boyish charm to boundary-breaking, enveloping-pushing fashion choices that earmark him as a true fashion icon.

Once favouring Jack Wills and Superdry hoodies and simple suits as a 16-year-old, Styles has often grown out his sweet ringlet hair to shoulder-length grungy locks, paired with outfits that could have come straight from the glam rock era - printed satin flares, increasingly stacked heels, fluorescent suits, rings, necklaces and earrings.

His eccentric style saw him picked as the face of Gucci in 2018, and he was made co-host of fashion’s most famous party, the Met Gala, later that year.