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Robin Williams is being rediscovered as a fashion icon who was 'ahead of his time' by fans

"I love his self expression through these outfits."

Images via Reddit/Classic-Carpet7609

Actor Robin Williams is being hailed as a fashion icon by fans.

Robin Williams was not just an amazing actor and comedian—he was also a fashion icon. Williams, who passed away on August 11, 2014, has recently been recognized by fans from all generations for his unique personal style that often went unrecognized.

On Reddit on several fashion subforums, Williams is being celebrated for his sartorial style during his long career. "Had no idea Robin Williams had so much drip," member Classic-Carpet7609 shared in one forum, expressing their admiration for his style that ranged from streetwear to couture.

"Robin Williams was a huge weeb when it came to fashion, like several years ahead of other western celebrities like rappers, etc when it came to wearing a lot of Japanese labels," one member commented. Another added, "It was news to me too until a couple years ago when I saw that photo of him in the Issey Miyake bomber jacket. I was like daaaaamn he’s like cool cool."

Fans also are pointing out that Williams was well-versed in fashion brands. He also wore Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen, BAPE, Visvim, Acronym, and Mishka, per British GQ.

His taste in fashion wasn't only elevated, but also functional, and Williams could pull it all off. "I love how versatile, comfortable and confident his looks are. You couldn’t box the man in and I really appreciate that now as an adult," another commented. "A style icon ahead of his time," another wrote. Another quipped, "Wtf multiple of these fits you could see someone walking down the street today."

However, at the time Williams' style was not making best-dressed lists. "He was RIDICULED at the time for his dress sense. Seriously. On every ‘worst dressed ‘ list constantly," one commented. Regardless, it was his confidence that continues to stand out with his fashion choices. "I think it must be the confidence. For a dude who was known to be plagued with self-doubt, you would never know it looking at him. He always looks supremely confident in himself and so when he wears, for example, a matador jacket, he pulls it off instead of looking just silly," another added.

Many fans pointed out that his sometimes outlandish fashion choices had a deeper meaning. "He was more into making statements with his fashion than he was into 'looking good'." Another wrote, "I really like his more flamboyant looks." While another fan noted, "Na honestly that's wild. He's wavy."

@therealprofessorx

Robin was so ahead of the curve #greenscreen #fyp #fypシ #robinwilliams #stylebreakdown #fitspo #inspo #mensfashion #fashion #style

Although Williams' personal style may not have been understood by others, today his boldness is being recognized. "But seriously, I somehow was not aware that he gave so much thought to his looks, and they very much reflect who he is," one fan commented. Another agreed, saying, "I did not realize until now how good of a dresser he was, wow!" One more confirmed, "So ahead of the curve!"

Most of all, Williams' fans are most in awe of his style's authenticity. "There’s a purity and realness about him that is primal. I love his self expression through these outfits," said one. Another summed it all up wonderfully, writing, "His personality was brighter than any shirt."

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People are sharing their personal encounters with Robin Williams to honor his birthday

A tribute from Williams' son prompted heartwarming anecdotes from everyday people who met the iconic comedian.

Photo credits: ABC and Eva Rinaldi

Robin Williams' son Zak shared a tribute on social media on what would have been his dad's 73rd birthday.

Few entertainers have enjoyed as much broad appeal and admiration as comedian Robin Williams, but people's love for him is not just for his performances. Williams was a talented comedian and an actor with a surprisingly wide range, but by all accounts he was also a delightful and caring human being.

Williams would have been 73 years old on July 21, 2024. His son Zak shared a touching tribute to his father on social media, which prompted everyday people to share their personal anecdotes of their encounters with him.

"Dad, on what would be your 73rd birthday, I remember you for all the hope and joy you brought to the world," Zak Williams wrote. "There's not a week that goes by without someone sharing with me how you helped them through a dark time or a rough patch. I'm so grateful to be your son. Love you forever."

As the stories poured in, it became clearer and clearer how much the world lost with Robin Williams' passing in 2014. Here are some highlights:

"I passed your dad carrying you one day on a sidewalk in SF - you looked to be around 2. You were both talking to each other in made-up language and you were really holding your own. Your dad caught me watching and as you passed me by, he tipped his head towards you and beamed the most incredible loving smile - he thought you were something else." – malloryvk

"Jumanji was filmed in my hometown (Keene, NH) when my mom was working at a local restaurant - Robin Williams stopped in and my mother was his waitress. She took his order as she was trained to - 'hello my name is Robin, what can I get for you today?' - he ordered a burger and tipped $100, 'from one Robin to another.'" – emmatshibambi

"Every Christmas, your Dad would visit the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at UCSF. He would visit every child who was able to have a visitor and all of the exhausted and terrified parents. Your dad’s goodness and love were felt by everyone there." – kennandlisa

"Many, many years ago, I worked at Harrods in Knightsbridge. I was working the Caralina Herrera sunglasses counter one day and Robin Williams came up and asked directions to the Sports department. I tried to play it cool as I took in the laughter lines of his face, the twinkle in his eyes, the kindness of his soul. I needed to remember this moment forever. And I do! (And I often wonder if he found the sports department straight away, as I'm pretty sure I told him in my true awkwardness to turn right instead of left at the top of the escalator. Sorry Robin) A forever memory and much love and appreciation for the human that you were. ❤️" – ilovekerry.2

"In the early 2000’s, my mom spotted Mr. Williams by himself sight-seeing in downtown Toronto. She was so excited as she was a huge fan, and approached him. She later told me how he radiated warmth, his blue eyes sparkling, and was even kind enough to sign an autograph. Though my mom is now in Heaven too, I still cherish this memory (and the autograph + pen he used!) 🙌" – foxy_the_squirrel

"I watched your dad since Mork & Mindy & had a casual conversation with him at the Apple Store in NYC but I did not tell him I knew it was him. I wanted him to enjoy his shopping without getting hit by millions of people. He had a thick beard but I saw his BRIGHT CLEAR BLUE EYES. Absolutely unmistakable & one of a kind, not just his eyes but his heart." – InventorBLADES

"I can’t even tell you the impact he had on my life… I went through a horrible violent crime as a teen and spent years hiding it, that decision created great mental anguish and Robin saved my life. I can’t explain the details, but he was an angel on earth and he had a way to speak to hearts with his one of kind spontaneous comedy and I am forever thankful for the gift of him in my journey." – wenbernacky

"I mean this in a very literal sense—no other famous persons passing has ever hit me, but his… it’s almost as if I had personally known him and he had been there to comfort me during hard times. Those types of souls are magic in human form." – iamchief_chris

Some may not know that Robin Williams also advocated for homeless people in Congress, with his signature compassion and even some comedy thrown in. Watch:

And for more of Robin Williams in real life, check out his "Inside the Actor's Studio" interview with James Lipton, which apparently gave one of the audience members a hernia from laughing so hard.

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This viral TED Talk about being a 'real man' still holds up today

It's still a struggle to go from not being "man enough" to knowing that you are enough.

Warner Bros Pictures/Youtube, TED/Youtube

You are KENough

If you haven't heard actor Justin Baldoni's name, you at least probably recognize him.

Best known for his role as Rafael on "Jane the Virgin," Baldoni is the epitome of Hollywood's "tall, dark, and handsome" stereotype. He is every bad boy with a sinister past. Every womanizing billionaire. Every domineering playboy.

In a talk at TEDWomen 2017, Baldoni joked about the string of characters he's been typecast as (most of them appear shirtless a good majority of the time).

"Most of the men I play ooze machismo, charisma, and power," he said. "And when I look in the mirror, that's just not how I see myself."

Baldoni came to realize that it wasn't just on-screen that he was pretending. In his everyday life, he found himself trying to conform to society's masculine ideal as well, and it all felt like a lie.

"I've been pretending to be strong when I felt weak. Confident when I felt insecure. And tough when really I was hurting," he explained.

The past few years have been a journey for Baldoni, who has set out to redefine for himself what "being a man" is really all about. In his TED Talk, he shared three major realizations he had along the way.

1. "Real men" make themselves vulnerable — not just with women, but with other men too.

Baldoni's early attempts at being more open about his emotions publicly on social media went great — until he realized almost all of his followers were women. Opening up to his fellow men was another challenge altogether.

"If it's about work or sports or politics or women, [men] have no problem sharing our opinions," he observed. "But if it's about our insecurities, our struggles, our fear of failure, it's almost like we become paralyzed."

He recalled recently wanting to talk to his guy friends about a serious issue in his life and needing almost the entirety of a three-day guys trip to work up the courage to do it. Once he did, however, he found many of his buddies were eager to share with him, too.

"My display of vulnerability can, in some cases, give other men permission to do the same," he realized.

(If only there were a TEDMen Baldoni could have given this talk at.)

2. "Real men" hold other men, and themselves, accountable.

As he began to engage more with other men, Baldoni started to become even more aware of toxic male behavior around him. It was everywhere.

He recalls an Instagram comment someone left on a photo of him and his wife. The random male commenter called the photo "gay shit."

So Baldoni decided to message him.

"I said, very politely, 'I'm just curious, because I'm on an exploration of masculinity, and I wanted to know why my love for my wife qualified as gay shit,'" he remembered.

To his surprise, the man responded thoughtfully about how his own displays of affection had been mocked as a child, and he apologized for lashing out.

"Secretly he was waiting for permission to express himself," Baldoni said. "And all he needed was another man holding him accountable and creating a safe place for him to feel. The transformation was instant."

3. "Real men" embrace the good aspects of traditional masculinity — with a twist.

Not everything traditionally associated with manliness is bad. Strength, bravery, and confidence are great things to aspire to (regardless of one's gender). But Baldoni urges men to think deeply about what those qualities really mean in practice and whether, perhaps, there's not a different way to think about spending their energy trying to achieve them.

"Are you brave enough ... to be vulnerable?" he asked. "Are you strong enough to be sensitive? ... Are you confident enough to listen to the women in your life? ... Will you be man enough to stand up to other men when you hear 'locker room talk'?"

Near the end of his talk, Baldoni acknowledges an important point: As bad as the "performance of masculinity" is for men, these rigid gender roles can be far worse for women.

He bemoaned that there wasn't even enough time to get into issues like the gender pay gap, division of household labor, and violence against women — all issues created and upheld by the toxic male behavior Baldoni's fighting against.

"The deeper we get into this, the uglier it gets," he said.

He challenged the men watching and listening to demand better of themselves and those around them.

"If we want to be part of the solution, words are no longer enough," Baldoni said.

This article originally appeared on 12.08.17

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After being frustrated by Hollywood's portrayal of Asians, one woman took action.

'If you want to flip the script, sometimes you gotta do it yourself.'

Do you ever watch a movie and think, "Hey, that person looks just me"? Unfortunately, that rarely happens for this woman.

Meet Michelle Villemaire. She's an Asian-American Do-It-Yourself project guru living in Los Angeles. And don't let her friendly smile fool you — she's actually kinda annoyed right now.

Villemaire is not a happy camper. Photo from Michelle Villemaire, used with permission.

For as long as she can remember, Villemaire has wanted to be a television personality.

But for most of her life, she figured she didn't have a shot because there was hardly anyone on the big (or small) screen who resembled her.

Throughout history, and even today, many Asian characters are played by non-Asians. Villemaire calls it yellowface, and she doesn't mince words when it comes to how she feels about it.

"The practice of yellowface is just plain racist and disgusting," Villemaire said. "It has to stop."

That's why she decided to take on her most unique DIY project to date: calling out Hollywood's yellowface problem in epic fashion.

First, she found examples of white people portraying Asian characters in movies. Then she inserted photos of herself next to them to show the world that Asians can be amazing in the roles that were meant for them.

She called the project "Correcting Yellowface."

"I wanted to feel like I was a part of Hollywood history, if only for a moment," Villemaire said. "I didn't know if the results would look right, but apparently they did."

Check out four stunning examples of Villemaire depicting Asian characters. She appears on the right in all of the photo sets:

1. Luise Rainer playing the wife of a Chinese farmer in the 1937 movie "The Good Earth."

Photos provided by Michelle Villemaire and used with permission.

2. Myrna Loy as the Chinese daughter of Fu Manchu in the 1932 movie "The Mask of Fu Manchu."

3. Katharine Hepburn playing (you guessed it) a Chinese woman in the 1944 movie "Dragon Seed."

4. Yep, it happens in present-day movies, too. Emma Stone played a half-Asian woman in the 2015 movie "Aloha."

Photo by Matt Dusig, used with permission.

But that's not all. Villemaire has even more examples on her website.

Villemaire says the response to her work has been largely positive.

"There really has only been love and support," she said. "It just shows there's a collective desire for this."

Ultimately, her goal is to use her project to inspire the Asian community to never give up on their Hollywood dreams.

"One woman told me that she felt healed after seeing my photos," she said, beaming. "My heart is still fluttering because of that."

Breaking into showbiz is no joke, and Villemaire knows it can be harder if you're a person of color.

"But if you want to flip the script, sometimes you gotta do it yourself," she said.

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