9 secrets behind the legendary Michael Jackson’s performance costumes: It seems strange but they all have a purpose, number 3 is guaranteed to surprise you

Michael Jackson during his lifetime was an extremely meticulous person in choosing outfits. Each outfit he brings on stage has its own purpose, and makes viewers extremely curious.

The late artist Michael Jackson is still considered a monument in the entertainment industry, a legend, and a “King of Pop”.

But there is one thing that few people know, that is that during his heyday, Michael Jackson was very picky about choosing outfits, because he always wanted to stand out on stage. That’s why his outfit has a lot of strange, even… weird details, but they all have a purpose behind them.

1. Outfits “get smaller” towards the end of the show

Throughout his career, Michael Jackson left a “legacy” of countless extremely impressive dance performances. But what few people know is that his dances require a lot of movements, and of course are very tiring. They are so labor-intensive that, according to the costume manager, at the end of each show Michael Jackson can lose up to 2kg (mainly water), while his waist also reduces by more than 2cm.

And because he is a very meticulous person, each outfit needs to fit perfectly, so the costume sizes for each performance will gradually decrease in order.

2. Magic shoes

One of Michael Jackson’s most famous dance moves is his “gravity-defying” forward lean in Smooth Criminal. But he can’t do that naturally, he needs a support tool, and it’s in the heel of his shoe.

Michael Jackson’s shoe heel is designed in a V shape, to hook onto a nail installed on the stage. It allows him to lean forward at a 45-degree angle without falling. But in general, in order for his performance to be smooth with his body kept straight, he also had to practice a lot of leg strength.

3. Only wear 1 glove

Previously, there were rumors that Michael Jackson injected chemicals to whiten his skin. But in fact, he suffered from vitiligo – a disease that causes the skin to gradually lose pigment.

It initially appeared on one hand, and he wanted to wear gloves to cover it. However, wearing two gloves was… too trivial, so he decided to only wear one.

4. The armband on every jacket

The reason is also very simple: Michael Jackson wanted his outfit to be different from the rest, and having an armband supported that desire. In addition, he also wants fans to be curious about the use of the bandage, even though there is no truth behind it.

5. The mystery of the three numbers “7”

Many of Michael Jackson’s outfits have a stylized logo embroidered on the three numbers 7 (777), and there is a meaning behind that number.

First, he is the 7th child in the family. Second, he was born in 1958, and if you add 19 to 58, the result will be 77.

6. Never shine shoes

One time, the manager noticed that Michael Jackson’s shoes were too old, and asked the wardrobe staff to polish them. But unexpectedly, this made the King of Pop angry.

Michael explained that he needed the shoes to be worn and not polished, because they easily caused slipping while performing choreography on stage.

7. Always wear white socks

There is a basic fashion rule: no one wears black leather shoes with white socks. But Michael Jackson liked it that way, because the white color of the socks would catch the light, attracting the audience’s attention to his feet with each step.

8. Wrap a white bandage on your finger

Michael Jackson’s choreography focuses quite heavily on hand movements. So, he decided to wrap some white bandage around his finger to absorb more light. Furthermore, Michael Jackson only wrapped bandages on exactly 3 fingers: index finger, ring finger and little finger. The reason is because… he likes it, because fans are curious anyway.

Furthermore, every time he danced, he unconsciously pressed his two untaped fingers together. This made fans even more curious, thinking that it must be a sign with some secret meaning that he refused to reveal.

9. The mystery of the 3 letters CTE

In the 90s, Michael Jackson caused curiosity because of the three letters “CTE” printed on the shoulder of his shirt during a public appearance. And you know what, they… don’t make any sense.

The story is that the designers made a few new shirts for him, but he wanted a few more letters on the shoulders. He said it didn’t matter what it was, it just needed words, so the designers decided to let him draw lots. And so CTE was born!