NCT 127 has backed off from heavy promotions of their summer album Cherry Bomb (which is quite delicious and I highly recommend a listen if you’re so inclined). However, they still come out for public appearances every now and again because SM knows how to feed the voracious internet fandom content-consuming machine.

Here are the NCT 127 boys at an appearance (guest hosting?) beats1 radio this week.

For the uninitiated // Top: Win Win, Taeyong, Johnny, Jaehyun // Middle: Taeil, Mark // Bottom: Doyoung, Yuta, Haechan

This photo reminds me how much I enjoy the styling of NCT 127. They are always impeccably group-oriented, from their outrageous urban stagewear to appearances like this which are very casual. Each member has his own individual style, but those styles blend into a visually cohesive whole — texture, color, it’s all in balance.

(Seriously, I have literally paused live performances of NCT 127 during the Limitless era just to marvel at the balance of costuming. I should do a post on it.)

On the group level

Color palette: black, white, dark blue, precisely three accents of red (and one echo of pink hair)

Repeated pattern types across members

  • Spaced-out, white based negative space (Win Win’s palm trees and Taeil’s … running men?)
  • Text (Taeyong, Jaehyun, Win Win’s hat, and maybe Haechan’s sleeves if you squint)
  • Densely packed patterns (Mark’s plaid and Johnny’s camo)
  • Poor Doyoung’s red rugby-striped shirt is all lonely (however, it talks to Haechan’s red hair and Taeil’s red shoes)

Repeated outfit “tropes” across members

  • Black hats: Win Win, Taeyong, Mark
  • Unbuttoned shirts: Win Win, Taeil, Jaehyun, Yuta, and maybe you can count Taeyong with his jacket
  • Casual, tousled hairstyles

I realize that I am reading a lot into this picture, but I don’t for a second believe that an entertainment powerhouse like SM Entertainment that literally coaches its trainees on how to describe and market each and every single that they promote doesn’t image-manage their artists for every possible public appearance.

On the individual level

  • Taeyong is wearing Gucci and a jacket: our fearless leader is repping his visual status as usual.
  • Johnny is wearing something vaguely weird, as usual. He tends to get baggy tops.
  • Jaehyun is wearing something with an urban feel.
  • Mark is showing a lot of sock, which has been his thing lately.
  • Haechan is wearing shorts, again, his thing.
  • Yuta appears to be wearing a black shirt and pants under his blue overshirt — the stylists have been going with a “column of color” look for him lately and it’s looking good on him.
  • Win Win kind of looks like a 12 year old boy…which he tends to do always anyway.
  • Doyoung has long, oversized sleeves.
  • Taeil tends to own the “collard shirt over shirt” look in the NCT 127 group.

You can see some of these same outfit types echoed in the stagewear/red carpet appearance that I overanalyzed and distilled into an infographic.

In conclusion, NCT 127 tones down their batshit-yet-impeccable style for casual appearances and still looks perfect.

THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT.