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Joe Jonas has come a long way from singing and acting alongside his fellow Jonas Brothers. The middle Jonas sibling’s dance-rock band DNCE took home the Best New Artist award at last year’s VMAs, for starters, and struck platinum three times over with its single “Cake by the Ocean.” Jonas is also the new face (and body) of Guess underwear — and let’s just say his campaign images are about as far away from Disney as it gets.
Throughout DNCE’s recent tour, which took the band from the US.to Australia to Tokyo, Jonas stood out on stage with his signature bold bomber jackets — he’s wearing a pink satin version the day we meet — and statement-making sneakers. Below, he shares why he prefers to shop solo, reminisces about his first pair of (very 2000s) designer sunglasses, and extols the virtues of boxer-briefs.
So Joe, how often do you shop?
A lot. I was literally shopping all day yesterday; New York is my favorite place to shop. I love Opening Ceremony. They have a great collection of really different, wacky clothes — not all of which I can wear, but some of the pieces are really great. VFiles, which is just down the street, is another one I really like. And Barneys as well. I like stores that carry a bunch of different brands.
I also love vintage clothing. I love finding old band T-shirts of the bands I grew up listening to, or old vintage jean jackets. I’ll wear them with some shoes that are maybe designer; I like to blend it.
Okay, let’s talk underwear. Are you a boxers or briefs guy?
I’ve actually always preferred boxer-briefs, ever since I was younger. They’re just really comfortable, especially Guess’s. And if you want me to get really descriptive, I’m always running around onstage, so I need something that’s, you know, flexible and breathable.
Do you remember your first big designer purchase?
It was these Louis Vuitton sunglasses that had logos all over them. I was probably 17 at the time — and I think this was probably the case for a lot of people at the time, but back then, you wanted to show off those logos!
I remember buying them, too. They were way too big for my head, but they were the most expensive glasses in the whole store, and I was just so proud to be able to afford them.
Obviously your style’s changed since then, but are you still a big Louis Vuitton fan?
Yeah! Kim Jones, the menswear designer at Louis Vuitton, does the most awesome collaborations. I love the animal collab he just did [with British artists Jake and Dinos Chapman].
Any shopping pet peeves?
When you’re shopping and the person keeps asking if you need help — or when they start showing you clothes before you’ve even asked. Personally, it really turns me off. Because I like to just browse by myself and not always buy something.
So would you rather just shop online?
I shop online for necessities, like underwear and accessories. Also, I travel so much that sometimes if my favorite brand comes out with something cool, like a collaboration, it’s sold out by the time I can make it to the store. So I’ll go online for that. Things like the hottest new sneakers, or cool collaborations like Louis Vuitton x Supreme. I still think it’s crazy that to our generation, it’s not abnormal to sit outside and wait for 24 hours to buy something like that!
So do you typically shop solo or with friends?
I kind of like shopping alone, walking around by myself. I’ll do that thing where I’ll find something I like, then go up to the top floor of the store and work my way down before I decide whether I really want to buy it. And I mean, when you’re shopping with a friend, you’re not going to want to buy the same stuff. You’re probably annoying them every time you’re like, “Hey, let me just go look at those shoes one more time…”
Who will you take fashion advice from?
There’s a stylist I work with, Avo, who’s actually with my brother Nick for Paris Fashion Week right now. His attention to detail is incredible. And I’ll take fashion tips from Nick, too. We have very different tastes, but I take his advice. And our bass player, Cole [Whittle] — he’s got the craziest sense of style, but a great eye, and he knows my taste.
Do you usually style yourself for your shows?
Typically, yeah. For the bigger stuff, I like to have help. But on tour, you want to feel comfortable. And usually, you get into a rhythm with what you want to wear. I usually ask a lot of people for second opinions, though!