With the success of Rothaniel and release of his directorial debut, Jerrod was everywhere promoting his work, and he wore many intriguing clothes and accessories as he began to embrace his role as a modern gay icon.
While Jerrod has been donning all kinds of fascinating ensembles and accessories, there are four major elements of his current wardrobe that play with and subvert queer and Black stereotypes: the Afro pick, his R brooch, patterns, and his loafers.
Let's dive in!
1. The Afro pick
This quintessential Black hair accessory has been associated with Black pop culture icons since the '70s, and Questlove has rocked one for years!
The creator of the Afro pick also recently passed away in June, and there's even an amazing sculpture of such a hair pick in New Orleans.
Anyway, Jerrod started wearing one in May, and his first public appearance with an Afro pick was at the Netflix comedian brunch.
Here's a photo of him looking dapper with Tig Notaro and Jimmy Carr at that May event.
Speaking of Jimmy Carr, he wrote a glowing review of Rothaniel on Twitter!
I watched Jerrod Carmichaels
@RothanielJerrod
Rothaniel & I was blow away. His special makes me want to be a better comic. It’s on Sky in the UK, HBO in the states. People will tell you it’s brave & honest & fearless - & it is. But it’s also funny.
After that brunch, almost every photo shoot or interview that involved Jerrod included him with an Afro pick.
And this LA Times article is a great read on his relationship with Bo, whom he describes as looking "for truth in his work and within himself and it can’t be said enough that he’s a genius."
The article also features multiple shots of Jerrod with his Afro pick, including one photo with Bo on FaceTime!
2. The R brooch
In addition to his now-ubiquitous hair accessory, Jerrod has been wearing a gold brooch with the letter "R" for Rothaniel in interviews and photos.
The story behind the namesake brooch (as told in this Rolling Stone interview) is lovely:
Tall and slender, he’s wearing a black cashmere sweater, matching pants, loafers, an Afro pick, and an outsize smile. And then there’s the brooch: Stunning gold. Cursive font. The letter R.
“I love it so much,” Carmichael says, gazing down to admire the pin. It was a gift from a friend a few weeks ago, for Carmichael’s 35th birthday. Ever since, he’s been “building outfits around it.”
The R is a beautiful piece of jewelry, to be sure. But it’s much more than a sartorial statement piece. It represents a rebirth for the comedian.
You can also see the Afro pick and brooch during Jerrod's interview with Jimmy Kimmel in May before the digital release of his excellent film On the Count of Three.
During that particular interview, Jerrod once again starts with a heavier layer (a denim shirt) and then removes it to demonstrate his vulnerability and honesty.
3. Patterns
And what's under that denim shirt plays into the next topic—patterns, particularly flowers, animal prints, and flames.
These would all be considered queer-coded for men, and Jerrod appears to be embracing and subverting those expectations.
One example is Jerrod's flame jacket (perhaps a play on "flaming" gay men?).
He's worn that jacket while being interviewed on Ellen and in public.
Another outfit Jerrod wore recently is an animal print sweater vest on Desus & Mero (with a lollipop like on SNL and in On the Count of Three!).
Finally, in addition to the roses shirt he wore on Kimmel, Jerrod has been photographed with flowers, including in his promotional materials for Rothaniel and a GQ photoshoot.
4. Shoes
Jerrod appears to have traded in his beloved Timbs and Nikes for loafers and white socks (perhaps a play on the expression "light in the loafers"?).
For context, here is a video of him shopping for sneakers in 2017.
But starting with Rothaniel...
and continuing into the present, we can see him wearing loafers and white socks in almost all of his interviews (I wonder if the socks are Gold Toe ones like Socko lol).
There's even a roast video of him defending his choice of footwear to the Hot 97 Lobby Boyz!
I hope that you've enjoyed this deep-dive thread about Jerrod and his clothing choices of the past few months.
Here's hoping his Emmy ensembles (2 nominations—yay!) in September are just as fabulous! [Ed. note: his iconic fur coat certainly met my expectations and then some!]
For more on Jerrod's clothing, please click here for the full list of deep dives.
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