MJJ Tribute website - MJ up close & personal

Many fans wonder, what did Michael smell like? What brand schoes did he wear and what was his shoe size? How do you recognize if a hat once did belong to Michael? Who made his iconic stage and off stage clothing? How tall was Michael? Here we will give you answers and share facts about Michael's personal life.

ID

According to Michael's official California 1983 drivers licence (click on the pic for larger file) Michael is 5,9" tall (175 cm), he has black hair an brown eyes. At that time he weighted 120 pounds (54,4 kg).

Glove

The single sequined glove itself was already Michael Jackson's most famous trademark. He famously wore it during his performance of "Billie Jean" and on the Motown 25 TV special in 1983. Michael Jackson's iconic single glove began as a practical camouflage for vitiligo, a skin condition causing the loss of pigment in patches. Rather than hiding it, he turned the personal struggle into a striking fashion statement and visual tool to accentuate his iconic dance moves

Michael first wore a single glove on his hand during the 1979 Destiny Tour, predating his massive solo success. He later told interviewers that he wore only one glove because "wearing two gloves seemed so ordinary" and made the look more of a "mystery." The glove wasn't just any accessory; it was handcrafted and covered in thousands of hand-stitched Swarovski crystals or rhinestones by designers like Bill Whitten and Dennis Tompkins. The design was intended to catch the light during his signature movements

On February 7, 1984, Epic Records threw a massive party at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City to celebrate Thriller being named the biggest-selling album in history by the Guinness Book of World Records. The party was a landmark event in music history. It was hosted by Epic Records executives like Walter Yetnikoff and served as a massive industry gathering that coincided with the official announcement of Thriller as the best-selling album of all time. To invite top executives and VIPs, Epic Records sent out an incredibly rare and unique piece of memorabilia: a single white cotton glove with the party invitation printed on it. No glove, no entry to the party... Because of the historical significance of the album, the Thriller party glove invitations are highly sought-after collector's items in the music memorabilia world.

Shoes

Michael Jackson had a US 9.5 shoe size (which is equivalent to a UK 9 or a European 43). Michael Jackson’s stage footwear is among the most famous in music history, defined by his signature pairing of black leather penny loafers with bright white socks. Rather than choosing specialized dance shoes, the King of Pop preferred classic, American-style dress loafers. He heavily customized them to pull off his gravity-defying choreography.

Florsheim Como Imperial: This was Jackson's absolute favorite shoe line. He wore these classic leather slip-ons during his most legendary performances, including "Billie Jean" and the historic Motown 25 television special where he debuted the moonwalk.
Florsheim Berkley & Sebago Classic: During the Dangerous Tour (1992–1993) and his iconic 1993 Super Bowl halftime performance, he briefly switched up his wardrobe to alternate between these alternative penny loafer brands.

Standard commercial loafers typically feature a rubber insert on the heel to provide grip and prevent slipping. Jackson had his shoemakers completely remove the rubber and replace it with a slick, full-leather heel. This allowed him to glide, spin, and slide effortlessly across the stage.

The Anti-Gravity Lean Patent: For "Smooth Criminal," Michael co-patented a highly specialized piece of footwear. These shoes featured a custom "V"-shaped slot built into the heels. At a precise moment in the choreography, pegs would rise from the stage floor, locking into the slots and allowing Jackson and his dancers to lean forward at an impossible 45-degree angle without falling. The patent is officialy worldwide registered in 1992 under Triumph International.

Socks

Michael's iconic glitter socks were a deliberate, brilliant tool engineered to enhance his live dance performances. Rather than just a random fashion statement, Michael used the stark contrast of sparkling white socks against cropped black pants and a dark stage floor to draw the audience's eyes straight to his legendary footwork. Under bright stage lights, the rhinestones reflected beams to ensure every slide, spin, and toe-stand was highly visible from the back row. His choreographers noted that Michael thought like a filmmaker: "If they can see the beat, they will feel it." Michael adopted the look heavily after viewing a 1988 rehearsal tape and realizing his black dance shoes completely blended into the black stage floor.

Fedora

Michael Jackson’s signature fedora became one of the most iconic accessories in entertainment history. It transitioned from a deliberate stage prop during the Thriller era to a deeply personal protective shield for his everyday life.

In preparation for the 1983 NBC special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, Jackson requested a "spy hat" that would look like a classic fedora. He famously commissioned the company Maddest Hatter to craft the black felt hat. He debuted the hat on March 25, 1983, pairing it with his single sequined glove, and used it as a prop for a dramatic "hat toss" during his first-ever live performance of "Billie Jean". The hat was stamped with "Motown 25" and "Michael Jackson" on its silk lining.

For the 1987-1988 short film and music video "Smooth Criminal" (featured on his Bad album), Jackson wanted to capture the 1930s gangster and dancing aesthetic popularized by legends like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. This marked his transition to a striking white fedora. Costume designers originally placed a small feather in the headband, but during daily playback reviews, they realized it distracted from his sharp choreography, so it was removed.

While the hat began as a visual storytelling prop, it evolved into an everyday necessity. Because Michael faced extreme, intrusive media attention and crowds wherever he went, he tilted the black fedora low over his eyes to disguise himself. Combined with dark sunglasses, it gave him the privacy and armor he needed to observe the world without being easily recognized.

The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson

This is a book by Michael's personal stylist Michael Bush. It is an art-driven, biographical pictorial volume focused on the intersection of music, performance, and fashion throughout Michael's career. Alongside his late partner Dennis Tompkins, Bush created tens of thousands of custom pieces for Michael. All you need to know about Michael's designer clothing is in this book, including unique personal stories.

                                                          Perfumes Michael liked...

     
Michael was known by close friends and bodyguards to be incredibly passionate about smelling good, often heavily applying perfume. Interestingly, he didn't care about gender marketing; he frequently wore and preferred high-end fragrances that were marketed directly to women.

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Michael and number 777

This specific triple-seven combination
"777" is a symbolic signature heavily
tied to Michael's lifelong fascination
with numerology. The 777 represented a
symbol of spiritual power.



First of all his first and last name
is 7 letters. He was also the 7th child
born to Katherin en Joseph Jackson.
Adding the numbers from his birth year
(19 + 58) equals 77




Visuele Referenties: "777" is explicitly
printed on the arm of his statue and on
his jacket in the promotional campaigns
for his 1995 HIStory album, HIStory.





He frequently incorporated the number 7
into his imagery. It appeared on his
shirt in the "Scream" music video,
on the silver leg guards of the HIStory
world tour and on the Dangerous album
cover. On the song Susie he
mentioned 7 inches...



Michael famously wore medical tape or
plasters on three of his fingers,
intentionally keeping exactly seven
fingers free...



Michael has also made art with the
number 7. This is his Dragon 7




Michael also sometimes used number 7
In his autographs